Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Aztalan Copper Maskettes

Aztalan Copper Maskettes, 1000-1200 AD. Courtesy: Milwaukee Public Museum Found at the Aztalan archaeological site in southeastern Wisconsin, these small copper artifacts were most likely used as ornate jewelry.[1] Specifically, Mississipian people likely wore the mask-shaped copper designs as earrings. Although Native…

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December 18, 2020

Agriculture / Object Histories / Whitewater / Wisconsin Made / 1848-1877 / Jefferson County / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 7 - South Center / Esterly Broadcast Seeder

OBJECT HISTORY: Esterly Broadcast Seeder

George Esterly, a southern Wisconsin farmer and inventor, helped revolutionize farming practices across the nation with the creation of the Broadcast Seeder.

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June 29, 2020

Agriculture / Broad History / Education / Industry / 1787-1848 / Related Stories / Whitewater / 1848-1877 / Jefferson County / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 7 - South Center / Esterly Broadcast Seeder

Industry and Manufacturing in the Whitewater Area

Since the earliest settlers arrived in the Whitewater area in the 1830s, industry and manufacturing have played important roles in the establishment and continued growth of the area.One of the earliest industries in Whitewater was grain milling, performed at the Old Stone…

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June 29, 2020

Home Furnishings / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Art & Design / Lake Koshkonong / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Everyday Life / Global Connections / 1877-1900 / Jefferson County / Region 7 - South Center / Norwegian Genealogical Plaque

OBJECT HISTORY: Norwegian Genealogical Plaque

Created in 1879, this beautiful plaque features the genealogy of Sara Magelssen's family, including the story of her and her husband's immigration to Wisconsin in the 1860s.

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July 1, 2019

Aztalan / Indigenous Wisconsin / Pre-1787 / Food & Cooking / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Jefferson County / Nature & Environment / Region 7 - South Center

OBJECT HISTORY: Aztalan Fishing Weir

Fishing can take a lot of patience. A person could sit with their fishing pole for hours before they get a bite! Fishing weirs are time-saving technologies built in the water to trap fish. This fishing weir was created by the people who lived in the Early Mississippian settlement, Aztalan, sometime between the 10th and…

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October 15, 2018

Broad History / Lake Koshkonong / Industry / Pre-1787 / 1787-1848 / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / 1848-1877 / A Duck Decoy / Jefferson County / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / Nature & Environment / Region 7 - South Center

When Lake Koshkonong was a Marsh

Maintaining practices like an annual visit to Lake Koshkanong to hunt and harvest food is an important way for indigenous knowledge and culture to be passed-on to the next generation.

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July 1, 2018