■ii ■yMt-iiCf&M'i"SWrations are con- centrated at a point where ships have free and unob- structed access in close proximity to the open sea is an advantage which is readily recognized. When ships can reach their docks without bridge delays and the expense of tug hauling, discharge and receive cargoes expeditiously and at a minimum of cost, the first es- sential in port efficiency is met. In the development of Jones Island and the Kin- nickinnic Basin as the center of future port opera- tions, the assurance is given that Milwaukee is pro- ceeding along ]3roper lines in bringing natural environ- ment and physical situation to the highest stage of utility and service. Liberal in Support of Harbor In the improvement made along the new harbor de- velopments the municipality has spent something like two million dolars. It expects to spend several millions more before the entire plan has been realized. The money has been raised by bond issues voted at pop- ular elections which have always received a heavy vote. The city council, as well as the general citizen- ship has loyally supported the harbor commission in all its policies and departures. \i THE PORT OF M I L fVA U K E E A Typical Coal Unloading Bridge S(e:iiiier I'ut^rll StiirklKiiiNe iiiKler tlit' lioiMt lit the i»l:iut 4il' tlie 31il\Miiikee ('4»ke 11114I (iiiN ( '(»iii|>auy. Until 1850, all communications between Milwaukee and the East were via the Great Lakes. To-day one- thii'd of the combined rail and water tonnage still comes and goes via the water routes. The traditional feeling that the harbor must be kept upon a basis ol efficiency is as strong to-day as it was in the fifties of the last century. This may be noted from the fact that while the tonnage of the port of Chicago proper has declined to less than 2,000,000 tons, the tonnage of the port of Milwaukee has exceeded the 9,000,000 ton mark. At two elections the harbor bonds received a higher vote than was accorded to the school bonds wiiicli usually receive the highest vote. In developing a comprehensive harbor scheme, and one which aims to utilize to the fullest the natural sit- uation that is offered the commission has brought to its service the best harbor experts in the United States. Besides, it has availed itself of the helpful coopera- tion of the harbor engineers of the War Department. The citizens of Milwaukee are firmly imbued with the thought that the commerce of the Great Lakes is still in its infancy, and that with the ultimate coordi- nation in this country of the rail and water routes there will be a great demand for the service of the latter. Its people also believe that Milwaukee, by vir- tue of its advantageous location and through the crea- tion of a modern harbor, will conunand a larger share of the future Great Lakes commerce. And it is with this thought in nnnd that the Harbor Commission has planned a comprehensive har- bor and port development scheme which shall serve a constantly growing waterborne commerce and meet to the fullest the future needs of the city in this direc- tion for years to come. WHY UNCLE SAM RULES THE WATERS Wiiat was known as Northwest Territory passed into the hands of Great Britain by the Ti'eaty of Paj-is in 1763, and was by her ceded to the United States in 1783. The part of the ordinance of 1787 dedicating the navigal)le waters of the Territory to navigation reads as follows : "The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between tlic same, shall be common highways and forever free as well to the inhabitants of the said Territory as to the citizens of the United States and those of any other states that may be admitted into the Confederacy, Avithout any tax, impost or duty therefor." 19 THE PORT OF MIL M'J U K EE Milwaukee's Grain Trade - Past and Present Milwaukee's early-day commerce was naturally of a trading nature. Three small Chicago vessels, the Chicago Packet, Virginia and Aurora are credited with having arrived at the settlement in 1823, but there is no record of what they brought or took away. It was not until 1835 and 1836, however, that naviga- tion became fully established on Lake Michigan. ^Milwaukee had 314 vessel arrivals during 1836, and the first load of wheat Avas marketed at the port the same year. The first steamer, the James Madison, stopped at Milwaukee May 28, 1837. Sailing vessels were the principal carriers in those days, lumber, wood, railway ties, tan bark and other forest products being the chief articles of traffic. Flour and provisions of all kinds came from Chicago, while small schooners brought occasional loads of grain from ports to the north. Up to 1850 thei'c was not a mile of railway leading into Milwaukee. In 