History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city within the state of Wisconsin and 22nd largest (by population) in the United States|United States. The city is the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, Milwaukee had a population of 578,887.{{cite web| url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-01.csv| title=Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2005 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 (SUB-EST2005-01)}} The city is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha Metropolitan Area with a population of 1,753,355.List of the largest metropolitan areas in the Americas
The first Europeans to pass through the area were French missionaries and fur traders. In 1818, Frenchman Solomon Juneau settled in the area, and in 1846 Juneau's town combined with two neighboring towns to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee.{{cite web |url=http://192.159.83.40/SOS/pdf/THEOSOS_025/images/00014104.pdf |title=CITY OF MILWAUKEE INCORPORATED, PAGE 164, 1846; PAGE 314, 1851 |accessdate=2007-04-08 |author=City of Milwaukee |publisher=Office of the Secretary of State of Wisconsin}} Large numbers of German and other immigrants helped increase the city's population during the 1840s and the following decades.
Once known almost exclusively as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouse, Milwaukee has taken steps in recent years to reshape its image, in large part by reviving its downtown. In the past decade, new additions to downtown have included the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the Midwest Airlines Center, an internationally renowned addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, as well as the major renovations to the the MECCA|Milwaukee Auditorium and U.S. Cellular Arena. In addition, many new skyscrapers, condos, lofts, and apartments have been constructed in neighborhoods on and near the lakefront and riverbanks for the purpose of attracting new residents to the city.
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