A portion of a panoramic map showing the Irish Third Ward looking west from Lake Michigan. Drawn in 1872 by Howard. H. Bailey, printed by Milwaukee Lithographing & Engraving Co., publishers Holzapfel & Eskuche. From the American Memory collection of the Library of Congress.
Prominent in this perspective drawing are the businesses along the Milwaukee River and the Milwaukee Gas Works along Menomonee Street. The bulk of the Ward was small frame houses and shacks erected by the Irish immigrants who worked as laborers in the Ward.
Another perspective view of the Ward, circa 1879:
Part of a panoramic map looking north across the Milwaukee River from Walkers Point, drawn by J.J. Stoner in 1879, Beck & Pauli, lithographers, Madison, Wis., 1879. From the American Memory collection of the Library of Congress.
The Irish began settling in the Third Ward in the 1840s. The Ward was largely swamp in those days, and was gradually filled in through the efforts of Irish laborers, who built their homes in the shadows of the factories and grain elevators.
The Irish community in the Third Ward was shattered by two events: The sinking of the Lady Elgin in the 1860s (click here for Brendon Baillod's Lady Elgin page), and the devastating Third Ward Fire of 1892. After the fire, the Irish largely moved out of the Ward, replaced by new immigrants from Italy (primarily Sicily).
The following files list a portion of Third Ward residents in 1890, as culled from Wright's City Directory of 1890. As with all directories/censuses, nothing is perfect, and no doubt people are missing. Also, unlike a census count, the directories only list the primary adults in the household, and rarely are wives listed unless they had their own business or trade. Check back for additional entries.
1890 Third Ward Surnames A-D
1890 Third Ward Surnames E-J
1890 Third Ward Surnames K-P
1890 Third Ward Surnames Q-Z
The Third Ward today has evolved into an upscale neighborhood of condominiums, shops and artists' galleries, most housed in the reclaimed factories and warehouse buildings of the early 1900s. Visit the Historic Third Ward Association for a look at the Ward today.