. History of Milwaukee, city and county . ruce, like that of many Americans, is oneof humble beginnings, cast amid discouraging circumstances and severe eldest of a family of nine children, he was at the age of seven stricken withillness which confined him to his home for four years. At the age of eleven he at-tended school for one year, and then at the age of twelve, a palefaced boy, limpingon crutches, he began the struggle for an existence. He was born March 17. ,on East Water street, near the southwest corner of Johnson street, within theshadows of the city hall, then a
. History of Milwaukee, city and county . ruce, like that of many Americans, is oneof humble beginnings, cast amid discouraging circumstances and severe eldest of a family of nine children, he was at the age of seven stricken withillness which confined him to his home for four years. At the age of eleven he at-tended school for one year, and then at the age of twelve, a palefaced boy, limpingon crutches, he began the struggle for an existence. He was born March 17. ,on East Water street, near the southwest corner of Johnson street, within theshadows of the city hall, then a residence district, now covered by business blocks. His grandfather, Frederick Bruce, who came on from New York, settled on thisspot in 1842, with his wife and four sons, William. Augustus P., Martin P. andJohn. The grandparents died of the cholera in the late 40s. Their son Williamdied in boyhood. While still a young man, Martin P. Bruce went south and locatedat Pensacola, Florida. This was before the Civil war. John went to JOHN T. HOFF HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE 165 Augustus F., who later became the father of William George Bruce, remained inMilwaukee. The grandfather had been an ocean sailor and upon his arrival in Milwaukeefollowed the ship carpenter and caulking trade. His sons, after sailing on the GreatLakes for a few years, became ship carpenters, a trade which they followed untilthe end of their days. Martin succeeded in building large drydocks at Bagdad andPensacola, Florida, and at Mobile. Alabama. After his death the Bruce interestswere concentrated at Pensacola. where the Bruce Dry Dock Company, owned by thedescendants, is known as one of the most important on the Gulf of Mexico. JohnBruce followed the ship building trade at San Francisco and Oakland. California,until his death. When the elder Bruce came to Milwaukee with his family in 1842 his sonAugustus was nine years of age. The latter frequently saw Solomon Juneau, thefirst permanent settler of Milwauk
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcurreyjs, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookyear1922
