The Beer Line Neighborhood's Amber Past / Through the Eyes of Milwaukee Kids

The Beer Line Neighborhood's Amber Past, also, Through the Eyes of Milwaukee Kids. . , The Beer Line Neighborhood's Amber Past (west side of sign) , A railroad track built in 1869 on the west bank of the Milwaukee River from Hampton Avenue to McKinley Avenue was a key factor in Milwaukee's famed association with beer. , , Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co., Pabst Brewing Co., and Blatz Brewing Co. all used the so-called Beer Line B to ship 300 carloads of beer daily. They were the three largest brewers in a city famed for its "amber nectar." Pabst became the nation's largest brewery in 1874, and Schlitz surpassed its crosstown rival in the early 1900s, promoting itself as "the beer that made Milwaukee famous." , , The Beer Line B eventually lost out to truck transportation. Blatz closed in 1959, Schlitz was sold in 1982 and Pabst ended local production in 1996. Developers converted the Schlitz Brewery into an office complex and the Blatz facility into apartments in the 1980s. Plans to convert the Pabst site into an entertainment and residential complex were announced in 2003. , , The Beer Line neighborhood, as the area just to the north of this kiosk is now known, is filled with modern condos and public spaces designed to lure walkers and recreation seekers while honoring the area's industrial roots. Pedestrian attractions include a park, a footbridge and a cascading staircase with a platform overlooking the River. Part of the abandoned railroad right-of-way has been converted into a bike trail and an unusual plaza has been created atop the contemporary Milwaukee Rowing Club headquarters. , , Through the Eyes of Milwaukee Kids (east side of sign) , Scattered along the RiverWalk and clustered in the plaza at the east side of the Highland Street pedestrian bridge are 18 bronze medallions depicting what children see when they look at the Milwaukee River. , , A group of 60 students from Elm Creative Arts School gathered at Pere Marquette Park in 1995 to stroll the RiverWalk, examine artifacts at the Milwaukee County Historical Society (5 above) and watch a bridge being raised. Afterward, the children were given markers and asked to draw their observations of the River. , , More than 200 elementary students from the Milwaukee Public Schools eventually submitted drawings, of which 18 were selected to become a permanent part of the RiverWalk. The winning drawings were cast in bronze by artist Peter Flanary and embedded in the pavement. The results were varied: happy fish and butterflies, downtown buildings, bridges, ducks and Indians. , , The young artists were: Bill Akin; Walando Brown; Destiny Chambers; Alexandra Cimperman; Brittany Graves; Janay Gray; Salvador Jimenez; Anna Katter; Sarah Kenner; Amanda Kingsbury; Megan McGinnity; Tiffany Phillips; Reinaldo Quinones; Sarah Susami; Carrie Stotmeister; Laura Thompson; Torrie Williams; and Heather Zettel. , ,