Hank Aaron State Trail
Hank Aaron State Trail near the Valley Power Plant
Length15.2 mi (24.5 km)
LocationMilwaukee County, Wisconsin
EstablishedAugust 19, 2000[1]
DesignationU.S. Bicycle Route 30
TrailheadsLakeshore State Park
Underwood Parkway, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
UseShared-use path
Elevation gain/loss+272 ft going westward
Websitednr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/hankaaron
Trail map

The Hank Aaron State Trail is a 15.2-mile (24.5 km)[2] rail trail in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The trail is named after former Milwaukee Braves and Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Hank Aaron[3] and is built on a former roadbed of the Milwaukee Road. As of 2023, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, approximately 200,000 people use the trail annually.[4]

History

Planning for the project began in 1991 when the Wisconsin State Legislature directed the Department of Natural Resources to study the feasibility of creating a park next to the site of what was then Milwaukee County Stadium. At the time, the proposed park was referred to as Henry Aaron State Park. Input from local stakeholders, such as a recommendation by then-mayor John Norquist's Bicycle Task Force to develop an east-west trail through the Menomonee Valley,[5]: 61  led to the project focus changing toward creating a multi-mile urban greenway along the Menomonee River. Developing this Menomonee River Greenway – or Henry Aaron State Park Trail – was determined to be a method by which over a century of industrial pollution of the river could be remediated, unmet demand for public open spaces fulfilled, and the effects of inner-city abandonment reversed. The trail was envisioned to follow the southern edge of the river from South 2nd Street to Doyne Park, where it would meet a Milwaukee County-owned trail. The plan was approved by then-governor Tommy Thompson in 1997.[6]: i, 1, 4–10 

The trail opened in 2000 as the Hank Aaron State Trail with a length of only a third of a mile, near American Family Field, though a segment between 13th Street and 25th Street was added shortly after.[5]: 61  Original plans called for the trail bordering the southern side of the Menomonee River between 26th Street and American Family Field, with a bridge over a rail yard, but in 2005, this was changed to having the trail border an extension of Canal Street.[7] By August 2006, the trail stretched from Lakeshore State Park in the east to American Family Field in the west.[8]

In 2010, a four-mile westward extension to 94th Place was completed via a former railroad right-of-way, setting the total trail length to ten miles.[9] In November 2011, the trail was expanded from 94th Place to Underwood Parkway, though this section was composed of compacted gravel.[10] In 2012, a one-mile spur connecting to Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory was added.[11] In 2014, a ramp and stairway were added to the trail near 6th Street to allow easy access to street level.[12] In 2018, the compacted gravel section of the trail west of 94th Place was paved with the completion of the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange.[12] In 2019, a connection to Wisconsin Highway 100 near the Milwaukee County Zoo was added.[13]

In 2020, the trail was designated part of U.S. Bicycle Route 30.[14]

Route

A portion of the trail in a segment bordering Canal Street

The trail is open to walkers, joggers, bicyclists, and in-line skaters.[3] Much of the trail is accessible to people with disabilities.[3]

The trail begins on the shore of Lake Michigan in Lakeshore State Park, near Henry Maier Festival Park (43°02′14″N 87°53′51″W / 43.03723°N 87.89749°W / 43.03723; -87.89749 (Hank Aaron State Trail, eastern trailhead)). It travels west on city streets through Milwaukee until reaching West Pittsburgh Avenue, where a ramp leads up to the Sixth Street South Viaduct. Going north, at the intersection with West Canal Street, the trail borders the roadway westward until approaching South 37th Street, where it becomes a rail trail. It continues west, traveling through the Milwaukee Soldiers Home (Old Main) and Wisconsin State Fair Park and passing near the Milwaukee County Zoo before ending at an intersection with the Oak Leaf Trail at Underwood Parkway in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (43°02′10″N 88°04′00″W / 43.03605°N 88.06658°W / 43.03605; -88.06658 (Hank Aaron State Trail, western trailhead)).[15] The elevation increases by 272 feet when traveling westward.[13]

An eastward spur connects to Mitchell Park by way of Three Bridges Park, a 2013-opened conversion of a former rail yard to a 24-acre green space,[16] while a northwestward spur provides access to American Family Field. Scenic loops branch from the mainline trail to provide access to the Menomonee River.[15]

Artwork

Several works of art adorn the trail.[17] Notable pieces include:

