Historic Financial District Tour – Member

Historic Milwaukee is excited to announce a new self-guided walking tour of the Historic Financial District (also known as the East Side Commercial Historic District). This project was funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Humanities Council supports and creates programs that use history, culture and discussion to strengthen community life for everyone in Wisconsin.

This self-guided tour not only highlights the superb architecture of the district and its role in supporting the growth of Milwaukee, but also offers the chance to tell the stories of women in the district and Milwaukee’s earliest days. Financial giants like Alexander Mitchell and founders like Solomon Juneau are well remembered, but many important women ensured Milwaukee’s success. This tour allows us to tell the important story of Juneau’s wife, Josette Vieau Juneau, a Métis woman who birthed Milwaukee, literally and figuratively, as well as women’s organizations, women’s suffrage and artists who made the Historic Financial District their home.