1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.
  2. If you are going to register on XLNation, please make sure you do not use a proxy server.
    If you use a proxy server your registration will most likely get blocked due to spammers and hackers using proxy servers to hide their real IP address.

    If your using your home or work IP address and have not received your registration email, check your spam folder.
    PLEASE DO NOT ASK TO HAVE YOUR ACCOUNT DELETED IF YOU HAVE POSTED IN THE FORUM! If so we do not delete accounts due to the mess it can make on the forum.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Please see the following thread for more information
    XLN's future is looking bad

CJ Nicaumenee

A pearl at Lake Michigan

  1. Downtown and Bridgend

    kipate
    Downtown and Bridgend

    Nicaumenee's history has inadvertently been tied to its location alongside the shores of Lake Michigan. Nicaumenee's trading port has been playing a key role in the city's economy, and it has ever been a gateway to the world outside. The small marinas serve are popular with sailors, and the beaches are oftentimes crowded during summers. So by no surprise are many of the city's landmarks and tourist spots decicated to the waters surrounding the city.
    Teaser_149.jpg
    Teaser_192.jpg

    The first permanent European settlement was established after the Seven Years' War, after the British forces took control over the area. Before, the British soldiers brutally massacred many of the local Ojibwe, justifying their acts of terror by the Natives' support for the French troops. A small fort was erected on the hill, and soon thereafter, the first settlers arrived from the motherland. After the Treaty of Paris, the American forces took over the fort, and the small settlement, still serving as an outpost for fur traders, slowly expanded. After the construction of the Erie Canal in 1825, more and more settlers moved to the area, trying to participate in the lucrative fur trade. The construction of the Pilgrim Uniting Church dates back to those times.
    Teaser_189.jpg
    Teaser_183.jpg
    The church's prominent spot atop the hill made it easily recognizable to the people, hence it was featured in the city's emblem when Nicaumenee was recognized as a city in the middle of 19th century.

    Let us look at some more of Downtown's landmarks:
    Teaser_035.jpg
    You can see Beacon Hill Marina with the scenic skyline in the background.

    Teaser_008.jpg
    The Museum of Contemporary Art, exhibiting artworks dating back to the 1960s. Behind the museum, you can spot the Downtown BRT Hub.
    Teaser_077.jpg
    Teaser_081.jpg

    Teaser_124.jpg
    The Bus Terminal with the Arena in the background. The building hosts the games of the Nicaumenee Ducks, a local NBA franchise, as well as large concerts and gala events.

    Teaser_074.jpg
    City Square on the right side, with the city hall and the county's civil court being located vis-à-vis. At the back of the court building, you can spot a small park with some modernist sculpture.

    Teaser_190.jpg
    You can spot parts of the city's main train station on the right side. The station is approached by local trains, as well as by Amtrak's Hiawatha Service.

    Teaser_052.jpg
    A train maintenance facility next to the station. In an attempt to facilitate the car traffic throughout the city's core, a bridge was built crossing the railways leading to the city:
    Teaser_069.jpg

    Teaser_175.jpg
    On the left side, you can spot the city's central library, which is also the main library of the Nicaumenee School of Engineering (NSOE). This private school offers 15 bachelor's degrees, and 8 master's degrees. through its institutions.
    Teaser_125.jpg

    Teaser_072.jpg
    The Nicaumenee Old Harbour, nowadays a marina. In the foreground, you can spot the Nicaumenee Aquarium, hosting an extensive variety of fish from all over the world.
    Teaser_181.jpg

    Teaser_180.jpg


    Let us move to Bridgend and its sights. The district is famous for hosting the University of Wisconsins at Nicaumenee (UWN), one of the nation's top research universities in the fields of human medicine and biology.
    Teaser_182.jpg

    In the center, you can spot the main buildings, namely the Hartwright Tower and the Jefferson Hall. A bit apart, close to Union Square, you can spot the university's main library.
    Teaser_142.jpg
    Teaser_003.jpg
    Teaser_060.jpg
    Hartwright Tower has been a landmark since its inauguration back in the early 1920s. It represents a mix of Renaissance and Greek Revival styles.

    Teaser_143.jpg
    The city's main and university hospital, one of the top research institutions within the state and the nation.

    Bridgend has always been subject to vast transformations. One of the most drastic changes was the construction of interstate I-143, which cut the district in two parts. Connecting the highway to the Downtown area and also to Bridgend itself demanded a complex solution of ramps and exits:
    Teaser_061.jpg

    The connector bridges can be seen even from the shorelines:
    Teaser_128.jpg

    Teaser_047.jpg
    Teaser_048.jpg
    In the center, you can see Liberty Square at night. The square forms the busiest intra-city public transportation hub, as most of the bus lines running towards Goose Island have a stop at the square.



    We will end this update with some impressions of Bridgend's coastal part:
    Teaser_263.jpg
    In the center, you can spot the Bridgend Water Purification Plant. The water is drawn from water cribs located far offshore Lake Michigan.

    Teaser_132.jpg

    Teaser_173.jpg
    The Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr.
Return to update list...