Shorewood is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Milwaukee County () is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely ...

, United States. A suburb of

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, it is part of the

Milwaukee metropolitan area The Milwaukee metropolitan area (also known as Metro Milwaukee or Greater Milwaukee) is a major metropolitan area located in Southeastern Wisconsin, consisting of the city of Milwaukee and some of the surrounding area. There are several defini ...

. The population was 13,859 at the 2020 census.

History

In the early 19th century when the first white settlers arrived, the Shorewood area was controlled by Native Americans, including the

Menominee The Menominee ( ; meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recognized tribe of Na ...

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

, and

Sauk people The Sauk or Sac (Sauk language, Sauk: ''Thâkîwaki'') are Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their historical territory was near Green Bay, Wisconsin. Today they have t ...

. The United States Federal Government traded the land from the Menominee people in 1832 through the '' Treaty of Washington''. The land was organized as part of the Town of Milwaukee in 1835, and when settlers arrived in the mid-1830s, they found the area to be heavily forested. They built two sawmills on the east bank of the Milwaukee River, and the unincorporated community around the sawmills was known as Mechanicsville. However, the mills' success was short-lived; both closed during the

Panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis in the United States that began a major depression (economics), depression which lasted until the mid-1840s. Profits, prices, and wages dropped, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment rose, and pes ...

. Thomas Bare, the area's first permanent white settler, arrived in 1841 and purchased ninety acres of farmland east of the Milwaukee River. Around 1850, another unincorporated community known as Humboldt was settled in the area. Humboldt's industrial base included a paper mill and a grist mill. Beginning in the 1870s, the area's economy began to diversify. In 1873, the Northwestern Union Railway laid tracks through present-day Shorewood along the eastern bank of the Milwaukee River. The railroad was a boon for local businesses, including the Milwaukee Cement Company, which began quarrying limestone on the bluffs above the river in 1876. The community that grew around the company was known as Cementville and prospered until quarrying operations ceased in 1909. In 1872, a resort called Lueddemann's-on-the-River opened in the southwestern part of present-day Shorewood. Accessible by riverboat and later by train, the resort was the first of several beer gardens and amusement parks that operated in the area between the 1872 and 1916. Coney Island, an amusement park that opened in 1900, proved to be particularly controversial and played a significant role in Shorewood's incorporation as a village. The park included loud music, electric lights, and a roller coaster. Some town residents were opposed to the noise, light pollution, and raucous visitors coming from the City of Milwaukee on the newly constructed Milwaukee Electric Railway streetcar lines. Some blamed the Town of Milwaukee, which collected licensing fees from the park and allowed it to operate. Additionally, the roads in the community were of poor quality compared with those in the neighboring city of Milwaukee, and residents were unhappy that tax revenue from the increasingly suburban Shorewood area—including the taxes from Coney Island—were being redistributed across the town rather than being used to increase their standard of living. In response, residents voted to incorporate as the Village of East Milwaukee. At the time of incorporation in August 1900, the village had a population of 300. Thomas Bossert House May09

In the early 1900s, the village developed as a

streetcar suburb A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Such suburbs developed in the United States in the years before the automobile, when ...

of Milwaukee, with public transportation allowing residents to easily commute to the city. The village's center emerged along the streetcar lines on Oakland Avenue and Atwater Road (now known as Capitol Drive). Additionally, affluent Milwaukeeans began building mansions in the eastern part of the village along Lake Drive and the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. The population grew to 1,255 by 1913, and in the 1910s municipal improvements included paved roads and sidewalks, gas mains, and street signs. The Village of East Milwaukee changed its name to the Village of Shorewood in 1917. Shorewood saw significant growth in the 1920s, with the population quadrupling from 2,650 residents in 1920 to 13,479 in 1930. During the decade, as many as 200 new homes were constructed per year in the village, including work by Alexander C. Eschweiler and Flagg-system homes constructed by Arnold F. Meyer & Co. The architect Russell Barr Williamson, who worked for

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

from 1914 to 1917, designed at least 16 homes in Shorewood between 1918 and 1929. As the village population swelled, local municipal institutions became more organized. The village's health department organized in 1918; the police department, in 1920; and the fire department, in 1929. In 1928, the village's elected board of trustees hired a full-time village manager to head the village's day-to-day operations, and Shorewood has had a

council–manager government The council–manager government is a form of local government commonly used for municipalities and counties in the United States and Ireland, in New Zealand regional councils, and in Canadian municipalities. In the council-manager government, ...

ever since. Shorewood's school district also grew in the 1920s and was influenced by the ideas of philosopher

John Dewey John Dewey (; October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and Education reform, educational reformer. He was one of the most prominent American scholars in the first half of the twentieth century. The overridi ...

