Artist Statement II

David Schiff
Film 150
12/11/2009
Artist Statement II

In order to understand the history of the South Side of Milwaukee it is best to begin to first define the neighborhoods that make up the South side of Milwaukee. Bay View which was incorporated in 1879 and is Milwaukee’s first suburb is a good place to start. Bay View in 1887 voted to join the city of Milwaukee to obtain city services of which water was the most important. Bay View has the last remaining public well in the city of Milwaukee: the Pryor Avenue Iron Well. On May 1st of 1886 approximately 7,000 Milwaukee trade workers and 5,000 Polish laborers went on strike demanding an 8 hr day. In a foreshadowing of the ethnic diversity of the South side banners promoting the 8 hour theme were in English, German, and Polish.
On May 4th the strikers gathered at St. Stanislaus Church intent on marching on North Chicago Rolling Mill in Bay View were met by the militia who fired shots over their head as a warning. Later in the same day a bomb exploded in Chicago’s Hay Market Square during an 8 hour day demonstration killing 7 policemen and wounding 60. Tensions in Milwaukee began to grow. Demonstrators despite the events of the previous day began their march on North Chicago Rolling Mill. Governor Rusk issued the order to the General of the National Guard “Fire on them”. 4 laborers were killed and 6 more were wounded and not expected to live through the night. (www.wilaborers.org) Polish workers became the focus of employer backlash from the 8-hour day movement and an example to any worker who was thinking of supporting worker rights.
Father James Groppi was born in the Bay View neighborhood to Italian immigrant parents. James father joined others from Italy in Milwaukee’s grocery business opening Groppi’s Store in Bay View. James went to Immaculate Conception a parochial grade school and on to a public high school in Bay View. Groppi was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1959 and in 1963 he became the priest at St. Boniface which had a predominant African-American congregation. It was here that Father Groppi became active in civil rights for Black Americans. In 1965 Father Groppi became the advisor to the Milwaukee chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and protested the segregation of Milwaukee Public Schools. He also demonstrated against the city of Milwaukee on the behalf of fair housing. He marched across the 16th St. Viaduct which has been renamed in his honor. I included pictures of the 16th St Bridge because I felt it was significant that Father Groppi had the courage to cross the imaginary border that racially divided Milwaukee. I also included a picture of Father Groppi demonstrating at the Eagles Club because at the time it was an all white club, and later became a Latino attraction where dances were held and now is known as the Rave and has alternative music concerts.
Holler Park is a small neighborhood on the far South side near Mitchell Airport. Holler Park features a 10,000 sq. ft. “Rain Garden” with Wisconsin perennials, walking paths, and benches. Holler Park is known as the “Gateway to Milwaukee”. I included some pictures of the rain garden. Jackson Park is a neighborhood on the South side that has seen a growing number of Hispanic residents. Jones Island is a peninsula located at the Milwaukee Harbor. It began as a fishing village populated by Polish settlers in 1870. The settlers never obtained a deed for the land and were evicted by the city of Milwaukee in 1940 to make way for a shipping port, the Port of Milwaukee. It also supports the Hoan Bridge, a long span bridge that was named after Daniel Hoan the former socialist mayor of Milwaukee. The Hoan Bridge connects I-794 to the Lake freeway across the Milwaukee river inlet. I included several pictures of Jones Island and the Hoan Bridge.
Layton Park is on the Southwest side and has a large Hispanic population. It is where Loyola Academy and the Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute are located. The Spanish Center was founded by Milwaukee priest John Maurice in 1968. Maurice organized the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Council for the Spanish Speaking in 1963. This organization helped to establish the Spanish Center by providing legal aid, health care, education, employment, and housing services. The term Spanish-Speaking was used because Milwaukee’s “Spanish-speaking” population was different from other cities because it had an almost equal number of Puerto Ricans and Mexican-Americans. New York City for example was dominated by the Puerto Ricans and California by Mexican-Americans. Outreach Institute was used to reflect the understanding of the community and Latino leaders to respond the needs of Milwaukee’s Latino population.
Lincoln Village has a rich history and contains a national landmark the Basilica of St. Josaphat which I mentioned in my previous artist statement. The Holler House Tavern is also located in Lincoln Village and contains the oldest certified bowling alley in the United States. Holler House just celebrated its 100th anniversary on September 14, 2008. I included an original print advertisement for the Holler House and a picture of the bowling alley. Lincoln Village is also home to the Forest Home Cemetery which is rumored to be haunted. You can take a guided tour through the cemetery and witness the people who built Milwaukee. Lincoln Village is currently experiencing a large influx of Hispanics from Mexico and Los Angeles. Mitchell Street is also largely Hispanic and is home to St. Stanislaus Catholic Church on Mitchell and 5th. St. Stanislaus is a national landmark and I included a picture of it. Tippecanoe is located on the city’s far south side and was developed by landowner John Saveland. Saveland an outspoken Republican whose political slogan was “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” intended to develop the land as an upper income suburban community.
Walkers Point is home to the Esperanza Unida International Building that has the Mural of Peace on its side. The Mural of Peace is Wisconsin’s largest mural; it depicts an eagle and a dove with a sunburst rainbow of flags. Reynaldo Hernandez designed the mural while community volunteers painted the four by eight foot aluminum panels which make up the 60 x 152 ft. image. The mural was completed in 1994. Esperanza Unida was founded by Richard Oulahan to help the South side Hispanic families with training and jobs. Esperanza Unida developed a self-sustaining job training model that was studied and implemented around the country. Esperanza Unida provided counseling, job training, and job-placement services for hundreds of residents. (esperanzaunida.org) I included a picture of the mural which is impressive and very recognizable. Walker’s Point is also home to the Allen Bradley Clock Tower which is the largest 4 sided clock tower in the world. Father Groppi led a demonstration in 1968 outside Allen-Bradley because they employed few Latino or black workers. Walker’s Point is also known as the “Fifth Ward” or Latin Quarter.
The Town of Lake is where Patrick Cudahy bought land in 1892 for his meatpacking business. In 1895 the area was incorporated as the Village of Cudahy. After Cudahy became a city it annexed lands south to the border of South Milwaukee. As a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal an octagonal tower was built in 1938. It was to be the Lake City Hall and double as a water tower. In 2001 the internal tank was removed and the building was converted to office space.
Works cited
Gurda, John. The Making of Milwaukee. Wisconsin Historical Institute
Hill, Evan. Milwaukee Neighborhoods Milwaukee.com
Jones, Patrick. The Selma of the North: Civil Rights Insurgency in Milwaukee. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press, 2009
Rodriguez, A. Joseph. Latinos at UWM: A History of the Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute and the Roberto Hernandez Center.