Wisconsin 101

Early Lifesaving Stations in Wisconsin

A Slow Beginning As maritime commerce grew in the early 19th century, the loss of vessels and crews to shipwreck increased. In 1848, the federal government, through the United States Revenue Marine, established its first lifesaving stations along the New Jersey coast. The…

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April 21, 2015

Maritime Industry / Industry / Milwaukee / Milwaukee County / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Lifesaving Medal

The Wreck of the Tanner

The Wrecked Vessel The Tanner was a barque, or three-masted ship, whose foremast was square-rigged and whose main-and mizzenmasts were fore-and-aft rigged. It measured 156.38 feet long by 31.75 feet in breadth. The ship was built in 1863 by the Milwaukee shipbuilding firm Ellsworth & Davidson…

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April 21, 2015

Maritime Industry / Milwaukee / Milwaukee County / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Lifesaving Medal

The Rescuers of the Tanner

On September 10, 1875, six rescue boat volunteers were dispatched to aid the crew of the Tanner, a cargo ship foundering in Milwaukee Harbor after being struck by a powerful storm. All six of the rescue boat volunteers – but not the captain…

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April 21, 2015

Object Histories / Milwaukee County / Milwaukee / Maritime Industry / 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 / Object Histories / Education / Williams Bay / Walworth County / 1877-1900 / 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

Education / 1787-1848 / Related Stories / Williams Bay / 1848-1877 / Walworth County / 1877-1900 / Nature & Environment / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Yerkes Telescope

Williams Bay, Wisconsin

Captain Israel Williams founded Williams Bay, Wisconsin, in 1835. Williams and his two sons originally traveled to Wisconsin from their Massachusetts home to look for good farmland. Williams Bay was later named in honor of Captain Williams.Until 1890, only a few families…

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December 9, 2014