This is one of a series of caches intended to highlight the history of the struggle for civil rights in Milwaukee.
THE JAMES E. GROPPI UNITY BRIDGE
The given coordinates are for the northern terminus of what is generally called the 16th Street Viaduct. There is no physical cache there, nor even a marker relevant to the history that follows. You may simply drive across the bridge to the next stage, or walk it if you wish to travel in the footsteps of those who came before.
According to Bridgehunter.com:
The 16th Street Viaduct stretches 8/10 mile across the Menomonee River Valley, crossing streets, railroad tracks, the Menomonee River, industry, a Native American casino and the Hank Aaron State Trail. It was built in 1929 and refurbished in 1986, including a new, wider deck and updated safety features. It continues to be a vital link between the north and south sides of Milwaukee and carries a great deal of both vehicle and pedestrian traffic on a daily basis.
It has 89 main spans in the 18 bridges that comprise the viaduct and an additional 14 spans that form the ramp to Emmber Lane.
2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1967 fair housing marches that solidified Milwaukee's role in the civil rights movement. The NAACP Youth Council and its advisor, Father James E. Groppi, led marches for 200 consecutive days – from August 1967 to March 1968 – across this bridge for the right to live anywhere in the city regardless of race.
Their hope was to bring attention to unfair housing policies and practices that resulted in the segregation of the growing African-American population in overcrowded, substandard conditions.
Just like those fighting for civil rights in the south, the non-violent marchers in what became known as the "Selma of the North" were subjected to hostility and violence as they crossed the bridge, which was a symbol of racial division at the time. 5,000 counter-protesters met the marchers the first night, tossing rocks, bottles, firecrackers and beer cans. The marchers met the same from 13,000 people the second night. Soon afterwards, the Freedom House, the NAACP Youth Council's headquarters on N. 15th St., was gutted by fire, although luckily no one was injured.
The marches furthered the efforts of Vel Phillips, the first African-American woman to be elected to Milwaukee’s Common Council. She had introduced an open housing ordinance five years earlier only to have it repeatedly voted down by her all-male, all-white peers.
The sacrifice, courage, and ingenuity of the marchers inspired the national fight for civil rights for African-Americans and contributed to passage of the federal Fair Housing Act in 1968.
In 1988, newly elected Mayor John Norquist rededicated the viaduct as the “James E. Groppi Unity Bridge.” Green aluminum signs near each end of the bridge identify the official name. You will pass one as you travel south on the bridge. (N 43 02.112 W 87 55.985).
TRAVELING TO THE NEXT WAYPOINT
Whether walking or driving, take the Canal Street exit off of the bridge to the parking location along Canal Street (N 43 01.877 W 087 55.942 ).
From there, you can walk across Canal Street at the corner with S. Emmber Lane and take the River Loop branch of the Hank Aaron trail to the next Waypoint, which is an informational marker nearly under the bridge (N 43 01.951 W 87 55.968).
Along the way, you will notice a number of murals on the chainlink fence to the left. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of Milwaukee’s Fair Housing Marches and by Katrina Motley’s “March On” mural near the beginning of the Loop, children from neighboring schools developed murals for the River Loop in 2007.
DO NOT trespass onto the barges parked by the trail!
TO LOCATE THE CACHE
Calculate the missing portions of the final coordinates based on information on the informational marker:
N43 01.ABC W87 55.DEF
A = the second numeral on the first line
B = subtract the first numeral on the first line from the third numeral on the first line
C = the final digit of the year in which protestors returned to the Bridge to call for an end to street violence
D = the second digit of the year in which the Milwaukee Common Council passed an open housing ordinance
E = subtract the first digit of the year Father Groppi was born from the fourth digit of the year in which he died
F = divide the number of protestors who marched on the first night by 25
A BIG thank you to ranger_rob who, after the cache has been out there for nearly two years and more than 20 people have found it, pointed out that I had switched around the problem for E. I have now fixed it.
GEOCHECKER
PERMISSION:
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to, and permission granted for this placement by, officials of the Hank Aaron State Trail of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/forms/2500/2500-118.pdf (visit link)
For more information on Milwaukee's Open Housing Marches:
Recounting the Push for Fair Housing, 50 Years After the March on Milwaukee (WUWM)
Milwaukee Open Housing Marches (Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)
UWM Library's March on Milwaukee series
50-Year-Ache (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)