Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: John Fox Potter’s “Monster Knife”

Measuring over six feet in length and weighing thirty-two pounds, this gigantic folding knife belonged to Wisconsin representative John Fox “Bowie Knife” Potter who was famous as a dedicated abolitionist and infamous for his willingness to use physical force on the United…

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October 29, 2024

Sports & Games / Lake Geneva / 20-sided die / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Walworth County / 1965-1987 / Region 8 - South East

OBJECT HISTORY: A Twenty-sided Die

Dice are used in games around the world to generate a random number. Traditionally the die is cubical; however there are multiple forms of non-cubicle die, such as, the 20-sided die. Ancient die were typically made from bones, wood, or rock. Today, die of all shapes are usually made from resin. The 20-sided die can…

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September 9, 2020

Williams Bay / Education / Object Histories / Walworth County / 1877-1900 / Yerkes Telescope / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Region 8 - South East

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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September 10, 2019

Sports & Games / 20-sided die / Lake Geneva / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Related Stories / Walworth County / 1965-1987 / Region 8 - South East

A Brief History of Dungeons and Dragons

In the late 1960s, Gary Gygax of Lake Geneva, WI fell in love with the board game Wargames. Wargames simulated actual battles from historic wars, but offered players the opportunity to carry out campaigns in new ways based on rolls of a…

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July 20, 2018

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

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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May 9, 2018

Williams Bay / Education / Related Stories / Walworth County / Yerkes Telescope / Nature & Environment / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / Science & Medicine / Region 8 - South East

Astronomy in the 1900s

In the 1800s, astronomers valued telescope magnification to investigate planets and stars. In the 1900s, astronomers started to ask questions about the structure of our galaxy, the Milky Way, which lead to greater emphasis on light-gathering power. By 1951, William Morgan at…

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May 9, 2018