Zeddie Hyler
Zeddie Quitman Hyler broke Wauwatosa’s housing color barrier in 1955, becoming its first Black homeowner despite threats, vandalism, and fierce opposition.
Hyler
Broken Barrier
Twice, arsonists burned Zeddie Hyler’s house frame. So he and eight armed men spent a night in his basement, ready to defend his right to be Wauwatosa’s first Black homeowner. He lived there 49 years.