Wisconsin 101

Stars of Silent Film

The Ringling Theatre featured many forms of entertainment throughout the years, including live theatrical performances as well as silent films. At the time when the theatre was built in 1915, silent films were becoming more popular because advancements in film technology allowed…

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July 18, 2024

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Baraboo / Music, Theatre & Cinema / Related Stories / 1900-1918 / Sauk County / Region 7 - South Center / Usher Uniform

The Al Ringling Theater

Albert (“Al”) Ringling was the eldest brother of the Ringling family and was credited with both the creation of the famous Ringling Brothers Circus and the construction of the Ringling Theatre. Al also played an incredibly important role within the circus as its program…

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July 18, 2024

Art, Sport & Entertainment / New Object Histories / Baraboo / Music, Theatre & Cinema / Object Histories / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / 1900-1918 / Sauk County / Region 7 - South Center / Usher Uniform

OBJECT HISTORY: Ringling Theater Usher Uniform

On November 17, 1915, the Ringling Theatre opened in the city of Baraboo, Wisconsin; the newest movie palace in the area at a time, these venues were becoming increasingly popular throughout the United States. Movie palaces were a curated experience, where one…

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July 17, 2024

Baraboo / Military History / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Sauk County / Politics & Government / Society & Religion / Region 7 - South Center / The Canfield Temperance Case

The Whiskey War of 1854

Alcohol consumption is an integral and often contentious facet of American life and has been for most of the nation’s history. In the 1800s, the public believed alcohol had medicinal properties and regulated health. However, the harmful effects of drunkenness on the…

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October 4, 2022

The Temperance Movement’s Impact on Wisconsin’s Early Laws

Temperance was a defining and prominent movement in Wisconsin from the state’s admission to the union in 1848 until the mid 1850s. Temperance legislature, and the battles fought in favor of and against it, determined the state’s early legal trajectory.Temperance arrived in…

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October 4, 2022

Baraboo / Object Histories / 1787-1848 / Sauk County / Society & Religion / Region 7 - South Center / The Canfield Temperance Case

OBJECT HISTORY: The Canfield Temperance Case

The straw case pictured here was created by Cordelia Canfield in 1844. Cordelia was the wife of William Canfield, a noted local historian and surveyor of the Baraboo, WI area. Canfield’s case is approximately 1 foot long with its cap on and…

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October 4, 2022