Alice’s Garden Urban Farm

Enjoy the beauty of this urban farm, celebrating its 51st year. There will be an Artisan Market each day with food for purchase, tours with Venice Williams at 11am, 2pm, 4pm, and take a walk through the scent-filled herbal labyrinth!

History of the land where Alice’s Garden is today:
Early 1800s
• 1832-Native Indian Sauk leader ends resistance over land takeover.
• 1833-The Treaty of Chicago is the second of two treaties signed between natives and Americans in a settlement agreement for what became Chicago, Illinois.
• 1834-Sam Brown and two others become the first whites to set up farms on this newly settled land.
• 1842-With the help of Sam Brown, a 16-year old fugitive slave named Caroline Quarlls becomes the first to use the Wisconsin Underground Railroad.
1900s
• 1948-The idea to construct the ParkEast freeway along the location of the Wisconsin Underground Railroad was proposed.
o Between this time and 1971 construction began on the North side of Milwaukee, neighborhoods surrounding were torn down for space, only to be followed by news that the freeway project would be cancelled.
• 1972- Some twenty years following the destruction of neighborhoods, a garden is established in the space on 21st and Garfield.
2000s
• 2001-Alice Meade-Taylor, longtime advocate for urban community programs within Milwaukee, passes away and the garden on Garfield finally receives its name: Alice’s Garden.
• 2004-Milwaukee Youth and Venice Williams collaborate to start Seedfolk Youth Ministries, which worked towards expanding activities and events within the garden.
• 2005-For 5 years following the Johnson Park initiative, the Center for Resilient Cities fundraises to rehabilitate Alice’s Garden for improved use.
• 2014-Venice Williams becomes the first executive director of Alice’s Garden