Category Archives: Milwaukee

Three Memorials: The 32nd Infantry, Patrick Lucey, and Dontre Hamilton

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Katherine Wikoff

On my Starbucks run while taking a break from making up the final exam for my political science class, I was struck by this sight. The granite arrow honors the 32nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army National Guard, made up … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee, News | Tagged 32nd Infantry Division, Dontre Hamilton, memorials, mental health, monuments, Red Arrow Division, Red Arrow Park, Red Arrow shooting, schizophrenia, Starbucks, U.S. Army National Guard, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Governor Patrick Lucey | 6 Comments

O. Winston Link exhibit of steam locomotive photography closes next Sunday

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Katherine Wikoff

For today’s post, head over to my blog at Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Hub, where I’ve written about the Grohmann Museum’s exhibit of steam locomotive photography by the famed O. Winston Link. Plus I share a fun background story about … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee, Popular culture | Tagged Grohmann Museum, Jake Gyllenhaal, Milwaukee School of Engineering, night photography, O. Winston Link, steam locomotives | Leave a comment

Spring thaw: Oh, happy day!

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Katherine Wikoff

Posted in Life, Milwaukee, Nature | Leave a comment

Sunlit Gas Flame (photo)

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Katherine Wikoff

Anyone who lives in Milwaukee or has driven on the elevated freeway loop south of Downtown knows the Wisconsin Gas Building, a beautiful Art Deco tower topped by a weather beacon in the shape of a flame. The flame changes … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee | Tagged Art Deco architecture, Milwaukee gas company flame, weather beacon, winter, Wisconsin Gas Building | 2 Comments

Tosa All-City Read: Rocket Boys and October Sky

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Katherine Wikoff

Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (an old-city inner-ring suburb of Milwaukee), is having its inaugural “all-city read” this month. Children ages 8-12 are reading a fantasy adventure, and people ages 13+ are reading Rocket Boys, the 1998 memoir by retired NASA engineer Homer Hickam, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and reading, History, Milwaukee, Movies and film, Popular culture, Teaching | Tagged "October Sky", "Rocket Boys", Home Depot, Homer Hickam, Little Free Library, Tosa All-City Read, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Stovetop Hot Cocoa and Coal Furnaces

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Katherine Wikoff

I’ve been thinking about my great-grandparents lately. Our microwave died not long ago, and with it the ability to heat up coffee and milk instantly . . . IN the cup we plan to drink from. Instead we have to add … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee | Tagged coal delivery, coal furnace, Great Depresssion, great-grandparents, microwave, polar vortex, stovetop hot cocoa, winter | 7 Comments

Milwaukee Christmas Tree arrives at Red Arrow

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Yesterday marked the 100th year that the City of Milwaukee has placed a pine tree downtown during the holiday season. Our longstanding tradition is supposedly second to New York City, but the first tree was not erected at Rockefeller Center … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee, News | Tagged Christmas, Christmas Tree, City of Milwaukee, Downtown Milwaukee, longstanding tradition, Milwaukee, Milwaukee City Christmas Tree, Milwaukee City Hall, Milwaukee School of Engineering, pine tree, Red Arrow Park, Slice of Ice skating rink | 3 Comments

September Mint (and other photos of summer’s end)

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

September is here, and Mother Nature is wrapping up summer here in Milwaukee. After a busy August, I now am back in school (I teach at Milwaukee School of Engineering) and catching up on chores around the house whenever I … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee | Tagged autumn, autumn leaves, baby birds, cardinals, leaving the nest, mint, mint plants, nature, outdoors, plants, seasons, September, silver maple tree | 8 Comments

A walking tour of the Milwaukee River’s bridge houses

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Two weeks ago I posted about getting stopped at the Wisconsin Avenue drawbridge in downtown Milwaukee. I was able to illustrate that blog post with two photographs of bridge houses that I found online, but those were basically the ONLY photos I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee | Tagged bascule bridges, bridge house, bridge houses, cherry street bridge, Cherry Street bridge house, Clybourn Street bridge house, Downtown Milwaukee, drawbridges, Juneau Avenue bridge house, Kilbourn Avenue bridge house, Michigan Street bridge house, Milwaukee, Milwaukee River, Milwaukee Riverwalk, State Street bridge house, Wells Street bridge house, Wisconsin Avenue bridge, Wisconsin Avenue bridge house | 9 Comments

A pause for river traffic at the Wisconsin Avenue drawbridge

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

One of the joys of living in a city with a navigable river is encountering its drawbridges. Around noon yesterday I happened to be two cars back when the Wisconsin Avenue bridge was raised to accommodate one of the larger … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee | Tagged architecture, bridge houses, drawbridges, Gertie the Duck, Gimbels, Milwaukee, Milwaukee River, Pleasant Street bridge house, transportation, Wisconsin Avenue bridge, Wisconsin Avenue bridge house | 1 Comment