Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Hodag Decanter

A fearsome sight to behold, the horrible Hodag is rumored to stalk the Northwoods of Wisconsin. First “spotted” in the lumber town of Rhinelander in the late 1800s, the hoax of the Hodag took on a life of its own and made…

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May 15, 2023

Dairy Industry / New Glarus / Industry / Food & Cooking / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Green County / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / Region 7 - South Center / Swiss Cheese Kettle

Early Cheese Factories in New Glarus

Green County has long been known for its cheese factories, particularly ones making Swiss cheese. However, when the first Swiss immigrants arrived it wasn’t at all clear that they would go into cheesemaking at all. New Glarus’s rise to prominence as a…

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April 17, 2023

Dairy Industry / New Glarus / Industry / Food & Cooking / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Everyday Life / Green County / 1848-1877 / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 7 - South Center / Swiss Cheese Kettle

OBJECT HISTORY: Swiss Cheese Kettle

This cheese kettle, now held at the Swiss Historical Village in New Glarus, reflects Green County’s cheesemaking past. Made out of copper because of its ability to retain heat well and to be heated easily on an open fire, this cheese kettle…

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April 17, 2023

Waukesha / Food & Cooking / Related Stories / Everyday Life / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / Waukesha County / Nature & Environment / Science & Medicine / Region 8 - South East / Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

Nature’s Purest Drink: The Henk Mineral Spring Company

As a center of the mineral spring water industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Waukesha, Wisconsin, saw the rise of over 200 spring water companies during the period known as the Waukesha Springs Era. With over fifty mineral springs…

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February 19, 2023

Object Histories / Waukesha / Food & Cooking / Everyday Life / 1877-1900 / Nature & Environment / Waukesha County / Science & Medicine / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

OBJECT HISTORY: Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

Once a small prairie town, Waukesha, Wisconsin became known as Spring City during the late 19th century with the discovery and promotion of healing springs throughout the county. Through marketing and advertisement, Waukesha’s mineral spring water gained a reputation for its purity…

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February 19, 2023

Object Histories / Industry / Food & Cooking / Marathon / Everyday Life / Marathon County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1945-1965 / Region 4 - Center / Marathon Brewing Company "Superfine" Beer Bottle

OBJECT HISTORY: Marathon Brewing Company “Superfine” Beer bottle

The "Superfine" beer bottle is from the 1940/1950s from the Marathon City Brewing Company. Superfine was one of the many labels produced by Marathon City Brewery over eight decades from 1881 to 1966, featuring names such as Tannenbaum, Marathon Holiday, Marathon Bock,…

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August 31, 2021