Wisconsin 101

Studio portrait of Increase A. Lapham in suit and tie, photographic print, c 1859. Image ID: 43831 Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Increase Lapham and the Founding of the United States Weather Bureau

As immigration to Wisconsin swelled in the 1840s, so, too, did the state’s scientific and technological community, with innovations across industries ranging from agriculture and manufacturing to geology and environmental studies. Among Wisconsin’s first “pioneer scientists” was Increase A. Lapham, a young…

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September 8, 2020

Racine / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Curators' Favorites / Racine County / 1940-1960 / Region 8 - South East / Racine Belles Movie Costume

“Ringing the Community Belles” – Racine’s Professional Baseball Team

As the United States entered World War II in 1941, the war’s impact on American culture was felt far and wide. Aside from the obvious strains on economic and industrial production, American recreation was temporarily put on hold. This included much of…

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June 24, 2020

Read more about the article Earlene Fuller and the African American Bowling Scene in Milwaukee

Theodore Henderson, Earlene Fuller, Louise Westbrooks, and Taylor Richards wear African-inspired bowling shirts designed and made by Earlene Fuller, Milwaukee, April 1995. Source: Image courtesy of Pauline McCollum

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Milwaukee / Milwaukee County / Clothing & Fashion / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Curators' Favorites / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / Region 8 - South East / Earlene Fuller's Bowling Shirt

Earlene Fuller and the African American Bowling Scene in Milwaukee

Earlene Fuller designed and made bowling outfits for numerous black and white teams in Milwaukee and elsewhere from 1970 through the mid-1990s. She was a member in two African American bowling organizations — the National Bowling Association and the Milwaukee Bowlers Guild, Inc. — and in the 1990s began incorporating kente cloth and other African-inspired fabric patterns into the shirts she made for her own teams.

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May 27, 2020

Milwaukee / Milwaukee County / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Curators' Favorites / Global Connections / 1900-1920 / Politics, Society & Government / 1920-1940 / Region 8 - South East / Victor Berger Campaign Banner

Wisconsin’s 1918 Special Election for Senate and the Trial of Victor Berger

In 1918, Wisconsin held a special election to fill the seat of recently deceased Senator Paul Husting, who had been elected in 1914. The election was a three-way race between Democrat Joseph E. Davies, Republican Irvine L. Lenroot, and Socialist Victor L. Berger. Running under federal indictment, Berger placed third. He won 26% of the vote statewide in the April Senate election, winning 11 counties.

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April 13, 2020

Milwaukee / Milwaukee County / Related Stories / Curators' Favorites / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / Politics, Society & Government / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Region 8 - South East / Victor Berger Campaign Banner

Victor Berger and the Sewer Socialists

Victor Berger, one of the "Sewer Socialists," became the first Socialist to serve in the United States House of Representatives, winning the election in Wisconsin’s 5th congressional district in 1910.

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April 13, 2020

Home Furnishings / Education / 1880-1900 / Waukesha County / Region 8 - South East

OBJECT HISTORY: Slate

Before chromebooks, iPads, and even lined paper, students still had to complete their assignments. In the past, students did most their schoolwork on a slate. A slate is a small, rectangular blackboard made from slate stone. They had two sides and the edges were wrapped in leather or wood to protect students’ hands. In the…

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February 10, 2020