Brewtown Tales: More Stories from Milwaukee and Beyond

by John Gurda

John Gurda’s South Side Milwaukee family loved potluck dinners. “From the Jell-O salads at the start of the line through the hot dishes in the middle and on to the pumpkin bars at the end, the food was always hearty, abundant, and certifiably homemade,” he writes. Drawing from Gurda’s long-running Sunday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column, Brewtown Tales was prepared in the spirit of those fondly remembered meals. The main dish is Milwaukee history, served in a multitude of ways. You will find in these pages the biography of a bridge, a requiem for a union, tales of two shipwrecks, a frank take on segregation, and memories of the summer of ’68, among many other things. There are also side dishes that convey the distinctive flavors of Wisconsin and a few more exotic places, from Vilas County to Vietnam. Brewtown Tales will satisfy your hunger, introduce you to new and unexpected tastes, and whet your appetite for more homemade history.
 

Genres: History, Nonfiction

478 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

John Gurda is a Milwaukee-born writer and historian who has been studying his hometown since 1972. He is the author of nineteen books, on subjects ranging from life insurance to Frank Lloyd Wright and from heavy industries to historic cemeteries. The Making of Milwaukee is Gurda’s most ambitious effort. With 450 pages, more than 500 illustrations, and a cast of thousands, it is the first feature-length history of the community published since 1948. Milwaukee Public Television premiered an Emmy Award-winning documentary series based on the book in 2006.


In addition to his work as an author, Gurda is a lecturer, tour guide, and local history columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and an M.A. in Cultural Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Gurda is an eight-time winner of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Award of Merit.

Reviews

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Gurda is an absolute Milwaukee treasure...no one else tells us our Milwaukee story (and history) so well...and they are not dry, but highly interesting...these short essays are among his very best.

We need someone like John Gurda to tell us the story of the United States.

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can feel his love for the city and its history. We could be so much more.

[Dave Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this on my visit to Milwauke this past summer, and it didn't disappoint. I was interested in learning about the character of the city as I was fascinated by its story and its uniqueness as a midsize city center existing in the shadow of its much more prominent southern neighbor (Chicago). It is designed so that you can start anywhere and pick up anywhere, serving as collection of essays that travel through the different parts of the city and through his own personal family history. But it is also able to be read as a cohesive story that moves through time and development.

Given that I had visited many of the neighborhoods and got a decent sense of its city structure and geographical shape, it was both helpful and fun to be able to read and imagine those spaces' development. I'm a sucker for a good story, and the author is a good storyteller, helping the different quirks and flavors come alive.

You not only get to see its innovations, but you also get to hear about the would have/could have/should have beens on the historical stage. Loved the transformation of the waterfront, its storied relationship with the railroad, its history with bikes and bike infrastructure, and its fascination with drama and its dark history. The city that it has become seems to see itself formed from the early divide that the river and its central bridge created, choosing to lean into that ethos of being a mix of dark and lawless underbelly and smart, innovative culture.

Looking forward to returning for another visit with greater awareness in tow.

[Brian Hutzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read John Gurda’s Cream City Chronicles and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was happy to learn that my local library had a follow-up book, Brewtown Tales. This one is less Milwaukee-centric than the first, but still uses that city as its focal point. Gurda’s writing is friendly and accessible without sounding “homespun.” On a side note: Just a couple days ago I watched a Covid-era presentation by Gurda in conjunction with the Museum of Wisconsin Art. Not all good authors make good speakers, but I was happy to find Gurda an engaging presenter.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the way Gurda writes. Humor and phrasing very good, but his research is extraordinary. He knows where to dig and what to excavate. If you don’t know much about Milwaukee, read one or all of his books, then watch The Making Of Milwaukee. You’ll come away with quite an appreciation of this city. I’ve lived here 75 years and wouldn’t lived anywhere else. It’s home. I love the way Gurda loves it too.

[Jonathan Bock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short essays and pieces on Milwaukee history and the authors own family stories. A pleasure to read and one you can pick up multiple times as each chapter is its own piece basically.

[MonkeyBusiness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always entertaining local history from a master.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book by John Gurda and I’ll definitely read another. He gave me fair warning he was going to share his opinions and he did. I certainly learned a lot about Milwaukee and it made me want to talk to my older relatives to see if they remember some of the stories.