"Milwaukee was the most "foreign" city in America in the 1800s, and its German accent was unmistakable. The community was also the Beer Capital of the World and a stronghold of heavy manufacturing. Milwaukeeans crafted the steam shovels that dug the Panama Canal, the engines that powered the New York City subway system, and the motorcycles that made Harley-Davidson an American legend.". "The Making of Milwaukee chronicles the history of a hometown metropolis, a community whose past has produced one of the most livable big cities in America and, at the same time, created some daunting social and economic problems. John Gurda's book is the first full-length history of Milwaukee to appear since 1948."--BOOK JACKET.