1851, however, a line was con- structed as far as Waukesha, a distance of 20 miles. This was the beginning of the ^Milwaukee & Mississippi Road. The year following, additional railway enter- prises were launched, and in the course of a few years Milwaukee was receiving grain and other products over five different railway lines, viz : The Milwauket & Mississippi; Milwaukee, Watertown & Baraboo Val ley; Milwaukee & Hoi'icon, LaCrosse & Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee & Chicago Line. The latter became part of the present Chicago & Northwestern system, and the other lines ultimately became units of the pi'csent Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. Growth of the Grain Trade As the country tributary to Lake Michigan in- creased in productiveness, grain, more especially wheat, began to figure extensively in Milwaukee's commerce. The first grain shipment from the port was made in 1841, when the schooner Illinois took a cargo of 4,000 bushels of wheat to a Canadian destina- tion. Four years later, in 1845, the records show that the shipments of wheat for the year aggregated 95,510 Norwegian Tramp Steamer Visits Milwaukee The Modenn of rhrlNtliinta, Norway, loading; grraiii for Monlrea! nt tlie Kinnieklnnir elevator. 20 THE PORT OF M ILWAU K EE Steamer Loading Grain At The C. & N-W. Elevator On Kinnickinnic Bay ■ OOMAHUE-STRATTONCa '^ -^f .<" f Steamer Hairvey IJ. Goulder taking on a enrto of ari<(.(KIO biiNhelx of ^viieat anil 120,000 biiMhel.s of eorn. or 38S.0OO buNliels In all. bushels. In 1849 otlu'i- grains tlian wheat began to be represented in the shipments out of Milwaukee, which in that year exceeded the million bushel mark by over 157,000 bushels. Elevator and Storage Capacity Up to 1857 all grain arriving at Milwaukee was handled in bags and stored in warehouses. During this year L. J. Higby built the first elevator. It had a capacity of about 50,000 bushels of wheat. The same year Angus Smith & Co., erected an elevator with a capacity of about 450,000 bushels of wheat. The latter company built an additional elevator in 1861 with a capacity of 700,000 bushels, and later on, in 1864, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co., built an elevator with a capacity of 1,500,000 bushels, which was declared at that time to be the largest elevator in the world. Direct Trade to Europe. Milwaukee was put on the map as a grain .shipping port in 1856, when the schooner Dean Richmond took a cargo of 14,320 bushels of wheat to Liverpool. Three years later the bark T. F. Park took 16,643 bushels of wheat to Cork, Ireland, and the schooner M. S. Scott carried a load of wheat and walnut lumber to a Ger- man port. While there is no record of the previous departure of the schooner George D. Dousman, she evi- dently took a cargo of wheat to Liverpool about this time. Early-day historians credit the vessel with hav- ing returned to Milwaukee in 1859 with a cargo of salt for Layton and Plankinton, pork packers. Milwau- kee's ambition to establish direct trade with Europe was then thoroughly aroused. Ill 1861 the bark Ravenna, brig J. (r. Deshler and schooners Col. Cook and Gold Hunter sailed for Liverpool with cargoes of wheat. During that season forty vessels left the Great Lakes for European ports with grain, lumber, staves, etc. In 1863 the brig- Hanover cleared from Milwaukee for Hanover with a cargo of grain, provisions and hardwood lumber, and in 1865 a cargo of beef, tallow and hides was shipped direct to Liverpool on the bark E. C. Rosenberg by Edw. Roddis. About the same time Mr. Roddis for- warded 3,600 tierces of India mess beef direct to Liver- pool, the shipment going by rail to Portland, i\Ic., and thence by steamer to its destination. Greatest Primary Wheat Market in the World. During the period of the Civil War, when the southern markets were eliminated and trade was di- verted from the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes, Milwaukee's grain traffic mounted rapidly, what was 21 THE PORT OF MIL IV A U K E E then known as "Milwaukee Club" wheat having be- come a great favorite in the European markets. In 1862, when the total receipts of wheat aggregated 15,613,995 bushels, and exceeded the receipts at Chi- cago, Milwaukee gained the distinction of being the greatest primary wheat market in the world. Milwaukee's wheat trade reached its peak in 1873, when the receipts of this grain aggregated 32,567,565 bushels, and the shipments by lake 24,925,032 bushels. The year 1873 witnessed the advent of a great many vessels of much larger size than had theretofore been employed on the Great Lakes. The largest single car- go of wheat for that year was 59,300 bushels. There was