Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Wooden Curling Stone

A stone slides across the ice as millions of people hold their breath. Furiously, two men sweep their brooms across the ice, attempting guide the hurdling block of granite to its destination. The stone slows to a crawl, hovering across the slick…

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June 20, 2024

Wisconsin Dells / Columbia County / Related Stories / Everyday Life / Nature & Environment / 1900-1918 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 7 - South Center / Lefeber Glass Plate Negatives

Images of the Wisconsin Dells (Waterparks Not Included!)

More than a century before the Wisconsin Dells became the "Waterpark Capital of the World," it was a famous tourist destination known for its scenic beauty. Guides began taking sightseers in rowboats along the Wisconsin River as early as the 1850s, and…

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February 21, 2024

Education / Dane County / Madison / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / 602 Club / Politics & Government / Society & Religion / 1945-1965 / Region 7 - South Center

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 / Madison / Dane County / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / 602 Club / Everyday Life / 1987-2011 / 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

Broad History / Military History / Sports & Games / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Madison / Dane County / Related Stories / Politics & Government / Region 7 - South Center / 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

Military History / Dane County / Madison / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Politics & Government / Region 7 - South Center / Box of Chlorinium

Camp Randall Prison Camp

Madison residents crowded outside the local railroad station in April of 1862 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