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isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Isaac Rowlett
@isaacrowlett.bsky.social
5.1K followers 1.1K following 4.1K posts
Exploring Wisconsin’s past, present and future

He/him

Views = mine only
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isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, 11/25/24
Aerial photo of waves crashing against large rocks on the shore Elevated photo of Milwaukee’s lakefront with deep though in the foreground and the skyline in the background. A cyclist bikes along the path on the right. Photo of two people sitting on benches thy are in between three trees. Aerial photo of the breakwater wall with peaceful water on the left and more turbulent water on the right
November 26, 2025 at 3:30 AM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, one year ago today
November 25, 2025 at 2:27 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, 74 years ago today

“Duke Ellington knotting his necktie in a mirror prior to a performance at the Milwaukee Arena.” —Wisconsin Historical Society

Ellington likely stayed at the Dietz residence at 2463 N. Palmer, as most Milwaukee hotels refused to allow Black guests
Duke Ellington knotting his necktie in a mirror prior to a performance at the Milwaukee Arena Large house with colorful trim
November 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, 5 years ago today
View of the Milwaukee skyline in 2020 from Veteran’s Park Two cairns with Lake Michigan and a later part of a sunrise behind it. A bird is flying over the lake. A pier with some of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee skyline behind it. In the foreground someone has tagged “FREE SPEECH” on the concrete of the pier. “Vote the racist out” stenciled with black spray paint on concrete.
November 24, 2025 at 3:55 AM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
NYT — 101 years ago today

Since then, approximately 4 million Americans have died from car crashes and today the US is an outlier in the worldwide trend toward safer streets.

One has to wonder how many more Americans must die unnecessarily before we take this threat seriously…
New York Times article from 11/23/1924 with the headline “NATION ROUSED AGAINST MOTOR KILLINGS Secretary Hoover's Conference Will Suggest Many Ways to Check Th Alarming Increase of Automobile Fatalities.- -Studying Huge Problem”
November 23, 2025 at 4:24 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, 2 years ago today
November 22, 2025 at 7:44 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Wauwatosa, WI — 175 years ago today

Solomon Juneau and other Milwaukee leaders arrive after the first train trip ever taken in Wisconsin. It took 12 minutes, which is faster than it takes today to drive between the two cities. There is currently no commuter rail option.
Sold newspaper clipping from 11/21/1850: FIRST RAIL HOAD BIDE IN WIS CONSIN. Excursion to Wauwatosa. Yesterday afternoon, pursuant to an invitation from the officers of the Milwaukee & Missiesippi Railroad Company, & number of our citizens took a ride on the care as far as Wauwatosa. The company included the Mayor and Common Coun cil, the President and Directors of the B. R. Com-pany, a representative from each of our City pe-pers, auda few other invited guests; making about two car loade in all. The Locomotive Wisconsin started with her freight shortly before 4 o'clock, and in tove minutes broaght up at Spurr's Tavern in Wauwatosa, going st the rate of 30 miles an hour, without any special ef. fort. The track was found to be in capital order, solid asa rock, and comparing favorably in all respects with the best made eastern roads.— Among the guests we must not forget to mention our esteemed friend and former Mayor, SoL-OMoN JuNEat, the founder and first settler of Mil waukee, who yesterday, for the first time in his life, saw a Locomotive and enjoyed a ride on a Rail Road! He did enjoy it, emphatically, and where our readers remember that but sixteen years ago he was the only white man living here, when now we can show a city of 22,000 inhabi-tants, with five Plank Roads and one Rail Road, "penetrating the interior," they will admit, we think, that he had good cause to do eo. After a brief stop at Wauwatosa, and with a fair addition to their number, the guests were whisked back to the City, in a quarter of an hour, all highly pleased with the excursion, and proud of so good & beginning for our Rail Road to the Mississippi. We heartily congratulate the inteiligent and energetic Preeident and Directors of the Road, at their succeseful progress thus far, and cordially wish them God speed in their great work. The enterprize is one which commends itself to the gond wishes and hearty help of every citizen of Map of Milwaukee showing the drive from Milwaukee to Wauwatosa taking 17 minutes
November 21, 2025 at 12:46 AM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Here’s the parcel (in pink, denoting brick construction) in 1910 & today
Sanborn map of buildings colored in pink and yellow along van Biden Aerial photo of a surface parking lot along a street
November 20, 2025 at 2:04 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Georgetown? Philadelphia? San Francisco?

