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'Milwaukee In The 1930s' Gives A Firsthand View Of The City's Past

In retelling the stories of the 1930s, most history books focus on a retrospective look at the Great Depression. A time of great suffering, when Hoovervilles littered America’s largest cities and poverty afflicted people from all walks of life.

But the hardship of the 1930s also created the New Deal, and with it came some interesting programs like the Federal Writers Project.

Credit Wisconsin Historical Images / Wisconsin Historical Society
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Wisconsin Historical Society
Grand Ave viaduct, Pigsville 1938.

Milwaukee in the 1930s was originally created by writers from the Project, but was never published for various reasons. That is until now.

Most of the material for the book wasn't ready until the end of the 1930s, when the United States was turning its attention to World War II. There was also some controversy over Milwaukee's political scene. 

"Milwaukee had been the most socialist city in America. Dan Hoan, the mayor, was a socialist and he had been mayor for 25 years at that particular point. And by that time there was a lot of reaction against the socialists," says John Buenker, the editor of Milwaukee in the 1930s. 

The book was also the subject of a Milwaukee Magazine article, which chronicles some of the more important stories from the book.

This piece was originally published June 6, 2016. 

Joy is a WUWM host and producer for Lake Effect.