history

We look at the tenure of Milwaukee’s last Socialist mayor, Frank Zeidler, and his aggressive campaign to expand the size of the city. We also explore what socialism looks like in Milwaukee today.

Milwaukee Mayor Daniel Hoan became the longest-serving socialist mayor in U.S. history, and redefined life in the city by creating parks, publicly-funded housing and the first modern sewage treatment facility. But it was a tumultuous time for the socialists, who faced local and global pressure over their ideology.

In 1910 the Milwaukee Socialists won a trifecta in government. They were in power of the mayor's office, the Common Council and the County Board. But they had to work quickly if they were going to achieve a fraction of their goals.

Last week’s shooting in San Diego at an Islamic center is being investigated as a hate crime. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, local leaders gathered and spoke out.

The legacy of the Milwaukee Socialists looms large in the city. But the rise of the Social Democratic Party was anything but inevitable. It was a struggle against monied interests, powerful political parties, and a fight for the rights of those whose labor had made others rich.

John Fleissner's exhibition "Strike at Allis-Chalmers and Other Wisconsin Stories" opens June 25 at Milwaukee's Charles Allis Art Museum.

It's the 140th anniversary of the Bay View Massacre, the deadliest labor dispute in Wisconsin history. Lake Effect’s Joy Powers went to the memorial of the event and recorded scenes from the reenactment of what happened that day in May.

Milwaukee's neighborhood posters are featured in homes, businesses, and streets throughout the city. We explore how they were created with historian John Gurda.

A new state historical marker is coming to Milwaukee’s Forest Home Cemetery. It's part of an effort to create 12 new historical markers that focus on underrepresented topics.

Milwaukee is fortunate to have many historic movie theaters still in operation, but the city was once home to many lavish movie palaces fitted with lavish decor and seats for thousands of movie goers.