A notorious day in Milwaukee history is being recreated on Twitter today.
In 1892, a fire tore through the Third Ward, primarily populated by the Irish at the time. The fire began in the late afternoon and was thought to be out until the wind picked up again and created a blaze that destroyed several buildings and many homes.
Instead of using a sign or an exhibit to educate the public about this fire, the Milwaukee Public Museum, with the help of the Milwaukee County Historical Society, is recreating the event through Twitter accounts. "I'm trying to use Twitter as a way to kind of re-energize interest in Milwaukee Public Museum's exhibits and collections," museum educator Jaclyn Kelly explains.
With people increasingly experiencing the world online, the museum researched the event and the people who experienced it. By creating Twitter accounts and live-tweeting, the museum will give voice to what it was like to experience such a large fire.
"People can think of history as sort of a dry timeline of names, dates, places...this is a way to give it a little more personality," says Kelly.
Live tweeting takes place from 10 am to 2 pm Friday. Check out the hashtag #mke92, or follow along with the conversation below.
