From pioneer days well into the 20th century, the River was a year-round playground for the generations, used for boating, swimming, fishing, curling, horse-drawn sleigh rides, tobogganing and ice skating. Swimming schools, boat rental facilities and resorts thrived.
Leisure-time boating became so popular that a clear summer day could witness the launch of 1,000 canoes. A steady stream of regattas, boat exhibitions and warm evenings filled with live music and Chinese lanterns regularly lured Milwaukeeans to relax at the River. A passenger ferry shuttled Milwaukeeans from North Avenue to downtown. The Christopher Columbus, a whaleback steamer, carried thousands of shoppers and sightseers to Chicago daily.
Milwaukee's first winter sports meet was organized at Gordon Park in 1925. Other cold-weather celebrations, like the 1926 Milwaukee Ice Carnival, drew huge crowds to watch skating, hockey and skiing.
Though swimming and winter activities on the River began to wane in the 1930s, Milwaukee has seen a resurgence of River-oriented recreation since the 1990s. Better public access to the River; civic events such as movies, concerts and crew races; and the growing popularity of boating activities, ranging from kayaking and rowing clubs to dining cruises and sightseeing boats, have all brought the River a new energy.
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