In 1778, the first sailing vessel with cargo holds, the Archange, a schooner built for prominent British trader John Askin, found "quiet waters" in Milwaukee Bay. These quiet waters and the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers made Milwaukee a favorable destination for early settlers. Maritime Milwaukee explores the growth of the city's port and three riverfronts through a variety of photographs spanning the 1800s to the present thanks to the archival preservation of collections by the Port of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Public Library, and the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
The Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, located in and affiliated with the Milwaukee Public Library, is dedicated to promoting interest in discovering, collecting, recording, disseminating, and preserving materials related to the history of the Great Lakes. Founded in 1959, it has helped maintain the vast Great Lakes Marine Collection located in the Milwaukee Public Library. The society has grown from a world of paper, pencils, and typewriters to the age of technology. With databases and primary sources, searching history has been made easier than ever.