Milwaukee the Midwest. Because of its easy access to Lake Michigan and other waterways, Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley has historically been home to manufacturing, stockyards, rendering plants, shipping, and other heavy industry. Reshaping of the valley began with the railroads built by city co-founder Byron Kilbourn to bring product from Wisconsin's farm interior to the port. By 1862 Milwaukee was the largest shipper of wheat on the planet, and related industry developed. Grain elevators were built and, due to Milwaukee's dominant German immigrant population, breweries sprang up around the processing of barley and hops. A number of tanneries were constructed, of which
Hilton Milwaukee City Center Hilton Milwaukee City Center The Hilton Milwaukee City Center hotel is located in the Westown neighborhood of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is owned by the Marcus Corporation, which also owns the Pfister Hotel and InterContinental Milwaukee in the area. It was built in 1927 as the Schroeder Hotel by hotel magnate Walter Schroeder, in a neo-classical style. It has a height of 275 feet (84 meters), with an antenna extending its total height to 192 meters. The building has 25 floors and 729 rooms. A 12-floor addition designed by Kahler Slater Architects and built by Mortenson was constructed in 2000.