Milwaukee Zeidler Union Square

Milwaukee

Zeidler Union Square Bandstand

On fence posts on the east side of the Park, these signs are attached.

Zeidler Union Square, Milwaukee's oldest public park from 1835 and part of the Milwaukee County Parks, is located between the Shops at Grand Avenue and Wisconsin Electric. It is indeed a tribute to working people of Wisconsin.

The park was originally named after Pere Marquette, but in the 1960s, the site was renamed in honor of Carl F. Zeidler Park. Zeidler was born in Milwaukee, a lawyer, and became the City’s 33rd mayor in 1940 when he defeated Daniel Hoan. During WWII, Zeidler left his mayor's job to become an officer in the US Navy. Later the ship he was serving aboard was torpedoed and all hands were lost. His younger brother Frank was mayor from 1948 to 1960.

In 1995, the County Board recognized the contributions of the labor movement in Milwaukee County’s history and renamed the park Zeidler Union Square.

The Milwaukee County Labor Council AFL-CIO constructed a new gazebo/bandstand in the middle of the park at that time.  It was built in collaboration by artists Terese Agnew, Mary Zebell, and 175 union volunteers — and completed in 1995.

On Labor Day 2017, renovation of Milwaukee Area Labor Council's Workers Memorial was completed where Laborfest parade traditionally begins.  Renovations were coordinated by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.

The Wisconsin Workers Memorial gazebo is a gathering place to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of all workers. Gears and other tools, along with a clock in the ceiling, are used in the design of the bandstand.

The park is a popular place for workers to eat lunch on a nice day and where local residents walk dogs before and after work.  The farmers market is usually held on Wednesdays during the summer.

Details of the artwork creation of the park include:

Described in The Wisconsin Labor Society Newsletter (Winter 1995) Vol. 12 No. 3: "The artwork, created in 1995, takes the whole park as its theme, and includes a gazebo in the middle of the park with handles of tools and grills forming the ornamental grillwork. There are also decorative chains around the park spelling out popular labor slogans, as well as graphic panels explaining significant moments in Wisconsin's labor history."

Further, the public artwork is described in Wikipedia: "The designers kept in mind the park's character when creating the memorial. They believed that the park resembled a 19th-century village green, and thus created a gazebo that resembles a bandstand as the symbol of a democratic gathering place. The gazebo, situated in the middle of the park, is decorated with salvaged gears and tools of the modern workplace. There is a huge clock inside the edifice, referencing the time spent at work as well as the fight for the eight-hour workday. (from Terese Agnew website) The bandstand is accessible by wheelchair ramps, which serve as a useful reminder of workers injured on the job. Paths lined with ornamental chains and bollards lead from the sidewalk up to the structure. The chains display popular labor slogans and tell the story of Milwaukee's labor history from 1800 to the present through graphic panels stating important historical facts. The memorial is designed to commemorate the workers who have faced dangers and hazards on their job, as well as the struggles to overcome these hazards, thus the emphasis on Wisconsin labor history."

Famous word phrases make up the chain fence on the east side of the park: