All told, Rufus King Jr.’s time in Milwaukee was relatively short, lasting from only 1845 to 1861. Yet his efforts in shaping the foundations of the city, which was granted its municipal charter in 1846, were significant. This is particularly true of his work developing Milwaukee’s first public, or “common,” school system, where his mark is still visible in the schools and streets that bear his name. King’s efforts were informed by a strong Whig ideology that he hoped would knit the expanding nation together—economically and culturally—through railroads, canals, newspapers, and, at last, government-sponsored, tax-supported schools.
Knitting the Nation Together
On August 12, 1855, newspaper editor, local school board member, and Whig Party crusader Rufus King Jr. boarded a train in Milwaukee, barely able to contain his excitement for what…