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TOWN HISTORY

from Discover Brookfield 2024 Visitors Guide

from Discover Brookfield 2024 Visitors Guide, page 20

Insider Guide

By Anna Antoine

When the Town of Brookfield was first established in 1839 by Robert Curran, the Town was little more than farmland. There were no roads, so travelers used deer trails to get through the area. This meant it would take people two days to travel from Milwaukee to Brookfield! (Today, it takes 15 min.) As time went on the land became more populated and developed. This included building plank roads and railroads. In 1851 a major railway was completed connecting people from Milwaukee to Waukesha. As a half-way point between the two large cities, Brookfield became a natural rest point. Visitors stayed at popular inns along Bluemound Road called the Halfway House, Dousman-Dunkel Inn and the Phoenix House In 1885, the Eble family built an 11-room farmhouse north of Bluemound While the farmhouse is now gone, the name Eble is still used today for the Ice Arena in the Town

1836

RobertCurranandhis familyarrivedand becamethefirst settlersoftheTownof Brookfield

1853

Atraindepotwasbuiltas ahubbetweenMilwaukee andWaukesha.This becameknownas BrookfieldJunction.

1842

Thefirstorganized Townmeetingwas held,creatingastable formofGovernmentfor theTown

1862

Thefirstschoolhouse wasbuiltcalled PleasantHillonthe areaknownas Goerke'sCorners.

1851

Thefirstrailroadwas completedbetween Milwaukeeand Waukesha.

1892

ThefirstTownhallwas builtonthecornerof CalhounRoadand NorthAvenue.Itcost $1,647.43tobuild.

The turn of the century brought about great change for the Town of Brookfield. A drive-in theater was built in 1939 due to the popularity of movies. In the late 1940's - early 1950's, what is now Bluemound road officially became a 4-lane concrete highway allowing residents and guests to move about the Town with ease. After the end of the World Wars, the police and fire departments hired fulltime employees to help protect the

Town (volunteers were used previously). In 1954, a 16 square mile section of the Town of Brookfield became the City of Brookfield. To this day, the Town and City are separate entities and have different governing bodies.

TODAY - The Town has always been a place for people passing through to settle down for a while and take a break. We continue that tradition today. In 2017, The Corners of Brookfield opened, becoming the largest shopping center in the Town, welcoming over 2 million people annually In 2019, the Town welcomed its seventh hotel, Tru by Hilton By the end of 2025, the Town will welcome three new hotels in addition to new restaurants and retail As we look to future plans, the Town continues to find ways to grow while welcoming new and returning visitors.