also a moderate spurt of grain and lumber ship- ments direct to Europe during the '70s. From that time on, however, wheat began to be marketed to a greater extent at Lake Superior points, and an increased amount of grain was converted into flour at St. Paul and Minneapolis. This naturally re- duced to some extent the flow of wheat to Milwaukee. However, closely following the decline in wheat re- ceipts, more of other grains found their way to Mil- waukee elevators from year to year, until in 1916 th' receipts of all grains combined reached the enormous aggregate of 86,522,686 bushels. These figures have not been exceeded since. The proportion of the various grains entering into the annual receipts of all grains at Milwaukee in 1873 and in 1921 was as follows: 1873 1921 Wheat 87.38 13.76 Corn 2.83 41.92 Oats 4.92 27.12 Barley 3.71 13.61 Rye 1.16 3.59 100.00 100.00 The volume of corn received now exceeds the wheat receipts of 1873 and the receipts of all grains during the year 1921 were 119 per cent larger than the record of 1873, being 71,336.597 bushels against 32,567,565 bushels in 1873. The year 1921 holds the record of grain shipments, the total exports of all grains dui-ing that year amounting to 51,611,606 bushels, of which 34,827,188 bushels went out by lake. Following is the record of grain receipts at the port for the past ten years and of the amount of grain shipped by lake : Receipts Shipped by Lake Year Bushels Bushels 1921 71,336,597 34,827.188 1920 56,270,691 11,516,584 1919 69,084,766 19,667,047 1918 76,905,019 26,242,932 1917 67,366,642 8,847,817 1916 86,522,686 16,480,489 1915 70,148,510 20,330,844 1914 76,654,300 24,649,749 1913 59,464,630 12,520,749 1912 50.959,720 11,294,939 Grain Elevators Milwaukee has three grain elevators, equipped to ship grain bj- lake. They are as follows : Operators Capacity Description Donahue-Stratton Co., 1,500,000 "A" Donahuc-Stratton Co., 1,350,000 Kinnickinnic Taylor & Bournique Co., 1,650,000 "E" In addition to the shipping elevators enumerated above, there are 28 private elevators connected with various grain, milling and seed companies and indus- trial establishments, the combined storage capacity of which is 10,875,000 bushels. Tlie Flour Movement When the wheat trade was at high-tide, Milwau- kee was one of the leading flour nulling cities of the country, and the product of Milwaukee mills found its way to every part of the world. For a number of years the city ranked as the second milling center in the United States, Minneapolis being the first. In 1882 the total producton of flour in Milwaukee ag- gregated over 2,000,000 barrels, this being the largest amount ever milled in Milwaukee in any one year. Of late years the output of flour has averaged a little over half a million barrels annually. Most of the flour shipments by lake from Milwaukee at present repre- sent the product of mills in Minneapolis and other points in the Northwest. In 1921 the total shipments by lake out of Milwaukee aggregated upwards of 1,200,000 barrels. Of this amount fully 90% went across the lake on carferry line steamers. The following figures show the receipts of flour at Milwaukee for the past ten years and also the amount shipped annually by lake : Receipts Shipped by Lake Year Barrels Barrels 1921 1,693,930 1,229,025 1920 1,144,106 669,060 1919 2,757,544 2,178,968 1918 3,163,899 2,318,594 1917 1,454,953 1.092,103 1916 2,458,253 2,131,605 1915 3,501,837 3,427,587 1914 3,743,708 2,6.50,204 1913 3,161,287 3,141,547 1912 2,870,469 2,935,070 22 THE PORT OF M I LWAU K EE Steamer Of Ocean Type Now Familiar In The Great Lakes A number of these -.teamer, now ply between u,.,.ei- lake ports ami Montreal The steamer in the pleture Is Ihe Python, a product of the Manitowoc Ship Bulliliu;;^ Corporation. With a budding lake commerce and a scarcity of vessels with which to conduct the same, shipbuilding claimed the early attention of Milwaukee's business interests. The first vessel produced at the port was built in 1836 for Solomon Juneau, the founder of the city. It was a schooner of only 90 tons burthen, but nevertheless a pi'ctentious craft for those days. From that time on the business of shipbuilding was pursued with such vigor, that by the end of the year 1859, 68 vessels, including one steamer and several lighters, had been constructed at the port, the total tonnage of the same aggregating 12,491 tons. Milwaukee held her place as a shipbuilding port for many years, and a good-sized fleet of the finest sailing vessels and steamers of their time owed their origin to Milwaukee builders. The industry began to languish, however, with the advent of steam barges on the Great Lakes. However, a number of fine