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Milwaukee Hotels and Visitor Information
Region: Northern Great Lakes
State: Wisconsin
Population: 628,088
Elevation: 634 ft
Area Code(s): 414
Information: Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau, 101 W Wisconsin Ave, 53203; phone 414/273-3950 or toll-free 800/231-0903
Email: visitor@milwaukee.org Web: www.officialmilwaukee.com
Area Description:
During the 19th century immigrants from more than 30 European countries flocked to Milwaukee, bringing with them their skills, arts and cuisines. Germans were the largest group; as the decades passed their gemütlichkeit (hospitality) assumed Italian, Polish, Scandinavian, Irish and other national overtones.
Milwaukee's watery surroundings, while a boon to its eventual development as a river port, posed a few problems during its early years. A fierce rivalry developed over the question of payment for the Milwaukee River bridges that connected the two villages of Juneautown and Kilbourntown. The Great Bridge War was settled by the legislature in 1845, but not before both factions angrily had torn down every bridge and the residents of Juneautown had trained a loaded cannon on Kilbourntown.
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