August 18th - Day 2

Milwaukee Wi. - Chicago Ill.

           I awoke this morning in a miserable mood and soaked in sweat. Although today’s main objective was to get to Milwaukee my first concern was find a shower or something I could swim in to wash the filth off me. After a half-hour’s drive east of Madison I stopped at a truck stop and found sweet relief.

            Entering Milwaukee was a spectacular site to see. Nestled in a valley along what was once a river (now a canal) was dozens of brick smokestacks and factories. All of this was far too much for me and I could not tell you how many times a horn was directed at my erratic driving. Urban revitalization had reared its head and many buildings that I imagine were once vacant and abandoned were now brimming with activity. One place in particular was the Third Ward which in many ways was similar to Winnipeg’s Exchange District. Both are undergoing revitalization and both were warehouse districts but now filled with the creative class. However the Third Ward has been more successful at creating a street scene with its large market and its attempt to create a mixed use neighbourhood.

            Near the Third Ward were two abandoned buildings, one a boring building that was easy to forget (save for its bizarrely clean floors) and a mill that still contained quite a few motors and vents. Unfortunately I was kicked out of the mill by the owner of the Marina next door so I turned my attention to Pabst.

            The main reason why I came to Milwaukee was to see the massive Pabst complex and I was glad that I made the decision to see it. Entry into the complex was easy although entry into the buildings was quite the opposite. A cop van was parked inside the complex and frequently drove around the area. Roof top entries were quite out of the question seeing how it was daylight and two major traffic arteries courted the brewery. I assumed that the concrete silos would lead to other buildings via a tunnel or at least a conveyor and so I entered the silos. Unfortunately there was no tunnel or conveyor (that I found) so I searched for another way into the complex.

            I then set my sights on the church which had an entry point that required the skills for which I am now known for. Once inside the church I attempted to find some sort of doorway that would lead to the other buildings but found nothing. Dejected I decided to take some flash photos of the interior and try my luck at one of the buildings that had some quite difficult and visible entry points.

            As I began to climb up to the broken window I saw a police van pass through an intersection and then heard its tires trying to stop on the gravel like pavement. With that sound I was running back to car that unfortunately was across the freeway. Much of the run involved simply of flying past people, cars and jumping fences but eventually I did make it to my car and decided to further explore the city.

             I had spotted some entry points from the roof of the Center for Independence and from the road so all I had to worry about was getting past the fence. The problem was that the leather factory lay on a busy arterial street and the only feasible way to get over the fence was on the street. With every passing minute my impatience grew and after five minutes of sitting I was ready to say “Screw it,” and jump the fence amid the heavy flow of cars. However lady luck reared her head and a break in traffic was blessed upon me. With a quick jump I was inside the fence and walked into a red bricked building.

            Once inside, a large stockpile of chemicals in “containers” burned my throat and made my eyes water. Despite this grand irritation I pressed on only to find that there was little, if any equipment left on the main floor. What was left was a large assortment of chemicals and random machine parts. The next three floors consist mainly of large open spaces with machinery, large carts and rickety flooring. One of the more interesting sections was the employee locker and bathrooms where portions of the roof were missing and created the impression that fluorescent lights were still in use.

            It was on the fifth floor however where things began to get interesting. From the stairwell on the south side of the building two large hoods extended for half of the building. Then past the two hoods lay an assortment of various and kick ass machinery whose exact purpose was unknown to me. The highlight of the fifth and final floor was the giant 15 foot wooden wheel near the center of the building. Seeing this giant wooden wheel brought back memories of the gargantuan engine wheel in Manitoba Cold Storage and I could not help but sit down and reminisce of the times I had in the cold storage building.