Aromas of Old Milwaukee
The smells of an industrial city on the shores of Lake Michigan. Milwaukee's odors range from the sweet to the pungent but are all familiar to long time residents.
That Yeasty Valley Smell
Located in Milwaukee's former industrial Menomonee River Valley, for over a hundred years the bready aroma of the Red Star Yeast plant filled the valley. With the Milwaukee County baseball stadium built in the 1950s not far away, it is a smell most visitors to Milwaukee had experienced.
Brewing Beer
Another yeasty smell permanating throughout the city of Milwaukee came from the many breweries found throughout it's history. Miller, Pabst, Blatz, Schlitz, Gettelman, Cream City, Graf's, Jung's and many others have called the city headquarters. Although most have moved on, several of their buildings still remain, some now housing craft breweries like Milwaukee Brewing Company, Pabst Pilot House, Leinenkugel's and more. Even during Prohibition, the brewing industry never left this town.
Coffee with Breakfast
Caffeine, it seems modern society can't function without it. Since America dumped, literally, over a spat with taxes, coffee has become the choice for hot breakfast beverages. Wholesale grocers like John Hoffman and Sons would import coffee beans, roast them on site and sell them direct to customers or to local grocers.
Tobacco on the Lips
Cigar manufacturing so far from the tobacco fields of Virginia and the Carolinas might not be the first thing one thinks of Milwaukee. But in an era when half American adults smoked cigars, cigarettes or pipes, over 800 people were employed in 1920s Milwaukee hand-rolling cigars.
Rendering Plants
The use of lard rendered from animal fat is no longer as common as it was for our grandparents. The grandfather of Milwaukee meat packing and rendering industry was John Plankinton. He was once business partners with both Philip Armour (Armour and Company of Chicago) and Patrick Cudahy (Cudahy Brothers of Cudahy, Wisconsin).
Tanned Leather
The tanneries of Milwaukee produced a lot of odor and water pollution. The many pig and cow farms in Wisconsin provided the animal skins. Plant tannins from chestnut, tamarack and oak trees readily at hand preserved the skins into leather products. F. Mayer Boot and Shoe company artifacts donated to the Chudnow Museum in memory of Joseph R. Coppersmith.
Fertilizer
Another unpleasant aroma that is unique to Milwaukee since 1926, is the smell of fermenting poop. Since the factory for Milorganite organic fertilizer, from the city's waste water, is located on the lakefront, the smell doesn't always bother most Milwaukeeans. But when the wind comes in from Lake Michigan, a mysterious smell can blow over the entire city. Tours of the facility are available if interested!
Floral Scents
Beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers can be found through the city's many parks and planted on the medians of boulevards. For a northern city frozen much of the year, Milwaukeeans love their flowers. Maybe the long winter is a reason for that joy. You would be hard pressed to find a better collection than those at the Mitchell Park Conservatory, the glass enclosures are much larger than this vintage display.
Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear
Museum Curator:
Joel Willems
