 Both the
Historic City Center Tour and the
Old Town
Port Tour
begin
appropriately at the lakefront, which is the cornerstone of the city.
The downtown core grew up where it did because it lies adjacent to the
place where Sauk Creek empties into Lake Michigan. Lake
Michigan was the
critical element because the shipping traffic on the Lake was, in the
1830s—1860s, the only reliable means of transporting large quantities
of goods and large numbers of
 people to and from this area in the period
before adequate overland roads and later, railroads, were developed.
Sauk Creek, meanwhile, was a source of waterpower for the village, its
lower eastern end being the logical place for the construction of saw
mills and flour and gristmills and other industries that required water
for power or manufacturing. The confluence of transportation access and
a power source made the new community a success and soon brought roads
into the village from other communities in need of these resources.
Originally, Port Washington had no harbor and relied on large piers
built out into the lake to handle the Great Lakes passenger and cargo
trade of the mid nineteenth century. The entire harbor area
viewed
from here is the result of construction, dredging, and alteration of
the shoreline that began in the early 1870’s.
|
Both the
Historic City Center Tour and the
Old Town
Port Tour
begin
appropriately at the lakefront, which is the cornerstone of the city.
The downtown core grew up where it did because it lies adjacent to the
place where Sauk Creek empties into Lake Michigan. Lake
Michigan was the
critical element because the shipping traffic on the Lake was, in the
1830s—1860s, the only reliable means of transporting large quantities
of goods and large numbers of
people to and from this area in the period
before adequate overland roads and later, railroads, were developed.
Sauk Creek, meanwhile, was a source of waterpower for the village, its
lower eastern end being the logical place for the construction of saw
mills and flour and gristmills and other industries that required water
for power or manufacturing. The confluence of transportation access and
a power source made the new community a success and soon brought roads
into the village from other communities in need of these resources.
Originally, Port Washington had no harbor and relied on large piers
built out into the lake to handle the Great Lakes passenger and cargo
trade of the mid nineteenth century. The entire harbor area
viewed
from here is the result of construction, dredging, and alteration of
the shoreline that began in the early 1870’s.
City Hall 100 W Grand Ave P.O. Box 307 -
Port Washington WI 53074 -
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