. The village's historical population reached its zenith after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, with over 16,000 residents. The community underwent

urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

projects beginning in the 1960s, but the population has slowly declined to approximately 13,000 as of 2010.

Geography

Shorewood is located at (43.092061, −87.886333). Nestled between the

Milwaukee River The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 Once a locus of industry, the river is now the ...

and

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

, Shorewood is bordered by the City of Milwaukee to the south and west and Whitefish Bay to the north. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , all of it land. Shorewood's border to the west stops at the Milwaukee River's edge according to the Village Charter, unlike most river municipal boundaries that are set at the middle of the river.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 13,859 people across 6,681 households living in Shorewood. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . The racial makeup of the village was 82.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.0% from other races, and 6.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population. The gender makeup of the village was 47.8% male and 52.2% female. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 13,162 people, 6,381 households, and 3,109 families living in the village. The

was . There were 6,750 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 88.1%

, 2.9%

, 0.2% Native American, 5.6% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population. There were 6,381 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.3% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the village was 37.2 years. 19.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 13% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 13,763 people, 6,539 households, and 3,328 families living in the village. The

was 8,599.5 people per square mile (3,321.2/km²), the highest in the state of Wisconsin. There were 6,696 housing units at an average density of 4,183.9 per square mile (1,615.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.43%

, 2.41%

, 0.23% Native American, 3.19% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.84% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population. There were 6,539 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.1% were non-families. 39.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.87. In the village, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males. The median income for a household in the village was $47,224, and the median income for a family was $67,589. Males had a median income of $47,616 versus $34,294 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $32,950. About 3.8% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Shorewood School District, which covers the municipality, maintains four public schools: * Shorewood High School – serving grades 9 through 12 * Shorewood Intermediate School – serving grades 7 and 8 * Atwater Elementary School – serving 4K through grade 6 * Lake Bluff Elementary School – serving 4K through grade 6 The Archdiocese of Milwaukee maintains one Catholic school in Shorewood, St. Robert School, which serves kindergarten through grade 8.

Landmarks and notable buildings

* Benjamin Church House (also known as Kilbourntown House) – The one-story Greek Revival house was built in 1844 for his family by Benjamin F. Church, a pioneer builder from New York, on N. Fourth Street in the Kilbourntown settlement. In 1938, after significant preservation efforts, the house was moved from its original site to its present location in Estabrook Park in Shorewood. The house was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1976. * Estabrook Park – A park with pond, soccer fields, dog park, softball diamond, beach volleyball court, picnic areas, skate park, and wooded areas spanning almost along the east bank of the

between E Capitol Dr. and Hampton Ave. * Hubbard Park – The wooded, terraced park spanning almost along the east bank of the

has a colorful history. In its earlier years, the site used for Indian hunting grounds, a resort, a series of amusement parks, fishing shanties, to name a few. It is home to the Hubbard Park Lodge, constructed as a WPA project in 1936. It is also home to Hubbard Park Lodge Restaurant. * Shorewood High School campus – The school's campus, built between 1924 and 1938, includes separate buildings for administration, physical education, arts and science, industrial arts, and theater arts. The auditorium was modeled after the RKO Theater in New York City. * Shorewood Village Hall – Originally built as a four-room schoolhouse in 1908, the building was purchased in 1916 by the Village of East Milwaukee for use as a village hall. It was extensively remodeled in 1937 with WPA funds, and again in 1985. The building was added to the

in 1984. * WITI TV Tower – Built in 1962, it was once one of the tallest free-standing lattice towers in the world, rising . * Hayek Pharmacy – Located at 4001 N. Downer Ave, the original interior of the pharmacy was featured on the cover of the Images of America book on Shorewood's historic buildings. It is one of the oldest retail buildings in Shorewood, dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Hayek Pharmacy was shut down in January 2018 after 100 years in business. * The Ghost Train – The Ghost Train is an artistic sensory experience at the Oak Leaf Trail Bridge and Capitol Drive in Shorewood. It made its inaugural run on October 31, 2016. * The Elizabeth Murphy House, designed by architect