specimens of this class of vessels were constructed here up to the time steel supplanted wood in the construction of lake craft. The shipbuilding in- dustry was then abandoned entirely. The last wooden schooners, the Resumption and Ford River, were turned out in 1879 and the last wooden steamer, the Ferdinand Schlesinger, in 1891. The Schlesinger, while she was in existence, bore the distinction of be- ing the largest wooden vessel on the Great Lakes. She measured 2,087 tons. With the exception of a dredge and several lighters and the mine layers which were fabricated or as- sembled here during the world war, no shipbuilding has been done at IMilwaukee for a number of years past. Milwaukee's shipyard facilities at the present time consist only of a dry dock and a steel repairing plant, capable of making repairs to steel craft. 23 THE PORT OF MILWAUKEE Steamboat Service To and From Milwaukee Milwaukee always has had good steamboat service, both passenger and freight, and the facilities afforded by the various along-shore and across-the-lake lines in times past have contributed materially to the com- mercial welfare of the city. There is room for improve- ment in the package freight service to and from the lower lake ports, which was almost wiped out by con- ditions created by the world war. Nine different lines of steamers now operate in and out of the port, as fol- lows: Goodrich Transit Co. — Daily service to and from Milwaukee, Chicago, and intermediate ports, and week- ly service to and from ports to the north as far as Stur- geon Bay and Green Bay. Crosby Transportation Co. — Daily service to and from Milwaukee and Muskegon, Mich. Pere Marquette Line Steamers. — Daily service to and from Milwaukee and Ludington, Mich. Milwaukee Steamship Co. — Daily service to and from Milwaukee and Chicago. Chicago Steamship Lines, — Daily freight service to and from Milwaukee, Chicago and Buffalo. Great Lakes Transit Co. — Service two or three times weekly to and from Milwaukee, Chicago and Lake Erie ports. Canada-Atlantic Transit Co. — Freight service two or three times weekly to and from Georgian Bay ports. Pere Marquette Carferry Line. — Daily service to and from Ludington, Mich. Grand Trunk Carferry Line. — Daily service to and from Grand Haven, Mich. Passenger and freight service by line steamers was more general in character on the great lakes in early times than it is to-day. In the '60s, eight different lines operated steamers to and from Milwaukee. One line gave service weekly direct to Montreal, Canada. Two lines gave daily service to and from Buffalo, N. Y., and one line ran steamers tri-weekly over the same route. Two lines gave daily service to and from Sar- nia, Canada, and a line of steamers ran tri-weekly to and from Oswego and Ogdensburg, N. Y. In addition, the Grand Trunk Railway, then known as the Detroit and Milwaukee Line, operated steamers between Mil- waukee and Grand Haven, Mich., and regular daily steamboat service was maintained between Milwaukee and all ports on the west shore of Lake Michigan to the north and south. Steamers of the screw wheel type were at that period called "propellei's", in contradistinction to the side wheel steamers which were the popular type Pere Marquette Carferry Reaching Port Out' rnrely iniMNeN the nlt^ht of a carferry In vienins >lil«iiiiket' Harbor. 24 \*ny and THE PORT OF M ILWAU K EE Grand Trunk Carferry Entering Milwaukee Harbor These monster craft carrying from :£5 to 'M^ cutm, (Tonn tlie lake back and forth, suiuiiier and winter, almost iinlnterruiitedly. of steam craft in early days for shore line and across the lake service. The Goodrich liners were all side wheelers in those days. The steamers Milwaukee and Detroit which were placed on the run between Milwaukee and Grand Haven in 1859, were always des- ignated steamships, because of their size and stateli- ness in comparison with the ordinary side wheel steam- er of that time. The Grand Haven steamers bore a strong resemblance to the side wheelers, which were employed on the ocean in former days. However, as the trunk railway lines were extended to the Northwest, the service rendered by steamboat lines on the great lakes became less general. Just prior to the passage of the Panama Canal Act, which lead to the divorcement of the railway Hues from their auxiliary steamboat lines, eleven freight and passenger lines rendered service to and from Milwaukee. Six lines operated between Milwaukee and the lower lakes during the season of navigation. Three lines main- tained service across Lake Michigan during the entire year, and two lines operated steamers between Chi- cago, Milwaukee and intermediate ports. During the summer months