Early Bay View
In 1834 Horace Chase becomes the first permanent settler in the Bay View area. Two years later in 1836 pioneer Elijah Estes staked out 150 acres on the south shore of Milwaukee overlooking Lake Michigan. It was here that Elijah and his wife Zebiah built their log home and farm. Later, a house still standing on the corner of Estes Street and South Shore Drive was built. Zebiah is credited with giving the name Bay View to the village.
The Lake Shore Railroad completed a connection between Milwaukee and Chicago in 1855 and the first train depot in the Milwaukee area was located on South Bay Street in Bay View.
Captain Eber Brock Ward, of Michigan opened his third rolling mill, The Milwaukee Iron Co., in Bay View in 1868. Within a year the village of Bay View sprung up as a company town around the steel mill. Cottages erected for mill workers became the center of the village. Many of these cottages are still occupied today and are a part of the diverse architecture of the Bay View neighborhood.
With village incorporation in 1879, its rapid growth and demands for city services were so great that a vote was taken and the village was annexed to the city of Milwaukee in 1887.
Additional information and important dates in Bay View's history are listed below.
Important Dates in Bay View History
| 1834 | Horace Chase becomes first permanent settler in the area later known as Bay View. |
| 1855 | The Green Bay, Milwaukee & Chicago Rail Company, also called the Lake Shore Railroad, is completed becoming the first railway to connect Milwaukee with Chicago. Its first Milwaukee depot was on South Bay Street in Bay View. |
| 1868 | Captain Eber Brock Ward, of Michigan, opens the Milwaukee Iron Company in Bay View. His third rolling mill, it grew to become the second largest in the country. Within the year, the village of Bay View had sprung up as a company town around the mill. |
| 1879 | Bay View incorporates as a village, becoming Milwaukee's first suburb with 2,592 people and 892 acres of land. |
| 1886 | Bay View Tragedy. On May 5, in the bloodiest labor event in Wisconsin history, seven workers were killed when Wisconsin National Guardsmen fired on a crowd of 1,500 strikers marching on Bay View to demand an eight-hour work day. |
| 1887 | Bay View's 4,000 residents voted overwhelmingly to join the city of Milwaukee, turning the neighborhood into the 17th ward. |
| 1909 | Nordberg, a manufacturer of mine hoists now known as Metso, opens on the corner of Chase and Oklahoma Avenues. |
| 1912 | South Shore Yacht Club organized. |
| 1913 | South Shore breakwater constructed; Milwaukee Drop Forge opens on Oklahoma Avenue. |
| 1914 | Bay View's first high school constructed at the northern edge of Humboldt Park. |
| 1920 | Nash Motors opens on Clement and Euclid Avenues. |
| 1923 | Construction of current Bay View High School completed. |
| 1925 | Pelton Steel Castings opens on Chase and Dakota Avenues. |
| 1929 | The Bay View rolling mills, now owned by the Illinois Steel Company, end operations. |
| 1948 | First South Shore Water Frolic is held, becoming the first lakefront festival celebration in Milwaukee. |
| 1977 | The Dan Hoan Bridge (Highway 794) opens, connecting Bay View with the Milwaukee freeway system. |
| 1999 | The Lake Parkway opens, extending Highway 794 south to Layton Avenue. |
Historical Buildings
Brinton House
The Brinton House is located at 2590 S. Superior Street. Formally the home of Beulah Brinton and her husband it was a gathering place for the people of the village.
Beulah started a library in her home and invited the villagers in to read the many books that she had acquired. She also opened her home to the wives of immigrant laborers, conducting English language and homemaking classes.
In August of 2005 the Bay View Historical Society purchased the Beulah Brinton House. It is now the society's headquarters, houses our Archives and Research Collections and is used for various functions/events throughout the year.
Puddler's Hall
Puddler's Hall is located on the corner of South St. Clair Street and East Potter Avenue. It is currently a neighborhood tavern. In the early days is was a center of social activity for the early village settlers.
The term "puddler" referred to individuals that worked at the steel mill and were responsible for determining when iron or steel was ready to be poured into puddles and then, from puddles into the various forms such as rails, nails, etc.
Puddler's Hall was erected in the late 1870's by the National Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, Wisconsin Lodge #1 and the Badger State Lodge #2. The two-story building had a large room that was used for union meetings, church gatherings, thespians, literary associations, political groups, classes, etc.
Old Beulah Brinton
The old Beulah Brinton Community center, no longer standing, was formerly the Milwaukee Fire Department's Engine House #11. It was converted in 1924 into the Beulah Brinton Community Center, and served in that capacity until 1977 when it was torn down. The site of the Old Beulah Brinton Center is now part of a row of townhouses north of Puddler's Hall on South St. Clair Street.