Nope.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This photo was taken 90 years ago *today* in the Yankee Hill neighborhood.

Today this is a surface parking lot.
Townhouses with a classic Milwaukee harp lamp in front
November 20, 2025 at 1:51 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
thank you for adding that context. Remarkable how flat income growth has been among lower quintiles though.
Graph showing household Income by quintile in 2000 and 2022 with little growth in lower quintiles and huge growth in the top quintile
November 19, 2025 at 2:14 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
ouch
Screenshot of the Bureau of Labor Statistics website showing that $52k in 2000 has the same buying power as about $100k in 2025
November 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, one year ago today
Black and white photo of Milwaukee’s Oriental theater
November 18, 2025 at 11:49 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee in 1908, 1915, 1929 and 1945

Artist is Michael Blaser and these are all number 163 of 1500 in a series of prints he did ~30 years ago.

His website is here: michaelblaser.com — check it out!

Honored to own these beauties and have them at work to share with my colleagues.
Painting of Milwaukee’s busy industrial river in 1908 Painting of Milwaukee’s harbor and Jones Island 1915 Painting of Milwaukee’s lakefront in 1929 with ships sailing in the foreground Painting of Milwaukee’s Lakefront Depot and surrounding buildings near the lakefront in 1945
November 18, 2025 at 8:12 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, 2025
Aerial photo of the sun rising above Lake Michigan behind the Milwaukee skyline
November 18, 2025 at 1:52 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
we don’t talk enough about what a powerhouse Wisconsin is in the manufacturing space
Map of states color coded by manufacturing jobs per capita and showing Wisconsin as the highest
November 18, 2025 at 3:13 AM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Good morning, Milwaukee!

11/17/25
November 17, 2025 at 2:42 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
I posted the original so I don’t have a wider version but with this crop it should work and you don’t lose much. I’m glad you like it!
Aerial photo of Milwaukee’s downtown with the sun streaming in from behind the skyline
November 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, 2025
Milwaukee skyline with the sun rising in the background over the lake
November 17, 2025 at 1:16 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
Milwaukee, 43 years ago today

Holiday Folk Fair of 1982

Started in 1944, this annual multi-day fair is the largest indoor international festival in America, and it offers delicious food and high-quality entertainment from dozens of cultural traditions.

📸 by William Meyer
Black and white photo of a large group of people indoors at a cultural festival
November 17, 2025 at 2:55 AM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
“Bring back the Park East freeway” said no one ever
Side-by-side photos of Park East freeway on e left and the mostly developed parcels there in the context of the city today on the right
November 16, 2025 at 9:43 PM
isaacrowlett.bsky.social
so much potential…
Aerial photo of Milwaukee’s underutilized spur of 794 between the lake and part of the way toward the river. Despite the extraordinary expense of maintaining and now (possibly) rebuilding this spur, momentum is turning toward rebuilding it because of exaggerated concerns about potential for increased traffic nearby if it is converted into a boulevard.
November 16, 2025 at 4:59 PM
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Milwaukee, 2025
Aerial view of Milwaukee’s lakefront near downtown looking south toward the art museum, Couture, and Hoan bridge
November 16, 2025 at 4:08 PM
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East Side, Milwaukee, 2025
Aerial photo of Milwaukee looking SW from Prospect & North Ave
November 16, 2025 at 2:57 AM
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Milwaukee, 2025
Top of Milwaukee’s Cudahy Tower Apartments with the beautiful blue Lake Michigan in the background upon which a tanker sits in the background
November 15, 2025 at 11:22 PM
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Milwaukee, 2025
November 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM