Milwaukee's iconic lakefront has been in a constant state of change throughout our history.
The might of Lake Michigan's water has defined our shoreline, but over the last 150 years, humans have certainly added to it.
Through a process and technique called "landfill," city crews had piled on rocks, bricks, ash and even street pavers along the shoreline to keep the waters at bay.
In fact, as OnMilwaukee's Bobby Tanzilo discovered, if you walk the shoreline you can spot pieces of cream city brick, even remnants of buildings that used to stand in Milwaukee.
In addition to the landfill along the shore, humans also defined the green space, beaches and roadways along the lakefront as seen today.
"If you're an 80 or 90 year old person, you've seen a whole lot of changes down by the lakefront," Bobby said in this week's podcast. "Most of that land that's down there at the bottom of the bluff . . . was created by man and woman."
Listen to this week's episode for the full story of how Milwaukee built its beloved lakefront.
