MILWAUKEE — Summer festival season is in full swing and Bastille Days is back again for its annual four day festival in Milwaukee's Cathedral Square.
Milwaukee and Wisconsin have a rich French history. Some of the first immigrants to arrive in Wisconsin were French and French-Canadian fur traders. French-Canadian fur trader, Solomon Juneau, helped found the city and was its first mayor. Also, did you know, the state's name used to be pronounced 'Ouisconsin'. It was a French mispronunciation of an Algonquin word for the state.
While the state has many Native American town names, there are also dozens of towns with French names. Some of them include Racine, Fond du Lac, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Trempealeau, Prairie du Sac, Lac du Flambeau, Prairie du Chien, and many more.
Along with talking to Eddie Sturkey, the executive director of the East Town Association, our James Groh asked festival attendees to try and name as many towns with French names while on live T.V. He put them under pressure.
See how fans did, and what Sturkey had to say about this years festival, by watching the interviews below...
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