this shore line service was extended northward as far as Green Bay and northern Michigan ports. In addition to these freight and passenger steamboat lines, two lines of carferries operated con- stantlj', winter and summer, between Milwaukee and Grand Haven and Milwaukee and Ludington, Michi- gan. Just prior to the breaking out of the World War, six lines of steamers conducted freight traffic between ports on Lakes Michigan and Erie and Ontario and in Georgian Bay. As a result of the divorcement of the railways from their lake line connections and the di- version of lake tonnage to the ocean for war service, package freight service between Lake Michigan and lower lake ports has become negligible in comparison with that of previous years. The shore lines, however, have maintained regular traffic between Milwaukee and Chicago, and ports to the north as far as Green Bay. Carferries made their first appearance on Lake Michigan in 1892, when a line of this type of steamers was established between Frankfort, Mich., and Kewau- nee, Wis., by the Ann Arbor Railway Co. Manitowoc, Menomonce and Manistique were included later. Subse- quently the Pere Marquette Railway Company put car- feri'ies in service between Milwaukee and Ludington, Mich. The Grand Trunk Railway Company followed by connecting Milwaukee and Grand Haven, ilich., in like manner. These carferries, which operate through- out the year, summer and whiter, are of vast impor- tance to Milwaukee indu.stries, as they represent the main factor in keeping Milwaukee on the Chicago basis of rates to and from Eastern ports. There are now eleven carferries in daily service between Wis- consin and Michigan ports, summer and winter. The largest of the carferries carrj' thirty railway cars and have accommodations for passengers. Between 25% and 30% of the total lake commerce of Milwaukee is handled by carferries. 25 THE PORT OF M ILfVAU K EE PORT AUTHORITY Up to the time of the creation ol' the Board of Harbor Commissioners, harbor administration was vested entirely in the Department of Public Works. The Harbor Commission, which preceded the present Board or Harbor Commissioners, was purely an ad- visory body, without any authority whatever. It sim- ply submitted recommendations in connection with harbor development to the Common Council. The carry- ing out of the recommendations rested with the judg- ment of that body. The Board of Harbor Commissioners was created by the Common Council on Monday, June 1, 1920, un- der authority granted by Chapter 289, Laws of Wis- consin, 1919. The membership of the Board is con- fined to five qualified electors of the City of Milwau- kee with terms of office extending over three years. The law empowers the Board to plan, construct and maintain such docks, wharves, warehouses, piers, slips, basins, railway tracks, belt railways or other structures for the conduct of commerce as it may deem necessary subject to the approval of the Common Council, and gives it exclusive charge and control of the same. The law also gives the Board jurisdiction over street end docks and docks protecting other pub- lic property, and places all dock lines in the harbor under its supervision. The law requires that moneys for construction work be used out of any taxes or bonds which the city may levy or issue for permanent harbor improvements, but for the repair, maintenance, operation and administration of harbor facilities and for the redredging of waterways, funds specifically provided for such purposes must be used. The Board formally organized on Thursday, July 15, 1920, the members having been appointed by Mayor D. W. Hoan on Monday, June 14, and immediately con- firmed by the Common Council. The personnel and terms of office of the original Board was as follows: Wm. George Bruce, 3 years, Bennett Larson, 3 years, R. H. Finkley, 2 years, Henry Lei.sk, 2 years, G. J. DeGelleke, 1 year. Wm. George Bruce was elected President, and R. H. Pinkley Vice President. Herman Bleyer was chosen Secretary. Captain Henry Leisk was unable to (|ualify as a member of the Board, as he was a resident of Wauwa- tosa, and F. C. Reynolds was named in his place. In consideration of bis long and faitliful service in behalf of ^Milwaukee harbor, the Board requested Captain Leisk to continue his connection with it in an advisory capacity. Subsequently, on the expiration of the one-year term of G. J. DeGelleke, Carl P. Ringer was ap- pointed in his place. The Board's office and engineering department is quartered on the seventh floor of City Hall. A field office is also maintained on Jones Island. MILWAUKEE'S RAILWAY FACILITIES Milwaukee's railway transportation needs are sup- plied in the main