The Milwaukee 7 was formed in
September 2005 to create a regional, cooperative economic development
platform for the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin: Kenosha,
Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Waukesha and Washington. In this
OnMilwaukee.com series, Gregg Hoffmann profiles each of the counties
and highlights their unique attractions and appeal.
Ozaukee County is the smallest land area county in the State of Wisconsin, covering 235 sq. mi., but it is rich in history, natural beauty, economic opportunity and many other features.
You can see old Native American trails near Saukville and early settlers' cabins near Cedarburg. Located along 25 miles of the western shore of Lake Michigan, the county offers beautiful vistas of that Great Lake. The new bluff restoration project at Concordia University in Mequon will soon be considered an example for any on Lake Michigan to follow.
Mequon and other communities in the southern section of the county offer shopping, restaurants and cultural attractions that rival any of the suburbs in the Milwaukee 7 region. Additionally, communities like Port Washington, Grafton and Cedarburg have worked successfully to maintain their historic downtowns offering shopping and restaurants to tempt any Milwaukeean. Grafton is booming with the area's first Costco and other destination retail.
Ozaukee County was the 20th richest county in the nation according to the 1998 census and it has continued to prosper since then. The county experienced job growth of 139 percent over a 30-year period and has a median household income of around $75,000. Housing values rank higher than the state and national averages.
The county has done a great job of building on its past to establish the present and prepare for the future. For example, rich deposits of limestone and excellent fishing led to early development of quarries and harbors. Harrington Beach State Park in Belgium occupies the site of one of the original limestone quarries in the county. Stone removed from the quarry was shipped from a dock on the shore of Lake Michigan. Limestone deposits spawned another quarry and tall lime kilns in what became Lime Kiln Park in the Village of Grafton.
Steep bluffs along most of the county's coastline hindered access to the lake waters. The low laying topography of portions of Port Washington and Belgium led to the development of a harbor and permitted the fishing industry to flourish. The quarry dock in Belgium no longer exists; however, the harbor in Port Washington recently underwent significant improvements and the marina there is a great place to spend a day.
Early settlers carved trails through Ozaukee County, which became major transportation routes to other areas of the state. Two Indian trails met in an area that grew to become the Village of Saukville. The old Green Bay Road served as the primary pathway between Milwaukee and Green Bay. Numerous small communities grew along the original trail to support the travelers, including the unincorporated area known as Hamilton.
You can still find plenty of the "country" in Ozaukee County. Fertile ground, moderate temperatures and numerous small creeks and streams prompted development of agriculture and dairy farming. Octagonal and stone barns were commonplace throughout the county. Several remain standing today as evidence of this rich heritage.
The last covered bridge in Wisconsin is found in the Town of Cedarburg over Cedar Creek and remains as yet another reminder of the history and rural heritage of the county. It remains carefully preserved as further evidence of the heritage of the area.
If you have one day to spend in Ozaukee County, start at Upper Lake Park in Port Washington to watch the sun rise over Lake Michigan from the high bluff. If it happens to be Fish Days weekend, you might never leave Port.
Check out the covered bridge just north of Cedarburg and then make a loop, first to the north and then west, to explore some of the beautiful rural scenery still left in the county. If you're hungry enough for lunch after that big breakfast, stop in Saukville at one of the great restaurants in that area.
If you're a golfer, you have a choice of several wonderful courses. Hawthorne Hills and Mee-Kwon are two of the best-groomed county courses in the state.
You also might want to travel the Ozaukee Interurban Trail. Ozaukee County dedicated the trail, its first multi-purpose commuter and recreational trail, on Sept. 28, 2002. This trail follows the old interurban electric railway that ran from Downtown Milwaukee to Downtown Sheboygan.
The new Ozaukee Interurban Trail runs from the Milwaukee County-line to the Sheboygan County-line, connecting to Ozaukee County's parks, historic sites, restaurants, shops and other areas of interest along the way. Allowable uses on the Ozaukee Interurban Trail include pedestrians, bicyclists, in-line skaters, cross-country skiers, wildlife viewers, and other non-motor vehicle users. The entire trail is asphalt paved.
As evening approaches, head south to the Mequon-Thiensville area, where you can find numerous restaurants and suburban attractions. The Highland House, Taylor & Dunn's Public House and Albanese's are just three of this writer's favorites, and there are many others.
If you enjoyed your day in Ozaukee County so much that you'd like to stay, you're not alone. The county has attracted many new residents and businesses.
The Ozaukee County Economic Development Corporation offers a variety of services for business people. Individual communities within the county also provide services customized for their business climate.
The First Steps Workshop is designed for people that are thinking about starting a business, but do not know where to begin. This fast paced three-hour session assesses entrepreneurs' readiness to open a business and reveals the critical resources available to achieve business success. This workshop is offered annually in Ozaukee County. Additionally, Fast Trac, a 12-week course that helps entrepreneurs develop a business plan is offered annually at the Mequon MATC Campus. Concordia University, UW-Milwaukee, the UW-Extension and Milwaukee Area Technical College all offer a variety of programs and services to help business people.
Ozaukee County also doesn't run away from its reputation as a commuter area. Nearly half the employed residents work outside the county, predominantly in management and professional jobs. In 2005, "Money Magazine" ranked the Mequon-Thiensville area No. 19 on its "100 Best Places to Live"
So, whether you want to spend a day, establish a business or reside and commute for work, Ozaukee County can come up big in your plans.
