Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse

Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse. Image courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society ID:59505. Many of us can easily picture a lighthouse in our minds. You may think of a tall structure that’s right along a lake or ocean, illuminating the water and land it protects.…

0 Comments

May 29, 2023

Orlando Metcalf Poe and Wisconsin’s Waterways

Photograph of Orlando Metcalf Poe. Image courtesy of the Village of Wind Point Brochure. Orlando Metcalf Poe was an engineer who shaped the landscape of Wisconsin’s harbors and waterways, playing a crucial role in the development of Wisconsin’s commerce. Through his lighthouse…

0 Comments

May 10, 2023

Racine / Object Histories / Racine County / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / Science & Medicine / 1940-1960 / Transportation & Tourism / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / 2000-2020 / 2020-2040 / Region 8 - South East / Wind Point Lighthouse

OBJECT HISTORY: Wind Point Lighthouse

Photo of Wind Point Lighthouse. Image courtesy of Cheryl Kaufenberg (June, 2016). Wind Point Lighthouse is located in the Village of Wind Point, which sits just north of the Racine harbor on Lake Michigan. The lighthouse was constructed in 1880 and stands…

0 Comments

May 10, 2023

New Glarus / Food & Cooking / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / Green County / Global Connections / 1860-1880 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / Region 7 - South Center / Swiss Cheese Kettle

Early Cheese Factories in New Glarus

Green County has long been known for its cheese factories, particularly ones making Swiss cheese. However, when the first Swiss immigrants arrived it wasn’t at all clear that they would go into cheesemaking at all. New Glarus’s rise to prominence as a…

0 Comments

April 17, 2023

Food & Cooking / Waukesha / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / 1880-1900 / Waukesha County / Science & Medicine / Region 8 - South East / Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

The Saratoga of the West: Resort Culture in the Waukesha Springs Era

Bethesda Spring Park, ca. 1900. The springhouse stands on the right. The spring runs into the pond, which reflects the words “1868-Bethesda.” The Terrace Hotel can be seen in the left background. People sit on the lawn and stand around the springhouse.…

Comments Off

February 20, 2023

Food & Cooking / Waukesha / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / 1880-1900 / Waukesha County / 1900-1920 / Science & Medicine / Region 8 - South East / Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

Nature’s Purest Drink: The Henk Mineral Spring Company

As a center of the mineral spring water industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Waukesha, Wisconsin, saw the rise of over 200 spring water companies during the period known as the Waukesha Springs Era. With over fifty mineral springs…

0 Comments

February 19, 2023