The Historic Third Ward is a historic warehouse district located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This Milwaukee neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Third Ward is home to over 450 businesses and maintains a strong position within the retail and professional service community in Milwaukee as a showcase of a mixed-use district. The neighborhood's renaissance is anchored by many specialty shops, restaurants, art galleries and theatre groups, creative businesses and condos. It is home to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD), and the Broadway Theatre Center. The Ward is adjacent to the Henry Maier Festival Park, home to Summerfest. The neighborhood is bounded by the Milwaukee River to the west and south, E. Clybourn Street to the north, and Lake Michigan to the east. History The Third Ward is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City of Milwaukee. During the early years of Milwaukee, the Third Ward was a relatively flat, swampy area located between the shore of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River. In the 1850s, the land was drained, and soon wood-frame houses populated the east side of the Ward, while on the west side, along the east side of the Milwaukee River, masonry factories and warehouses were constructed. Irish immigrants were the early settlers of the area. The Ward became known as the "Bloody Third," a reputation the area earned for its frequent fistfights and working class immigrant population. Early Development The first railroad linked Milwaukee to the Mississippi River in 1856, letting wholesalers supply needed goods to the population of settlers in the West. The Irish settlers in the Third Ward went through two major tragedies. On September 7, 1860, the Lady Elgin steamship left Milwaukee carrying a large number of passengers from the Third Ward's Irish community. Over 400 people are believed to have died when the ship sank and is the second greatest loss of life seen on the Great Lakes. A Wisconsin Historical Marker in the Third Ward commemorates the tragedy while a monument dedicated at Calvary Cemetery serves as a cenotaph. The area rapidly developed through the late 19th Century as a mixed-use industrial and residential district home to Milwaukee immigrants and abundant with jobs. The Milwaukee River side of the neighborhood was crowded with ships loading cargo while the east side of the neighborhood was bounded by a vast railyard with lines running