Milwaukee’s Socialist legacy: A history of practical progress

Before its construction in 1925, wastewater flowed directly into the region’s rivers and Lake Michigan, the source of the city’s drinking water. Private industry couldn’t afford the initial investment, necessitating public funding through a tax base – a move championed by Milwaukee’s Socialist leaders.

Milwaukee once held the distinction of being the “capital of American Socialism,” electing three mayors who collectively served for nearly 40 years, starting in 1910. Historian John Gurda attributes this phenomenon to a confluence of factors, including widespread corruption, a large working-class population (57% of men employed in manufacturing), and a vibrant community of German immigrants with Socialist ideals. These immigrants often gathered at Turner Hall, a center for intellectual discourse and debate.

Milwaukee’s brand of Socialism was distinctly practical, focused on tangible improvements like parks, public housing, and, crucially, a functioning sewer system – a period often dubbed “Sewer Socialism.” “It was probably more social democracy back in those years, and I think probably less ideological than practical,” Gurda explained. The Socialists, while anti-capitalist, were willing to collaborate with others.

During the early 1900s, the term “Socialism” didn’t carry the negative connotations it does today. “These guys were absolutely un-buyable,” Gurda stated. The first Socialist mayor, Emil Seidel, even publicly displayed the city’s budget, appealing to the values of thrift common among German immigrants. Daniel Hoan, Milwaukee’s longest-serving Socialist mayor (24 years), oversaw a period of remarkable civic achievement, earning the city numerous awards for public health and cleanliness. Milwaukee even had to retire from the competition due to its consistent wins.

Hoan also spearheaded the creation of the Jones Island Water Treatment Facility and famously recognized the potential for a marketable product derived from wastewater: Milorganite, a fertilizer still sold today, generating millions in revenue for the city. “A lotta people think it’s poop in a bag, and it’s not,” said Bill Graffin, referencing the microscopic organisms vital to the treatment process.

Frank Zeidler, the final Socialist mayor, left office in 1960. By then, many of the Socialist policies had been integrated into the Democratic Party, particularly through initiatives like Social Security. Gurda emphasizes that Milwaukee’s Socialist era offers valuable lessons for modern progressives: “These guys were not ideologues. They certainly believed a kind of leftist philosophy, but what they wanted to do was create a better life for the working people especially.”