Wisconsin 101

Enjoy a browse through Wisconsin 101’s collection of object histories. Click on the “Read More” button to view the full story and its accompanying related histories or explore the categories listed above each object history to learn more about certain themes, periods of time, and Wisconsin locales.

OBJECT HISTORY: Mepps Fishing Lure

The classic Mepps fishing lure the Aglia, was invented in France in the 1930s and patented in 1938. (Mepps is a French acronym for Manufacturier d’ Engins de Precision pour Peches Sportives, translated as “Manufacture of Precision Equipment for Sport Fishing”.) It was introduced to northern Wisconsin, and to the U.S., by a G.I. returning from France.…

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October 20, 2015

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Home Furnishings / Art & Design / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Langlade County / Everyday Life / 1918-1945 / Region 2 - North East / Society & Religion / CCC Pillow Sham

OBJECT HISTORY: CCC Pillow Sham

Created in 1933, this commemorative pillow sham was just one of a number of textiles created by second-generation Hungarian immigrant Rose Mary Drab to honor her brother Edward’s service in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Rose Mary appliquéd the black cotton sateen sham with a small cotton tent, a blue eagle and two small stars, and hills, pine…

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October 1, 2015

Milwaukee / Maritime Industry / Milwaukee County / Object Histories / 1848-1877 / Nature & Environment / Society & Religion / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Lifesaving Medal

OBJECT HISTORY: Lifesaving Medal

All along Wisconsin’s 820 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, storms could mean the difference between profit and financial ruin, survival and terrifying death. This lifesaving medal reminds us of the risks that sailors and Wisconsin’s maritime communities have routinely faced since the early 19th century, and it documents the personal bravery, dedication, and ingenuity of those who would rescue their fellows…

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April 9, 2015

Science & Technology / Education / Object Histories / Williams Bay / 1877-1900 / Walworth County / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Region 8 - South East / Yerkes Telescope

OBJECT HISTORY: Yerkes Telescope

The 40-inch refracting telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, contains the world’s largest refracting lenses. Built in 1895, the telescope contains two lenses, one made of crown glass, and one made of flint glass. The lenses are each 40 inches in diameter, weigh 500 pounds, and have a 62-foot focal length. The telescope and observatory…

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December 10, 2014

Object Histories / Food & Cooking / Milwaukee County / Whitefish Bay / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / Manufacturing & Trade / Society & Religion / Cassel Soda Bottle / Region 8 - South East

OBJECT HISTORY: Cassel Soda Bottle

This soda bottle was sold by the Cassel Soda Company in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, in the early 1900s. Conrad Cassel owned and managed the company from 1897-1917. The company, along with other Wisconsin soda companies during that time, made carbonated water, a beverage that would gain special significance during Prohibition. The Cassel Soda Company sold its soda to Whitefish…

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October 9, 2014

West Bend / Industry / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / Wisconsin Made / Everyday Life / Washington County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1945-1965 / Region 8 - South East / Penguin Server

OBJECT HISTORY: Penguin Server

A penguin-themed serving bowl dishes out stories about the aluminum industry, postwar consumer culture, and home entertainment in mid-twentieth century Wisconsin.

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August 10, 2014

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