Milwaukee Bronzville: Walnut Way!

Initially I was somewhat overwhelmed and unsure about what I wanted my main focus to be for my final project on JPNA. After attending the last of a four part series of the Milwaukee Historic Society's presentations on Milwaukee Neighborhoods I became interested in Walnut Way/Johnson's Park history. It was amazing because I had never heard about the history of African American settlement in Milwaukee, it was fascinating to see that the residents from this era are still alive and continue to pass these oral histories. I felt compelled to do my final project on the juxtapositions between the two eras and I hope to inspire some curiosity for others to do the same! 

African American settlement began in Milwaukee from 1900s-1950s, due to labor shortages during WWII. This was an opportunity for African Americans to improve their own economic situations and they then began to migrate to Wisconsin in search of industrial, agricultural, and manufacturing jobs. Despite the fact that there was African American settlement in WI, this particular time period nearly tripled the African American Population by 600%. By 1945 there was over 15,000 African Americans living in Milwaukee. Because of racism/segregation, the African American residents in Milwaukee were restricted/limited to live in certain areas, forcing them to build their own community formerly known as, Walnut Way, our modern day Johnsons Park. The actual landmark begins at Walnut St., King Drive, and 12th street. Looking at Johnson's Park today, one would never know that it was such a thriving community, all of the businesses were owned by African Americans and celebrated the African American culture, residents can recall never having to leave their communities-they had their own barbershops, drugstores, restaurants, etc. Needless to say, this thriving community began to attract racially mixed clientele. So what happened to this thriving community? Towards the end of the 1950s the city planned to reconstruct HWY I-43, which cut directly across the neighborhood, destroying thousands of homes-snatching the heart out of this beautiful community. 

More Info: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/highlights/archives/2007/02/discover_milwau.asp