The Encyclopedia of Milwaukee project aims to provide comprehensive coverage of the history of Milwaukee. With a projected 740 entries, hundreds of illustrations, historical and contemporary maps, bibliographic materials, and the opportunity to interact with readers, the EMKE will be a first stop for researchers ranging from students to journalists to scholars and the general public.
The Encyclopedia of Milwaukee covers the four-county Milwaukee area, as recognized by the United States government: Milwaukee County, Ozaukee County, Washington County, and Waukesha County. All incorporated municipalities in the area, as well as many Milwaukee neighborhoods, will have their own entries. Authors of other entries are instructed to write about both the city of Milwaukee as well as the surrounding counties whenever relevant and possible.
When completed, the EMKE will be available in two formats. The print version is under contract with Northern Illinois University Press. The digital version is hosted right here by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
We welcome you to explore the special features of the digital version of The Encyclopedia of Milwaukee that expand on basic content. Entries include footnotes that allow readers to see where authors found their information. Searchable “for further reading” suggestions enable researchers to continue exploring topics of interest. Digitized primary sources and stories about our writers’ and staff members’ research processes allow teachers and students to explore how historical scholarship is created. You can register to comment and leave feedback, reflections, and your own stories as enhancements to the entries.
This site will grow over time as we work on the full-scale project. We encourage you to check back frequently to explore new content and look behind the scenes through our blog. If you would like to know more about the project, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions or send a question of your own through our Contact Us page.
If you have further Milwaukee-area research questions, we also encourage you to check out The Bibliography of Metropolitan Milwaukee, which was published by Marquette University Press in 2014. This volume is a spin-off project of the EMKE, stemming from work conducted to develop a successful grant application to the National Endowment for the Humanities.