Zeddie Hyler
Zeddie Quitman Hyler broke Wauwatosa’s housing color barrier in 1955, becoming its first Black homeowner despite threats, vandalism, and fierce opposition.
Emerson Hoyt
Emerson D. Hoyt, born in Wauwatosa in 1847, became the city’s first mayor, founded a bank, and has a park named after him.
Annis Avery Hill
Annis Avery Hill, Connecticut-born pioneer, moved to Wauwatosa in 1844 with her six sons, taught Sunday School, and became beloved as Grandmother Hill.
Firefly Art Fair Celebrates 40 Years of Art, Community, and Preservation
by Peggy Rooney, Historic Wauwatosa, Issue 279, Summer 2026 Forty years ago, a group of dedicated Wauwatosa Historical Society volunteers believed an art fair could help save a historic landmark.
Midcentury Moments
Discover how the 1950s reshaped Wauwatosa. “Mid-Century Moments” explores the rise of Mayfair Mall, sweeping annexations, and the civic buildings that define our city today.
Wauwatosa Historical Society Announces 2nd Annual Brews & Blooms
June 18, 2026
Wauwatosa Historical Society’s 3rd Annual Brews & Blooms returns June–August 2026 with live music, food trucks, and craft beverages at the historic Kneeland-Walker House gardens. Free and family-friendly.
Firefly Art Fair Celebrates 40 Years of Art, Community, and Preservation
June 9, 2026
Firefly Art Fair marks 40 years on Aug. 1–2 with 70 regional artists, live music, food, and a 1950s Wauwatosa history exhibit at the historic Kneeland-Walker House.
Wauwatosa Schools Through the Years
Trace Wauwatosa’s school history through archival photographs — from an 1841 Root Common schoolhouse to the buildings that define the community today, including surprising histories of familiar landmarks.
Gilbert Girls
Gilbert Girls” is part of the Wauwatosa Historical Society’s Speakers Bureau, bringing three generations of remarkable women to life. Follow Nancy, a true pioneer among the township’s earliest settlers, Mary, who witnessed the transformation from small settlement to city, and spirited Kate Evelyn, who fought to save her childhood home from Mayfair Mall’s demolition. One family, a century of change.
The Great Wauwatosa Fire of 1895
Discover the dramatic story behind Wauwatosa’s great fire of 1895 through this captivating Speakers Bureau presentation. On a scorching July morning, flames tore through the village, reducing the business district to ruins by nightfall. Uncover whether it was arson or accident, how the crisis shaped city leadership, and which historic buildings still stand in Wauwatosa today.