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It happened here first...
TRADING STAMPS (U.S.)
In the 1890s, Schuster's Department Store in Milwaukee started issuing
blue stamps to customers, who saved them and pasted them in booklets, which
later could be redeemed for cash. Borrowed from a British company, the idea
went national later in the decade when Sperry & Hutchinson Co. began
issuing its own stamps in a different shade - S&H Green Stamps.
THE WORKABLE TYPEWRITER
During the 1850s and '60s many inventors tried to produce a workable
typewriter, but none succeeded until 1867, when Milwaukee's Christopher
Latham Sholes and inventors Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soul patented a
writing machine. The machine held a sheet of paper between a rubber platen
and smaller rubber cylinder, with a carriage that moved from left to right
as the keys, each with a separate mark, number or letter, were struck. Their
invention didn't take off until 1873, when the trio contracted with
contracted with E. Remington & Sons of Ilion, New York, which until
then just made rifles and sewing machines, to produce it.
THE AUTOMOTIVE ASSEMBLY LINE
Milwaukee's A.O. Smith Corp., which went from making bicycle frames to
automotive frames in 1903, mechanized Henry Ford's assembly-line
process in 1913, becoming the first company to mass-produce auto frames.
Famous Residents
George Peck (1840-1916): The creator of the first Dennis the Menace,
who went on to become a Milwaukee mayor and governor of the state - in less
than a year. Peck ran a humor weekly called Peck's Sun, which he moved here
in 1878. The weekly's main attraction was a kid named Hennery who did terrible
things to everybody, only to get his comeuppance in the end. The character
made Peck a national celebrity - and a viable political candidate.
Tom Snyder (1936 - ): A familiar face on late night television,
Tom Snyder was born in Milwaukee and got his broadcast start in a radio
newsroom after graduating from Marquette University. He became a national
figure in 1973 when he was named anchor of Tomorrow, a late-night
television talk show that was replaced by Late Night with David Letterman
in the early 1980s. After Letterman jumped to CBS, however, he hired Snyder
to host The Late Late Show, which is broadcast immediately after
Letterman's program.
Spencer Tracy (1900-1967): Born in Milwaukee, Tracy is the only
actor to win three Oscars for Best Actor. Starting in gangster roles, Tracy
quickly graduated to a string of movies in which he depicted Hollywood's
archetypal American of the 1930s and 1940s ñ tough, tenacious, honest.
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967): The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and
biographer, best known for his poems about Chicago and writings about Abraham
Lincoln, spent several important years here, writing for newspapers and,
briefly, serving as secretary for Emil Seidel, Milwaukee's first Socialist
mayor.
Golda Meir (1898-1978): Born in Russia, Golda Meir and her family
moved here in 1905. She became a Zionist while still in her teens. After
a few years as a schoolteacher in Milwaukee, she and her husband immigrated
to Palestine, to help lay the groundwork for the formation of Israel.
George Kennan (1904- ): Kennan made his public mark with an "X"
- the pseudonym he used while outlining the U.S. postwar policy of containing
communism in a series of controversial articles. He spent 27 years as an
influential diplomat, particularly while serving the Roosevelt and Truman
administrations.
Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964): The most controversial American
general of the 20th century spent a brief time in Milwaukee, but he always
listed the city as his hometown. After being decorated in World War I, MacArthur
served as superintendent of West Point and as Army Chief of Staff. He retired
in 1935, but was called back into active duty to lead the U.S. Army in the
Pacific during World War II. After overseeing the occupation of Japan, MacArthur
made an unsuccessful bid for the presidential nomination and, after calling
for a wider war in Korea, was relieved of his command by President Truman
in 1951.
Liberace (1919-1987): A sensation in the mid-1950s and a self-caricature
by the 1970s, Liberace was better known for his glitzy costumes and elaborate
staging than for his piano work. His excessively stylized outfits and piano
- always featuring a gaudy candelabra, he set the standard for showmanship.
Milwaukee Slang
Like any metropolitan area, Milwaukee has its own terminology that can
be hard for out-of-towners to understand. Below are some terms you're likely
to hear, followed by an explanation of what they mean:
BRAT: In any other state, a brat is a sassy, upstart kid. In Wisconsin,
it's a food of almost religious stature. Short for bratwurst, this spicy
German sausage can be found at almost any picnic or public event. Backyard
chefs like to boil the brats in beer and onions prior to browning them on
the grill to create a true Wisconsin delicacy.
BUBBLER: A drinking fountain. Specifically it refers to drinking
fountains that feature a stream of water in the middle that bubbles upward.
In Wisconsin, however, the term is frequently used for any kind of drinking
fountain.
CHEESEHEAD: Many consider this a derogatory name for the state's
residents, but some Wisconsinites are actually proud to wear foam-rubber
cheese slices on their heads. Most of the state's dairy farms are located
outside of the metropolitan area, but there are some local dairy cooperatives,
including Golden Guernsey Dairy, which is based in Waukesha.
EH?: This is probably the most frequently used phrase in Wisconsin
and is typically tacked onto the end of a sentence as a sort of "verbal
period" to let listeners know when a speaker is finished talking. "Eh"
can be used in any kind of sentence, regardless of whether it is a statement,
question or a cry for help. If you want to sound like a native, just tag
an "eh" on the end of your sentences. People will think your ancestors
journeyed here with Father Marquette.
FROZEN CUSTARD: This is a unique treat that is found only in Milwaukee
and a handful of cities sprinkled around the country. Made with cream and
eggs, frozen custard has become one of the area's primary food staples.
It is so popular that it is not uncommon to see people standing outside
in sub-freezing temperatures relishing a scoop of cherry amaretto cheesecake
or chocolate truffle. There are more than 30 frozen-custard stands in the
area.
GEORGE WEBB'S: From the number of people you're likely
to hear say they're going to George Webb's for dinner, you
might get the idea he's a benevolent old man with a very large kitchen.
In fact, George Webb Restaurants are another unique Milwaukee-area institution.
More than three dozen of these diners are scattered throughout the area,
serving simple and inexpensive meals to everyone from blue-collar workers
to CEOs.
SODA: While most Americans call carbonated beverages "pop,"
Milwaukee residents refer to them as "soda."
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