West Allis

History

The name West Allis derives from Edward P. Allis, whose Edward P. Allis Company was a large Milwaukee-area manufacturing firm in the late 19th century. In 1901, the Allis company became Allis-Chalmers. In 1902, the company built a large new manufacturing plant west of its existing plant. The locale in which the new plant was constructed was at the time called North Greenfield; prior to the 1880s, the area had been called Honey Creek. With the building of the western Allis plant, the area was incorporated as the Village of West Allis, and it became the City of West Allis in 1906. With the presence of Allis-Chalmers, the largest manufacturer in the area, West Allis became the largest suburb of Milwaukee in the early 20th century. After that, West Allis grew quickly. Between 1910 and 1930, its population grew fivefold. Allis-Chalmers would then declare bankruptcy in 1987, closing their last Milwaukee office in 1999.

Geography

West Allis is located at (43.00, −88.02). The upper courses of the Root and Kinnickinnic Rivers flow through the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  43,832
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  41,785
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  37,505
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  33,918
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  33,814
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  30,953
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  30,740
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  29,683

Largest nearby schools

• HAPA-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12
  Other · Milwaukee · 1,828 students · 28.6:1 ratio
• Franklin High
  High · Franklin · 1,571 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Hamilton High
  High · Milwaukee · 1,439 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Obama School of Career and Technical Education
  Other · Milwaukee · 1,402 students · 29.8:1 ratio
• Milwaukee Academy of Science
  Other · Milwaukee · 1,401 students · 20.3:1 ratio
• Reagan College Preparatory High
  High · Milwaukee · 1,343 students · 22:1 ratio
• King International
  High · Milwaukee · 1,283 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Nathan Hale High
  High · West Allis · 1,261 students · 16.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois