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
Astor on the Lake Astor on the Lake The Astor on the Lake (also Astor Hotel) is a low-rise building located in the Yankee Hill (East Town) neighborhood of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by architect Herbert Tullgren in Classical Revival style, the Astor Hotel was built in 1920 by developer Oscar Brachman for hotel tycoon Walter Schroeder. The building was originally U-shaped in plan, but an L-shaped addition in 1925 made the building into the E-shape seen today. The building has eight floors and stands 102 feet (31 m) tall. When the Astor on