The name suggests a mining town or a jewelry center, but Silver City has a less exotic history. It began as a rural resort and became an urban neighborhood filled with industrial workers, many who looked back to roots in northern and central Europe. Those first- and second-generation Americans walked to jobs in the Menomonee Valley--the neighborhood's northern border--and spent their hard-earned silver dollars at the commercial crossroads of 35th Street and National Avenue. In a fascinating example of urban evolution, this once-European stronghold has become the home of Latinos, Asians, and African-Americans as well as whites.