by three great systems, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, the Chicago & North-Western and Soo Lines, with something like 25,000 miles of trackage, the ramification of which extend over a wide radius of productive territory, reaching from the southwest to the northwest. In addition, earferry lines operating across Lake Michigan enable the Grand Trunk System and the Pere Marquette Railway to give prompt and direct connection with Eastern lines whose trackage extends to the Michigan shore of the lake. Both of the railway systems last named which operate over 10,000 miles of trackage, maintain impor- tant terminals at Milwaukee. The combined outbound and inbound tonnage of the three first named railway systems averages over 12,000,000 tons annually, of which enormous volume of business Milwaukee is held to be next to the largest contributor. The services afforded by these major laihvay sys- tems are supplemented by the Chicago, Norlli Shore and Milwaukee electric line, which conduets a passen- ger and freiglit business between Milwaukee and Chi eago; also by the interurban lines of thi' Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co., and its connections, which afford transportation service with Ihe most im- portant cities and villages west and southwest of the city, and extend as far north as Green Bay. These latter lines also carry freight and passengers. It is estimated that the trolley systems centering at Mil- waukee embrace over 300 miles of trackage. While Milwaukee is seemingly well provided with rail shipping facilities, a strong public sentiment pre- vails in favor of more diversified ?'ailroad connections. This feeling manifests itself sporadically in communi- cations to the public press and in agitation by com- mercial bodies and other civic organizations. The dis- .satisfaetion is largely due to the fact that the service rendered at present by the railways which control the local situation lacks economic co-ordination, and that too many industries are confined to the use of only one railway .system unless an extra charge for switching is met. There would be less agitation in Milwaukee for more railways if this situation could be so adjusted that all manufacturers and shippers, no matter in which section of the city they are located, would be on the same liasis in the matter of service and rates. The Board of Harbor Commissioners is confronted by this same situation in its efforts to solve the prob- 26 HE PORT OF M ILWAU KEE Coal-Laden Steamer Going Up Milwaukee River l-.,ssin« thr.-Kl. (ir.in.l Av.-nuo llri.l,..-. «l,..r,. .ho rl,.r ...k.s .. ,lis«,lv..n»nB..»..« <...n. 1(111 of universal railway connection with the city's coming lake front harbor terminals. It is a problem that must be solved and solved rightly. Harbors are not built for the benefit of any one or any two rail- roads, but for the benefit of the public thi'oughout the radius of the country which the harbor serves, and it is necessary that the radius be made as wide as possi- ble. It soes without saying that a way nnist be found for all railroads to reach Milwaukee harbor. If need be, a spur or belt line will have to be constructed to some point outside of the city, to which all roads will be invited to connect. The matter of railway connec- tion is one of the most serious problems which the Harbor Board is called upon the contend with. Since the passage of the ordinance, December 22, 1914, which requires the supei-sli'uctuic (if all new docks in Milwaukee harbor to be consti'ueted of rein- forced concrete, over three miles of concrete docks have been built along the various channels. BRIDGES IN MILWAUKEE HARBOR The navigabh; channels ol' .Milwaukee hai-l)or arc spanned by 29 bridges, 23 of which connect city highways, and C ai-e a |)Mi't of railway systems. Some idea of the delays to street traffic by bridge ojienings can be gleaned from the fact that bridge openings during the year 1921 aggregated 42,800. ({rand Avenue bridge, which is situated in the heart of the retail district of the city and connects two of the busiest througli fares, was opiMied 2,2S9 times. Five other bridges were opened between 2,000 and 2,500 times. It is because of these annoying interruptions to land traffic that the city is develoinng the Jones Island and lake front harbor, in the hope of greatly diverting water connneree to these jxiints. The city bridges are maimed by tliree crews of two men each, the men being kept on duty day and night. Bridge I'cpairs and maintenance are a heavy burden on the municipality. The cost of the same during the year 1921 amounted to $271,375.34. 