, is the last completed home in his

American System-Built Homes The American System-Built Homes were modest houses in a series designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. They were developed between 1911 and 1917 to fulfill his interest in affordable housing but were sold commercially for just 14 months. The ...

series. The home was built in 1917–18. Its pedigree was lost when its architect was left off an estate sale advertisement in 1993 but was rediscovered in 2015 and has since been restored by new owners. File:Benchurchhouse-May09.jpg, Benjamin Church House File:Atwater Park.ogv, Atwater Park

Notable people

Frankie Abernathy Frankie Jo Abernathy (December 21, 1981 – June 9, 2007) was an American purse designer and reality television personality, known for her time as a cast member on MTV's '' The Real World: San Diego'' which was filmed in late 2003 and aired from ...

, reality TV star *

Les Aspin Leslie Aspin Jr. (July 21, 1938 – May 21, 1995) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician and economist who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 1st co ...

, U.S. House of Representatives (1971–1993), U.S. Secretary of Defense (1993–1994) * Kate Baldwin, Broadway actress, 2010 Tony Award nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for '' Finian's Rainbow'' * Louis Bennett II, soccer player * Bill Carollo, NFL referee * Dickey Chapelle, photojournalist and first female war correspondent * Katie Eder, activist and social entrepreneur, founder of 50 Miles More, Kids Tales, and The Future Coalition * John Fiedler (1925–2005),

voice actor Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...

and

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

in stage, film, television, and radio; voice of Piglet in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

's Winnie the Pooh productions, played role of Mr. Peterson, nervous patient on ''

The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American television sitcom produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychol ...

'' * Paul C. Gartzke, Presiding Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals * Herschel Burke Gilbert, film and television composer * Jerry Harrison, keyboardist for

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

and

The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band formed in Natick, Massachusetts in 1970 by Jonathan Richman. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist ...

* Walter Heller, economic adviser to Presidents

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

and John F. Kennedy * Kirby Hendee, Wisconsin State Senator * Ari Herstand, singer/songwriter, now based out of L.A. * Robert Watson Landry, Wisconsin State Representative * Stephen R. Leopold, Wisconsin State Representative *

Trixie Mattel Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989), better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, makeup entrepreneur, DJ and singer-songwriter originally from Silver Cliff, Wisconsin, Silver Cliff, Ma ...

, drag queen, comedian, songwriter, businesswoman * Jack Nagle,

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

scout * Betty Jo Nelsen, Wisconsin State Representative * Pat Peppler, NFL general manager and head coach *

Charlotte Rae Charlotte Rae Lubotsky (April 22, 1926 – August 5, 2018) was an American character actress and singer whose career spanned sixty-six years. Rae was known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms ''Diff'rent Strokes'' and its spin-o ...

, actress on '' The Facts of Life'', 1944 graduate of Shorewood High School *

William Rehnquist William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American attorney who served as the 16th chief justice of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2005, having previously been an associate justice from 1972 to 1986. ...

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

Chief Justice, 1941 graduate of Shorewood High School * Ben L. Salomon, recipient of World War II Medal of Honor * Jim Sensenbrenner, U.S. Representative * Leif Shiras, professional tennis player * Matthew Tonner, multi-instrumental musician and producer of The 502s * Judy Tyler, actressSinger Judy Tyler dies in car crash
/ref> *

Jerry Zucker Jerry Gordon Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one third of the filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. He is best known for his role in writing and directing comedy spoof films like ...

David Zucker David Samuel Zucker (born October 16, 1947) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Associated mostly with parody comedies, Zucker is recognized for collaborating with Jim Abrahams and his brother Jerry as part of Zucker, Ab ...

, and

Jim Abrahams James Steven Abrahams (May 10, 1944 – November 26, 2024) was an American film director and writer, best known as a member of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. Life and career James Steven Abrahams was born on May 10, 1944, to a Jewish family in ...

– co-directors of movies ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American disaster film, disaster comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker in their List of directorial debuts, directoria ...

'' and '' Top Secret!'' grew up in Shorewood; the bogus

East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...

national anthem sung in ''Top Secret!'' is actually the Shorewood High School fight song with comic lyrics

References

External links

Village of Shorewood
{{authority control Villages in Wisconsin Villages in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Articles containing video clips Populated places established in 1900 1900 establishments in Wisconsin