The Native History of Milwaukee

One of the most unexplored aspects of Wisconsin history is of the Native societies that lived in present-day Milwaukee. The principal reason for this oversight was that Milwaukee was not along the great artery of the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway. Even before the coming of Europeans, the waterway had been an important corridor for Native people traveling between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Unlike Native population centers such as Green Bay and Prairie du Chien, Milwaukee had a smaller Native population for this reason. Nevertheless, Milwaukee attracted Native people who were drawn by the rich soil that produced abundant corn and by the many wetlands that hosted a rich array of wildlife.