© 2026 Milwaukee Public Media is a service of UW-Milwaukee's College of Letters & Science
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Remembering the Bay View Massacre, the bloodiest labor dispute in Wisconsin history

Performers re-enacting events from before and during the Bay View Massacre, on the former site of the Bay View Rolling Mill.
Joy Powers
/
WUWM
Performers re-enacting events from before and during the Bay View Massacre, on the former site of the Bay View Rolling Mill.
Performers re-enacting events from before and during the Bay View Massacre, on the former site of the Bay View Rolling Mill.
Joy Powers
Performers re-enacting events from before and during the Bay View Massacre, on the former site of the Bay View Rolling Mill.

It's the 140th anniversary of the Bay View Massacre, the deadliest labor dispute in Wisconsin history. At least 9 people were shot and dozens more injured, when a state militia fired on protesters making their way toward the Bay View Rolling Mill.

Since 1986, people have gathered in Bay View at the former site of the rolling mill for a reenactment of what happened that day in May and to remember those who died. Lake Effect’s Joy Powers went to the memorial and recorded these scenes from the reenactment.

Joy is a WUWM host and producer for Lake Effect.
Related Content