27 THE PORT OF MIL JVA U K EE Milwaukee's Interest in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Waterway The port of Milwaukee is vitally interested in the when that port is equipped with efficient terminals, is movement to open a way to the ocean through the St. of great economic advantage. Lawrence River for the larger class of lake vessels. While, as far as Milwaukee is concerned, the grain Milwaukee is essentially a grain shipping port, and trade will be the first to receive an impetus from the anything which will tend to increase the volume of St. Lawrence River route to the ocean, it will only grain shipments by lake will stimulate the business of be a matter of time when products of all kinds from the port to a corresponding degree. Much of the Wisconsin and other Northwestern states, designed for grain that now goes out of Milwaukee harbor during export, will find their way to the port of Milwaukee the season of navigation, is consigned to Montreal, because of the economy presented by the shorter and where it is transshipped to foreign ports The major more economical haul direct to European ports. Heavy portion of these shipments go by way of Georgian Bay machinery and other iron or steel products of a bulky and thence over the Grand Trunk System to Montreal, nature, can bo lifted aboard steamers at a Milwaukee A moderate quantity is carried direct by steamers of terminal and conveyed direct to South Africa or any minor capacity. other far distant port without the expense attendant The largest steamer on the Great Lakes will be able upon re-handling, to reach Lake Ontario ports when the enlarged Wei- There is an equal advantage in the matter of im- land Canal is completed. This will be only a matter of ^QYts. The new route is boimd to open up direct trade a few years. Grain can then be delivered at Kings- y^^ ^^,^^^^. between Great Lakes ports and ports in New ton or Prescott, Ont., where it can be transferred to E„g]a„fi ^^^^i ^^ ^lie Southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts barges for transportation down the St. Lawrence ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ j^^^.^^ Steamers with provision for re- River a distance of about 100 miles. The now of gram u ■ j- •* j n, ■ i ki „ ivivei, d, ui»Laiitc uj. a .,, , , ^, frigeration can brnig fruits and other perishable pro- over the St. Lawrence route will then be greater than , ^ .. ^ ,, ,,, ^t 4.1, ^ ^ .^u • t ■ ^ duets direct to the Northwest from these semi-tropical ever. When the proposed St. Lawrence River ship . ■, , . ^ i-j? • j xi, , , J . j;.„„i K„ „.r,to,. regions and also irom Lalitornia and other points on channel is completed gram can go direct by water , ^ .^ ^ • , -r. r^, , tt- j ^ from Milwaukee, Chicago or Duluth to Montreal or the Pacific Ocean via the Panama Canal. Hides from ports across the ocean, without the expense attendant South America and lumber from the Pacific Northwest upon the transfer of cargoes to river barges. Econo- can also be counted on. The saving in freight on lum- mists figure that when this unrestricted commerce be- ber from the Pacific Coast will be enormous as against comes a reality the difference in freight rates on grain the present all rail traffic. will be between 6 and 8 cents in favor of the new route Direct traffic between Milwaukee and foreign ports as against the old lake-and-rail route to New York, ^yju ^^jgQ eliminate the commissions now exacted from Boston or Baltimore. importers by middlemen in the East. Goods from Milwaukee has a slight advantage over both Du- abroad destined to Milwaukee, can come direct to har- luth and Chicago in the matter of distance to Mon- ]-,q-^. terminals here without having to receive special treal or Liverpool. According to the United States attention on arrival at the expense of the importer, hydrographic office the distance to Liverpool in nauti- ^^^jjg f^.^,^^ ^j^g elements of expedition and safety, the cal miles from the three leading ports is as follows : ^^^-^^^^ ^^^ imported goods by reason of this direct de- Nautieal miles ijyery, will run into big figures in the course of a sea- to Liverpool ^^^^ ' Milwaukee 3813 Milwaukee's new harbor terminals on the lake Chicago 3807 front and in the Kinnickinnic basin will be especially Duluth 3947 fitted to accommodate vessels of the class that will en- It will be seen that Milwaukee is 5-4 nautical miles gage in the trade to Montreal and ports on the ocean, nearer Liverpool than is Chicago, and 134 miles nearer when the St. Lawrence route is open. The terminals than Duluth. The difference may appear very slight will be easy of access, with water from 25 to 30 feet in to the landsman, but it is an incontrovertible fact that depth, and will be provided with the latest and best every hour gained by a ship in making port, especially freight handling equipment. 