Frame Size: | 14.5 x 15.5 in. |
Price: | $1,500 |
Signed lower left corner. Also see "Nine Mile Farm (Summer)".
Nine Mile Farm is now the Schlitz Audobahn Nature Center - North of Milwaukee in Bayside on the Shores of Lake Michigan.
The 185 acres that make up Schlitz Audubon Nature Center has a history much longer than the more than four decades it has been a place for environmental education.
Originally a forested area, this property was inhabited by American Indian people, and specifically the Menominee, until 1836. From 1837 to 1890 it was inhabited by European immigrants from present-day Germany and the Netherlands, as well as their descendants. The land was clear cut to provide lumber and firewood for Milwaukee and began to be used for agriculture. Between 1885-1902 the farmsteads were acquired and condensed into a single Uihlein Schlitz family property. Named for its proximity to the brewery, the land was called âNine Mile Farm,â and became the pasture where the draft horses rested from pulling beer wagons.
Following Prohibition, as the widespread use of automobiles became commonplace, the Schlitz Brewery no longer needed horses or a place for them to rest. For decades, the property remained in possession of the brewery until it was deeded to the Schlitz Foundation in 1952. The parcel served as a recreational area for Schlitz employees, scouting groups, sporting groups, and the Uihlein family.