Wisconsin 101

The Gay Purge of University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1962-63

Gay students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have not always received the protection they do today; in fact, from 1962-1963 the university attempted to systematically identify and expel gay students. The Dean of Men, in collaboration with Student Health Services and the…

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November 2, 2023

New Object Histories / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Madison / Object Histories / Dane County / Clothing & Fashion / 602 Club / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / Region 7 - South Center

OBJECT HISTORY: 602 Club T-Shirt

Not all bars make commemorative T-shirts for their closing, like the one pictured here, but the 602 Club was not an average bar. The bar, previously located at 602 University Avenue, was just a short walk from the heart of campus, making…

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November 2, 2023

Read more about the article From Fairs to Football Games: A History of Camp Randall

A group poses in front of the newly built Camp Randall Arch during its dedication to the Civil War veterans trained at Camp Randall. Wisconsin Historical Society ID: 11270.

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Dane County / Madison / Related Stories / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / Politics, Society & Government / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / 2000-2020 / Region 7 - South Center / 2020-2040 / Box of Chlorinium

From Fairs to Football Games: A History of Camp Randall

University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium has been through many transformations yet has remained a pillar of statewide community. First put to public use as fairground enjoyed by residents across the state of Wisconsin, the site housed the state’s largest soldier training…

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September 26, 2023

Read more about the article Camp Randall Prison Camp

Print of Camp Randall from a south west view, 1862. Caption reads, ”CAMP RANDALL, (MADISON, WIS.) AS IT APPEARED IN 1862.” Wisconsin Historical Society ID: 1875.

Dane County / Related Stories / 1860-1880 / Politics, Society & Government / Region 7 - South Center / Box of Chlorinium

Camp Randall Prison Camp

Madison residents crowded outside the local railroad station in April of 1962 and awaited the arrival of Confederate prisoners to be held at Camp Randall. Surprisingly, the Northerners met the newcomers, many among which were riddled with disease, with sympathy and curiosity…

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September 26, 2023

New Object Histories / Object Histories / Dane County / Madison / 1860-1880 / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Box of Chlorinium

OBJECT HISTORY: Box of Chlorinium

Madison’s beloved Camp Randall Stadium holds a rich history many football fans are unaware of as they pass under the iconic Memorial Arch entrance. A box of chlorinium, tucked away in the Wisconsin Historical Society archives, opens the window to Civil War-era…

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September 26, 2023

Read more about the article The History of Smart Studios

Exterior of Smart Studios at 1254 East Washington Avenue, Madison, WI. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 243309.

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Dane County / Madison / Related Stories / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / 2000-2020 / Region 7 - South Center / Smart Banner

The History of Smart Studios

Smart Studios, founded by Butch Vig and Steve Marker, was a recording studio located on Madison’s east side. Over its twenty-seven years of operation, Smart Studios was responsible for producing music for both local acts and world-famous artists in the late twentieth…

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July 13, 2022