  • A Place to Sit, recognizing the Native Americans that had been displaced from the Menomonee Valley[18]
  • Bird Bike, an interactive stationary bicycle that powers a mechanical bird's wings[19]
  • the Civil Rights River Loop Murals, sharing messages of hope while teaching about the open housing racial justice protests led by James Groppi nearby in the late 1960s[18]
  • History of West Allis, highlighting West Allis's historical roles in manufacturing, the Manhattan Project, hosting the State Fair, the railroad industry, and providing for veterans[17]
  • the Kelmann Restoration mural, a 130-foot (40 m) long painting that mixes native elements of the southeastern Wisconsin landscape with scenes of building restorations[20]
  • March On, depicting silhouettes marching in front of a sunset, celebrating the 40-year anniversary of the open housing protests[18][17]
  • People of the Road, a set of five metal sculptures honoring the workers of the Milwaukee Road, depicting employees performing tasks in the shops that formerly occupied the site[21][22]
  • the Valley Passage Mural, mixing a depiction of what is on the other side with what used to be there in the past[17]
  • three restored streetcar shelters, originally constructed by the City of Milwaukee in 1929 and used on the 16th Street Viaduct, refurbished at a cost of US$120,000[23][17]

Recognition

Before the trail was formally dedicated in 2000, the White House Millennium Council designated it a Millennium Legacy Trail due to "its respectful celebration of the past, its connection to the community, and its far-reaching vision for the future."[1]

At the dedication ceremony, Hank Aaron spoke to how honored he was to have the trail named after him and hoped future generations would see how much being welcomed by the people of Milwaukee meant to "a young baseball player so many, many years ago." When informed about progress on developing the trail, he expressed pleasure at the number of children and diverse neighborhoods that would have access to it. He regularly traveled to Milwaukee to be at trail-related events over the years until his death in 2021.[24]

Considerations taken into the trail routing through Three Bridges Park to accommodate the large age range of students at the nearby Urban Ecology Center and to not unnecessarily divide the then-newly-restored portion of the Menomonee Valley contributed to the American Society of Landscape Architects bestowing an Honor Award in 2011.[25]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Sandin, Jo (August 14, 2000). "Trail to debut, telling story of champion, river". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 01. Retrieved November 19, 2023 – via NewsBank.
  2. ↑ Rail-Trails: Michigan & Wisconsin. Birmingham, AL: Wilderness Press. 2017. p. 44. ISBN 9780899978734.
  3. 1 2 3 "Hank Aaron State Trail". Wisconsin DNR. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Sinkhole Detected On Hank Aaron State Trail". Urban Milwaukee (Press release). July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Maher, Rothenbueler (2019). Milwaukee County's Oak Leaf Trail: A History. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781467140683.
  6. ↑ "Henry Aaron State Park Trail Feasibility Study, Master Plan and Environmental Assessment". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. October 23, 1996. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  7. ↑ Holl, Craig (March 25, 2011). "Hank Aaron State Trail". Midwest Roads. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  8. ↑ Cook, Melissa (August 8, 2006). "Ceremony to mark expansion of Hank Aaron State Trail". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Hank Aaron State Trail Valley Passage and Extension". The Sigma Group. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  10. ↑ Held, Tom (November 7, 2011). "Hank Aaron State Trail extension ready for finishing touches". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Ground broken on new segment of Hank Aaron State Trail". FOX 6 Now Milwaukee. August 30, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Frequently Asked Questions". Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Nickel, Lori (September 1, 2019). "Chin Up: Joy riding through Milwaukee on the Hank Aaron State Trail". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Wisconsin bicycle route recognized by national organization". Hometown News LP. August 29, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Hank Aaron State Trail Map" (PDF). Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Milwaukee's Newest: Three Bridges Park". WUWM. May 16, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "Art on the Trail". Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 Slattery, Lydia (October 5, 2017). "Art Walk along Hank Aaron trail focuses on Open Housing marches of 1967-68". Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  19. ↑ Christiansen, Pegi (November 25, 2009). "Thanks Giving". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 21, 2023 – via NewsBank.
  20. ↑ Pilarski, Karen (October 16, 2018). "Wauwatosa company unveils mural created by Milwaukee artist on Hank Aaron Trail". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  21. ↑ Quirmbach, Chuck (May 16, 2019). "New Sculptures Honor Milwaukee Road Railway Workers". WUWM. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  22. ↑ "People of the Road: An Art Tribute". Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  23. ↑ Held, Tom (June 3, 2010). "Historic streetcar stops destined for Hank Aaron State Trail". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  24. ↑ Zani, Andrea (Summer 2021). "Legacy of a Legend". Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Making a Wild Place in Milwaukee's Urban Menomonee Valley". American Society of Landscape Architects. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
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