page_title: Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee / History
caption_attribution_description: Aftermath of Milwaukees extensive Third Ward fire of 1892-10-28. Original caption&#58; "Pictured here are the ruins of Kissinger's Liquors on Water Street, one of 443 buildings destroyed in the Third-Ward Fire on October 28, 1892. The conflagaration caused the greatest property loss in Milwaukee's history, engulfing 16 city blocks, along with 215 railroad cars. Three people, including a firefighter, were killed, and nineteen hundred people, mostly Irish immigrants, were left homeless. During reconstruction, Italians moved into the area, establishign grocery commission houses. "Commission Row" thrives as a trendy area, combining elements of past and present."
context_page_description: The Historic Third Ward is a historic warehouse district located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This Milwaukee neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Third Ward is home to over 450 businesses and maintains a strong position within the retail and professional service community in Milwaukee as a showcase of a mixed-use district. The neighborhood's renaissance is anchored by many specialty shops, restaurants, art galleries and theatre groups, creative businesses and condos. It is home to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and the Broadway Theatre Center. The Ward is adjacent to the Henry Maier Festival Park, home to Summerfest. The district is bounded by the Milwaukee River to the west and south, E. St. Paul Ave to the north, and N. Jackson St. to the east.
context_section_description: During the early years of Milwaukee, the Third Ward was a relatively flat, swampy area. The land was drained, and soon houses populated the west side of the Ward, while along the east side of the Milwaukee River, factories and warehouses were built.  Irish immigrants were the early settlers of the area. The Ward became known as the "Bloody Third," a reputation the area earned for its frequent fistfights.
  The first railroad linked Milwaukee to the Mississippi River in 1856, letting wholesalers supply needed goods to the population of settlers in the West. The Irish settlers in the Third Ward went through two major tragedies. On September 7, 1860 the Lady Elgin steamship left Milwaukee carrying a large number of passengers from the Third Ward's Irish community. Over 400 people are believed to have died when the ship sank and is the second greatest loss of life seen on the Great Lakes. A Wisconsin Historical Marker in the Third Ward commemorates the tragedy while a monument dedicated at Calvary Cemetery serves as a cenotaph.
  The second tragedy struck on October 28, 1892. A fire started by spontaneous combustion at the Union Oil & Paint Co.  building along the Milwaukee River at Water Street. Strong winds of up to 50 mph helped to spread the fire to the Ward's other buildings. The fire quickly grew out of control. Cities such as Chicago, Kenosha, Racine, Sheboygan and Oshkosh  sent horse-drawn units by rail to help Milwaukee's fire department fight the flames. A total of 440 buildings were destroyed and more than 1,900 people, mostly Irish families, were left without homes by the time the fire was finally under control at midnight. Those families sought shelter in the Third Ward School, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, and the old St. Gall’s Church housed hundreds overnight. Victims also received meal tickets to restaurants and clothing.
  Prominent local architects stepped in to design many of the commercial structures after the 1892 fire. Over the next 36 years construction continued, giving the buildings an interesting continuity that unifies the neighborhood because of this relatively short time of development. Italian immigrants replaced the Irish during this period of reconstruction, and the Irish had moved to different areas in the city. The Italians were very prolific in the warehouse businesses, establishing Commission Row, a grouping of grocery commission houses. By 1915, 29 Italian saloons, 45 Italian groceries, an Italian bank and two spaghetti factories populated the Ward. Grocery warehouses, liquor distributors dry goods businesses and manufacturers were the business that flourished during this time.
  Highway construction displaced the close-knit Italian Third Ward community in the 1960s. The trucking industry and suburb growth led to the decline of warehouse operations and industry. Ironically, Milwaukee's first architectural landmark was named in 1967, the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Catholic Church, the same year it was demolished for construction of the I-794 freeway.
  In 2000, the Historic Third Ward Association began co-sponsoring Milwaukee's premier art event, Gallery Night and Day, a quarterly event which attracts thousands of visitors to the neighborhood. The Historic Third Ward recently experienced an influx of upscale women's boutiques, restaurants and high-end furnishings businesses. The Milwaukee Public Market also offers year-round indoor gourmet and specialty food shopping.
  In 2010, Erie Street Plaza, a small park and public space built on a former parking lot, opened on the southern edge of the neighborhood, near the confluence of the Milwaukee River and Kinnickinnic River.
  In 2019, murals by two European artists appeared in the area. First, two murals by French artist MTO were commissioned on private property, spotlighting endangered species. ' Later the same summer, the iconic mural "The Unsung Hero" by German artist Case Maclaim was commissioned by Singerman Real Estate for the PH Dye Building. The six-story mural is visible from Highway 794 and is now a Historic Third Ward tourist attract
caption: After the fire of 1892
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