The Upper Basin

As development was happening along the lower Milwaukee River Basin, the upper basin also saw its share of development. The Upper River Basin can be found in present day areas such as West Bend, Southern area of Sheboygan County, and the southern part of Fond du Lac County.

Bryon Kilbourn founded the city of West Bend in the year 1845, who also settled a portion of Milwaukee in 1834. (More information about Bryon Kilbourn can be found in the Early Development section.) The city wanted to use the Milwaukee River's potential for generating power. By 1848, they had built a dam, sawmill and gristmill, as well as developed another town called Thiensville.

This area was filled with naturally occurring underground springs, and the land was ideal for farmsteads, where they grew wheat, rye, corn and oats. The farmers used the Milwaukee River to carry their produce to mills. From the mills the produce would then be packaged and sent via waterways to other areas within the state. This was one of the major ways to get food to people who lived in other regions of the state.