Abstract

            Hiding behind the enormous complex that is Miller Park, lies the Soldiers Home, a forgotten piece of Milwaukee history that not only brought about a population boom, but helped to establish the foundation for Veteran healthcare. The Soldiers Home offered the first fully comprehensive care plan for veterans returning home from war, also in its wake revolutionizing the family unit by creating an all-inclusive community. In order to show this change in the domestic lifestyle of families at the Soldiers Home, I highlight the amenities offered on site by looking at a firsthand account of a child who lived at the Soldiers Home, multiple books about the location, archival research, and discussions with administrators of the site. Milwaukee’s Soldiers Home played a big role in the expansion of not only the city of Milwaukee, but also of providing veterans with necessary treatment after returning home from combat.

            Now instead of being heralded for its medical advances and its psychological effect on the family unit, it has faded into the background of the picturesque trees atop the hill the Soldiers Home is built upon. It is important to study the history of the Soldiers Home and its implications in order to inspire the rehabilitation of the decaying buildings, bringing back to light the important of the Soldiers Home.