“fanned the slumbering embers of discord into flame” — Wisconsin State Quarter Coin

Today, the Wisconsin State Quarter Coin remembers when the “bridge wars” finally ended with the incorporation of the city of Milwaukee on January 31, 1846.

From Milwaukee — A Half Century’s Progress, 1846-1896, A Souvenir of Her Golden Anniversary, issued by Consolidated Illustrating Co. Milwaukee, Wis.:

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When Quebec was conquered by Wolfe, New France fell into the hands of the English and with it Wisconsin, which was then a part of the Province of Quebec.

The French and half breeds, however, still held the Northwest and the fur trade was the chief occupation of the pioneers in those regions, till the Black Hawk war in 1832, directed attention to Wisconsin.

The land north and east of the Milwaukee River was ceded to the United States Government by the Menomonee Indians in February, 1831, and that west and south of the river was ceded by the Pottawatomies in February, 1833, although the treaty was not ratified until two years later, Juneau’s settlement was on the east side of the river, and the land which he first occupied and afterward purchased from the government was a plat of 132 acres, extending from Juneau avenue to Wisconsin Street.

Byron Kilbourn, who came here in 1834, and Col. Geo. H. Walker, who come in 1833, share with Juneau the title of Founders of Milwaukee.

Walker was the founder of the South Side, and Kilbourn of the West Side, which divisions of the city were long known by the respective titles of Walker’s Point and Kilbourntown.

Kilbourn was by occupation an engineer, and fifteen years later when railroads began to be built in this portion of the country, he was active with others in planning and constructing them. Settlers began pouring in in 1835, and purchased lots from Juneau, Kilbourn and Walker.

The village of Milwaukee, comprising the territory now known as the “East Side,” was organized February 27, 1837. Kilbourntown was organized March 11, 1839, and Walker’s Point, February 15, 1845.

Milwaukee was incorporated as a city January 31, 1846, and the first charter election was held in the following April, Solomon Juneau being elected mayor.

The population of the city at that time was 9,660, and, as evidence of the remarkable growth and progress of Milwaukee, we give a table showing the number of its inhabitants at different dates, from 1836 to the present time:

1836—275;
1840—1,810;
1850—20,061 ;
1860—45,246;
1870—71,440;
1880—115,587;
1885—158,509;
1890—225,000;
1891—250,000 ;
1896 about 300,000.

People who have been astonished at the sectional rivalry which has been exhibited recently in discussing the location of the new post office, and other public buildings, may be interested to know that the first generations of Milwaukeeans were as bad in this respect as their predecessors.

The three representative real estate magnates of the day, were exceedingly jealous of each other, and each determined to thwart his neighbor in his efforts to sell lots and develop the property.

Each was ambitious to have his section become the city proper, and neither had faith enough to believe in a future that would develop the city so as to have it include all of the property.

Kilbourn even went so far as to have his streets surveyed in such a way as not to correspond with those on Juneau’s side of the river, and has been execrated for his enterprise ever since.

The settlers sided with the leaders of the respective sections and what may be termed a “bridge war” developed when attempts were made to connect the settlements by bridging the stream.

The first effort of this kind was made at Chestnut Street where a bridge was erected in 1839.

Kilbourn objected to the construction of this bridge on the ground that the Milwaukee River was a meandered stream and was therefore not bridgeable under the Congressional provisions.

A float bridge was made in 1842, at Grand Avenue, but after doing service a few months was swept away in a freshet.

The next year a frame bridge was built in the same place, the money having been raised by subscription.

This bridge stood until 1845, when it was disabled by a boat belonging to east siders, the collision having been the result of design rather than accident, as claimed.

This fanned the slumbering embers of discord into flame, and war began in earnest. The little city had been governed by ten trustees, five from each side of the river, or from the east and west wards.

They met together and had their proceedings recorded in the same book; but the unifying principle ended there, for each side handled its own funds and managed its own legislation.

The east side trustees having declined to support the Grand Avenue bridge longer, excited the west warders into a retaliatory motion which concealed a deep laid plan that would enable them to remove portions of the bridges.

Their motion was to the effect that the jurisdiction of each ward extended to the middle of the river.

The east warders joining in with the South Ward trustees defeated this, and defined the jurisdiction as ending at the water’s edge.

The west warders having secured this decision then proceeded to destroy the Chestnut Street bridge.

They claim that each ward had jurisdiction absolute in its territory, and defined their limit or boundary at low water mark. All the support of the bridge was upon that side of the river.

The trustees ordered as much of the bridge as lay in the West Ward to be removed as a nuisance; and, acting upon this order, workmen sawed the huge draw in two, and the bridge, having nothing to support it, fell into the river.

The citizens of the East Side were frenzied, and some had a cannon ready for service, but were dissuaded from active warfare and contented themselves with destroying the Grand Avenue bridge and that belonging to Kilbourn, over the Menomonee.

The bridge war lasted for several months, but was finally settled by the incorporation of the city in 1846.

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The Wisconsin State Quarter Coin shows with an artist’s image of Milwaukee, circa 1854.

Wisconsin State Quarter Coin