Bradford Beach is a public beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The beach which was constructed in the 1920s is part of Lake Park; a mile (1.6 km)-long park on a bluff above Lake Michigan. Lake Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1993.[3]
Bradford Beach | |
|---|---|
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  Bradford Beach | |
| Coordinates: 43°03′42″N 87°52′23″W / 43.061667°N 87.873056°W | |
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Part of | Lake Park, Milwaukee Historic park |
| Offshore water bodies | Lake Michigan |
| Age | Approximately 100 years old |
| Area | |
| • Total | 28.3 hectares (70 acres)[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 1.94km[2] |
| Elevation | 3.1 m (10.2 ft) |
| Website | bradfordbeachmke |
Design edit
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 edit
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 edit
References edit
- ^ "Milwaukee County Parks" (PDF). County Milwaukee. Milwaukee County. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ "Bradford Beach". beachnearby. beachnearby.com. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ "Lake Park". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Knopfelmacher, Dolores. "History of Lake Park". Lake Park Friends. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ^ Virginia A. Palmer; Lynne Goldstein; Jim Draeger (August 10, 1992). Inventory/Nomination Form: Lake Park. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved December 3, 2019. With 17 photos.
- ^ a b Bentley, Drake (July 6, 2021). "Your guide to southeastern Wisconsin beaches: Hours, locations and which have lifeguards". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Small, Virginia (March 3, 2021). "The Endangered Public Space of Bradford Beach". Shepherd Express. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ a b "2400 Block of N. Lincoln Memorial Drive - Bradford Beach - Lake Michigan Parkway N". Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ HENZL, ANN-ELISE. "Remembering Dick Bacon, Milwaukee's Man With The Tan". WUWM. WUWM. Retrieved April 15, 2019.