Back in 1957 I was 9 years old. These films sure bring back a lot of good memories. I wish the kids of today could have experienced the same things. Great film, JOB WELL DONE.
I hate to say this but I was six years old at that time and I remember riding on those streetcars. What is so interesting is viewing the buildings and the cars at that time. I left Milwaukee about 15 years later but seeing these snippets remind me of home sweet home 🤗
Classy film!....Easily recall boarding the streetcar @ 27th & Atkinson (end of the line) w/my fraternal Grandmother. After the motorman flipped the heavy-wickered seats to their opposite position, he would exit the car to transfer the overhead power lines(s) to travel back downtown. Sometimes Grandma would have to drop our ride-fare into the wire-reinforced glass fare box, but usually she had her paper transfer ready for the motorman to authenticate w/his transfer punch. I believe I even got to ring the conductor's bell @ the intersections as we traveled downtown.
My grandmother used to take us on the North Shore from Kenosha to Milwaukee for Christmas shopping.The North Shore would run on the streets too.Fond memories.
Yellow stop sign at 0:43. That was the standard back then but it looks so weird today as those things have been universally red around the globe for decades.
I was born in Milwaukee 1968. Wow...this footage gives the feeling of a much simpler time. Calm, orderly urban area. You do not see trash strewn all on the street and curbs. Manicured lawns etc...
Seeing the bilboard "What'll you have?-Pabst Blue Ribbon" reminded me of their jingle to the tune of "1little 2 little 3 little indians, 4 little 5 little 6 little indians, 7 little 8 little 9 little indians, 10 little indian boys". It went "what'll you have, pabst blue ribbon, what'll you have, pabst blue ribbon, what'll you have, pabst blue ribbon, pabst blue ribbon beer".
I was but a child but I do vaguely remember the street cars. The electrical connectors would arc and make a noise at intersections. I also remember the early buses that were phased in to replace the street cars. Such a long time ago.
I was 4 in 1957 out in the suburbs. Never saw the streetcars but I did ride on a trolley bus with tire wheels to Schuster's on 3rd and Garfield where my mom worked in advertising writing copy. Not long after 1957, everything was replaced by diesel engine busses. All the overhead wire disappeared as well .
...I was 4 years old when the last #10 streetcar made it's final run . There were remnants of the tracks from the old #40 line that remained in the centre of S. KK Avenue south of Oklahoma to the terminus at E. St Francis Ave which were paved over in the mid 1960s. I also remember while waiting for the #15 (which was one of the "Trackless Trolley" routes) at S Pryor & KK seeing the sign that still read "Car Stop" instead of "Bus Stop".
Thanks for these shots, I didn't know it was online until I found it today by chance. These films need to to be saved and cared for, an interesting, fun and important record of local daily life and history. I was born in Milwaukee in 1957, lived in the area all my life, but am not old enough to remember the streetcars, though other things shown from my childhood, and recognize today despite changes. I've read and heard about a lot shown here, it has meaning to a lot of us locals. Part of No. 10 trolley filmed ran past Allis-Chalmers, near where I live. Can you show more?
So much of what used to be in downtown Milwaukee is gone. The Socialists were right about so many things but were so wrong about slum clearance and highways. God what could have been.
