April 14 is the annual celebration of Milwaukee Day throughout the city. While the date may seem random, 4/14 was selected in honor of the city’s area code (which is 414 respectively).
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Milwaukee with a passion. While every city has unique features to boast of, I know that Milwaukee has its own niche of oddities that even some native Milwaukeens are unaware of. To kick off today’s celebration, here are five little-known facts about the city of Milwaukee.
The Lake Underneath the City
Some know that Milwaukee was built on swampland, but few know that there is a lake underneath the city!
Lake Emily (also known as Drum’s Hollow) is under the old Northwestern Mutual home office. Workers check the basement regularly and add water when needed to maintain and preserve the lake.
Lake Emily used to be a natural retention pond. People used to bring their horses down here to water them, and kids used to swim. Today, Lake Emily can only be viewed through one of 74 observation holes underneath the building. The water is only about two feet, and about nine feet below the floor.
Viewing it can be a bit anti-climatic, but it is a neat piece of history!
Watch Out For Boats Below
While Chicago boasts the most bascule bridges in the United States at 37, Milwaukee is not far behind at 21 bridges. Bascule bridges are the modern-day drawbridge. As you either drive or walk around the city, you may literally find the road rising up to meet you to make room for the boat traffic below.
While you have to watch out for boats while on the road, you don’t have to worry about them as you go over the skywalk. While the Milwaukee skywalk system is not nearly as comprehensive as Minneapolis, it does have one small claim to fame. The skywalk that crosses over the Milwaukee River is the only skywalk that exists over boat traffic.
Bigger Than Big Ben
When you think about famous clock towers, instantly Big Ben comes to mind. It’s majestic, regal, and probably the biggest clock in the world. That is where you would be wrong.
The Allen-Bradley Clock Tower was the largest four-faced clock in the world until the Abraj Al-Bait Towers were built in 2010. Affectionately known as the Polish Moon because of its proximity to a historically Polish neighborhood, the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower is still the largest of its kind in North America. Each hour hand is 4.8 m (16 ft) long and each minute hand is 6.1 m (20 ft) long.
Interestingly enough, and appropriately for Brew City, there sits a one-of-a-kind, private bar within the clock tower at 280 feet up in the air. It is not open to the public except during Doors Open Milwaukee, but that does not make it any less exciting.
Our Oldest Building Predates Christopher Columbus
The St. Joan of Arc Chapel is the city’s oldest building, predating the European settlement of Milwaukee by more than three centuries. It was likely built sometime around 1420 and was originally in Chasse-sur-Rhône, France.
The church was the final resting place of the Chevalier de Sautereau, a French knight who died in battle in the 15th century, and many believe that St. Joan of Arc prayed inside the church in 1429 before she went into battle (hence the moniker St. Joan of Arc Chapel). Although it has historical significance, the church fell into disrepair during the French Revolution and was sold to private owners in Long Island in 1926.
In 1964, the church was dismantled stone by stone and shipped to Milwaukee to be reconstructed. It has been on the campus of Marquette University ever since and is open to the public. It’s the only medieval structure in the Western hemisphere that’s actively used for holding Mass.
The Egg Predicts the Weather
Okay, it is not really an egg. On top of the Milwaukee Gas Company building there is a large glass orb that contains a flame. While the flame adds some colorful illumination at night, the different colors are significant as they are used as a city-wide weather predictor.
The building was designed by Eschweiler & Eschweiler and completed in 1930. The building is 250 ft. tall and has 20 floors, but in 1956, a 21 ft. tall weather beacon was added to the top building. Known as the “weather flame,” the light changes color along with the weather forecast for the following day.
To keep track of what each color means the following poem is helpful:
When the flame is read, warm weather is ahead.
When the flame is gold, watch out for cold.
When the flame is blue, there’s no change in view.
When there’s a flickering flame, expect snow or rain.
Am I Missing Something?
Is there something that I missed or do you have a little-known fact about Milwaukee? Share your insights in the comments below!
Happy Milwaukee Day!
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