28 THE PORT OF MILWAU KEE Excursion Steamer Christopher Cokimbus Unique type of vessel, a relle of the world's (oliiinbiis Exposition, wliioh ni ami CiiieaBO (luriiiB the sunwiier season akes daily trips between Mllwankee SALT, LUMBER, CEMENT, IRON ORE Salt has figured conspicuously in Milwaukee's com- merce since the earliest days of lake navigation, Michigan being the main source of supply. Existing records give the receipts for the year 1861 at 135,570 barrels. The trade steadily increased until in 1908 the receipts of salt by lake aggregated 1,184,470 barrels. This was the highest point reached by the trade. Re- ceipts now average about 800,000 barrels annually. Lumber, shingles, lath, wood, bark, cedar posts, railway ties, etc., were handled in large quantities in the early years of the port's history but as the forests adjacent to lake shipping points became depicted, less and less of these products were received by vessels an- nually. The bulk of the lumber received at Milwaukee at present comes by rail. The same is true of other forest products. Shipments of lumber by lake consist entirely of through consignments over the earferry routes. Cargoes of bark, wood and ties are also few and far between. Cement, sand and stone have been received at the port in increasing quantities following the introduction of concrete in the construction of buildings and road- ways. This class of tonnage promises to make up for the loss in receipts of lumber and other forest pro- ducts. Over half a million barrels of cement were re- ceived by lake in 1921. Milwaukee receives a little over 200,000 tons of iron ore by lake, annually. The iron ore trade of the port is confined to the requirements of the Illinois Steel Co., and the Thomas Furnace Co. The volume of receipts of iron ore varies with the needs of these two indus- tries, and has run as high as 275,000 tons or more during a season. WHY THE ODD NAME? Kinnickinnic was the Indian name for a mixture of red willow bark and tobacco. Red willow grew abundantly along the river near the residence of Dr. Enoch Chase, a Milwaukee pioneer. The river was originally called Bois de Gris, but in time it became changed to that of this Indian smoking mixture. Self-unloading steamers, usually employed in trans- porting stone and gravel, are invading the coal-carry- ing trade. A number of cargoes of coal have been de- livered at Milwaukee in the past two years by this class of craft. The steamers are equipped with con- veyors and discharge booms which enable them to de- posit their cargoes at any point in the dock. 29 THE PORT OF M ILWAU K EE Coal Terminals in Milwaukee Harbor Following is a list of coal terminals in Milwaukee liarbor, with character of nnloadins inachinerj' and storage capacity : Milwaukee-Western Fuel Co. — Menomonee Kiver — Thirteenth Street Dock, — One electrically operated Mead-Morrison portable man- trolley bridge with 10-ton clamshell ; unloading capa- city 800 tons per hour; storage capacity 200,000 tons liituminous coal. Menomonee River — Sixteenth Street (anthracite) Dock — Two Mead-Morrison clctricaliy-operated port- able towers with 2-ton clamshells; unloading capacity 500 tons per hour; storage capacity 100,000 tons an- thracite ; Menomonee River — Sixteenth Street (bituminous) Dock — One Mead-]\Iorrison electrically-operated port- able bridge with 8-ton clamshell and one Heyl & Pat- terson electrically-operated portable bridge with 7-ton clamshell; unloading capacity 1,000 tons per hour; storage capacity 150,000 tmis l)itumiiious coal. Kinnickinnic River — Washington Street Dock — Three electrically-operated Mead-Morrison towers with two 2-ton and one 5-ton clamshell; unloading capacity ■100 tons per hour; storage capacity 250,000 tons bitu- minous coal. Kinnickinnic River — Greenfield Avenue Dock — Three electrically-operated Heyl & Patterson portable bridges with 2-ton clamshells ; unloading capacity 400 tons per hour; storage capacity 150.000 tons bitumiii- ous coal. Kinnickinnic River — Kinnickinnic Avenue Dock — - Five Johnson portable steel towers with 1-ton clam- shells; unloading capacity 450 tons anthracite, 150 tons bituminous coal per hour; storage capacity 45,- 000 tons anthracite and 40,000 tons bituminous coal; steam power. Menomonee River — Canal Street Dock — Canal Street — Employs self-unloading steamers ; capacity 80,000 tons bituminous coal. Milwaukee River — Cherry Street Dock — Six Johnson portable steel towers with 1-ton clamshells j Kinnickinnic Bay, Milwaukee Harbor IViifnr:il Iiiml-hn-Uril hiiNin. ulilrli nll'tirded Ihe biisis of terininal devf lopnu'nt on