The Irish Pub

The Irish Pub

Nestled in the Historic Third Ward, The Irish Pub introduces centuries of Gaelic tradition to Milwaukee. This classic Irish owned & fully operated public house prides itself in providing Milwaukee with all the warmth, comfort and wit found in the Pubs of Ireland.

Our doors have only been open since September 2006, but if these walls could talk they'd tell quite a story about the 100 year life of the building - a story steeped in Milwaukee lore and rich in the City's heritage.

In tru Irish fashion, we've put our mark on the building aiming to make every patron feel as if they were on a stool in any one of the 32 counties of the Emerald Isle. Your experience begins at the oak top bar. Have a seat, order up a pint or two and welcome to The Irish Pub!

Milwaukee's History Third Ward:

The Wreck of the Lady Elgin

On September 8, 1860 a steamer ship by the name of Lady Elgin set a return course to Milwaukee, Wisconsin from Chicago, Illinois. Hours into the trip the steamer collided with a schooner by the name of Augusta. The passenger manifest was lost with the collision, but the number lost is believed to be around 500 with 430 or so confirmed dead. Until the Eastland Disaster in Chicago, the wreck of the Lady Elgin was the largest loss of life on the Great Lakes. The passengers hailed from Milwaukee’s Irish 3rd Ward where The Irish Pub calls home. The pub lies less than 200 feet from the Milwaukee River, mooring spot of the Lady Elgin.

The Lady Elgin’s wreck was an important moment in Wisconsin military history. At the time of the wreck in 1860 the United States were in great political turmoil due to the conflict of states rights caused by slavery. Wisconsin was torn between its disgust for the establishment of slavery and its loyalty to the United States of America. Emotions were so intense at one point that Wisconsin legislators introduced a measure recommending the State declare war with the Federal Government unless slavery was abolished. Others suggested that Wisconsin secede and create its own country.

The Lady Elgin

Governor Alexander Randall

Wisconsin’s Governor at the time, Alexander Randall was a staunch abolitionist and an advocate of individual state’s rights. The Governor ordered a survey taken of the state’s militias recording their thoughts on the issue of slavery and the idea of secession from the Union. When Captain Garrett Barry, Third Ward resident and commander of Milwaukee’s Irish Union Guard was answered the survey by stating that he was opposed to slavery, but he believed any stand against the Federal Government would be considered high treason. When word of Captain Barry’s discontent spread his militia was stripped of its commission and the Third Ward’s Irish Union Guards were disarmed. Being true to the Irish spirit, Captain Barry refused to back down.

With help from local political organizations the Union Guard worked to raise money to rearm itself. The Union Guard planned a trip aboard the Lady Elgin to Chicago to raise awareness of their cause, raise funds needed to rearm and attend a political rally where presidential candidate and Senator Stephen A. Douglas would speak. The guard arrived in Chicago on September 7^th and set out touring the City and raising awareness of their plight. Following Senator Douglas’s speech the crew and passengers set sail for Milwaukee.

The decision to set sail was made at 11:00 p.m. despite Captain Jack Wilson’s concerns about the weather. Captain Wilson was a veteran Great Lakes captain and knew the dangers posed to boats during the fall months. As the boat left port weather conditions worsened to gale force winds and large rolling waves.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. seven miles off the Illinois coastal town of Winnetka, the Lady Elgin was struck broadside towards the stern by the Augusta, a 129 foot, 266 ton schooner.

Captain Wilson inspected the ship and found massive amounts of water flowing into the hold at the Port side of the Stern. Captain Wilson immediately ordered crew members to begin throwing gear and livestock into the water to lighten the ship’s load and keeping the gaping hole above the water line.

The Third Ward's
Irish Union Guard

The Augusta

The effort to prevent the ship’s sinking was futile. Life-boats were cast off unsuccessfully and passengers were forced to grab hold of pieces of the ship to survive. There were accounts of men chopping pieces of wood from the deck in an effort to build life rafts. Within 20 minutes of the collision the Lady Elgin broke up and sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Survivors of the wreck began approaching the shore in a heavy rolling sea at around 8:00 a.m. The heavy sea created a strong under-tow at the beach and the effect claimed many lives. Thoughts are that as many as 400 survivors came close enough to be rescued, of the 400 only 160 survived because of the conditions in the water. Victims were thrown head long onto the rocks or sucked back out to sea with the current never to be heard from again.

Bodies continued wash ashore all over Lake Michigan into December of 1860. The dead were found as far as 80 miles from the point of the collision. It is said that the disaster orphaned up to 1,000 Milwaukee children. Unidentified dead were buried in a mass grave near the site in Winnetka, IL. Most of the identified were sent back to Milwaukee and buried there. Many of the victims including all of the Irish Union Guard were members of the congregation at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Milwaukee. To this day the church holds a service every September 8^th commemorating the victims of the Lady Elgin disaster.

To this day September 8^th will is held near to the hearts of hard working Irish families of Milwaukee. Everyone knows the story of the Civil War and its outcome. We at The Irish Pub like to believe the conflict would have been over sooner had the members of the Third Ward’s very own Irish Union Guard been fighting.