Bradford Beach

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Bradford Beach
Map showing the location of Bradford Beach
Map showing the location of Bradford Beach
LocationMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Coordinates43°03′42″N 87°52′23″W / 43.061667°N 87.873056°W / 43.061667; -87.873056Coordinates: 43°03′42″N 87°52′23″W / 43.061667°N 87.873056°W / 43.061667; -87.873056
Part ofLake Park, Milwaukee Historic park
Offshore water bodiesLake Michigan
Elevation3.1 metres (10 ft)
Length1.94km[1]
Area28.3 hectares (70 acres)[2]
AgeApproximately 100 years old
Websitebradfordbeachmke.com

Bradford Beach is a public beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The beach which was constructed in the 1920s is part of Lake Park, which is a mile-long park on a bluff above Lake Michigan. Lake Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April, 22, 1993.[3]

Design[]

Bradford Beach falls within Lake Park which was designed in the late 19th century by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City.[4][5]

The beach is wheelchair accessible.[6] In 2021 the rising water of Lake Michigan has shrunk the width of the beach.[7]

History[]

In the 1920s, the beach was created by filling in swampy areas near Lake Michigan.[6][8] It has been Milwaukee's most popular beach. On the beach near the road, there is a historic bathhouse.[7] The Bathhouse was built in 1949 and includes a walkway above Lincoln Memorial Drive. The Wisconsin Historical Society surveyed it in 2011.[8]

One local resident who patronized the beach was a man named Dick Bacon. Bacon was known to work on his sun tan in the middle of winter at Bradford Beach.[9]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Bradford Beach". beachnearby. beachnearby.com. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Milwaukee County Parks" (PDF). County Milwaukee. Milwaukee County. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Lake Park". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  4. ^ Knopfelmacher, Dolores. "History of Lake Park". Lake Park Friends. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  5. ^ Virginia A. Palmer; Lynne Goldstein; Jim Draeger (1992-08-10). Inventory/Nomination Form: Lake Park. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2019-12-03. With 17 photos.
  6. ^ a b Bentley, Drake (6 July 2021). "Your guide to southeastern Wisconsin beaches: Hours, locations and which have lifeguards". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  7. ^ a b Small, Virginia (3 March 2021). "The Endangered Public Space of Bradford Beach". Shepherd Express. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b "2400 Block of N. Lincoln Memorial Drive - Bradford Beach - Lake Michigan Parkway N". Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  9. ^ HENZL, ANN-ELISE. "Remembering Dick Bacon, Milwaukee's Man With The Tan". WUWM. WUWM. Retrieved 15 April 2019.

External links[]


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