Wisconsin 101

Wisconsin’s Migrant Housing Laws

Before World War II, most of the migrant workers in Wisconsin’s pickle fields were single young men, and pickle companies provided housing for workers in large dormitories. After World War II, however, farmers began to hire more families to harvest pickles in…

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September 1, 2017

Read more about the article Migrant Labor and Door County Cherries

Oliver, Sheldon, and Glen Fardig help in the Fardig Orchard in Ephraim, WI, c. 1930. Photograph courtesy of the Ephraim Historical Foundation.

Industry / Agriculture / Food & Cooking / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Door County / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Politics & Government / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 5 - Center East / Cherryland T-Shirt

Migrant Labor and Door County Cherries

Early Door County cherry orchards relied heavily on local workers, and all members of the family that owned a cherry orchard were expected to contribute. From the planting process, spraying of fungicides, pruning, and finally cherry picking, each cherry tree required a…

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July 1, 2017

Read more about the article The Cherry Industry in Door County

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Image ID: 48771.

Broad History / Industry / Agriculture / Door County / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1877-1900 / Nature & Environment / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism / Cherryland T-Shirt

The Cherry Industry in Door County

While early European immigrants in Door County survived by subsistence farming, efforts in later years to grow cash crops proved challenging, due in large part to the area’s rocky landscape. Despite little success with traditional crops, Door County residents continued to look…

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July 1, 2017

Agriculture / Industry / Related Stories / Door County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 5 - Center East / Cherryland T-Shirt

Cherryland Tourism

The beginnings of Door County tourism preceded the cherry industry boom by several decades. The natural beauty and cool temperatures made the area an attractive destination for urbanites in search of a respite from the summer heat. As transportation improved, visitors from…

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July 1, 2017

Read more about the article The Great Depression in Langlade County

Farm Security Administration (FSA) county supervisor reviewing a farm plan with a Wisconsin farmer and his family. Photograph by John Vachon, September 1939, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Image ID 25048.

Agriculture / Related Stories / Langlade County / Nature & Environment / Region 2 - North East / Politics & Government / 1918-1945 / CCC Pillow Sham / Society & Religion

The Great Depression in Langlade County

While local governments across the United States struggled to deal with the sharp economic downturn in the first years of the 1930s, Langlade County initially found itself in an enviable position at the onset of the Great Depression.The county, with a total…

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October 1, 2015

Read more about the article How Does a Babcock Tester Work?

Grade-school children using a Babcock butter fat testing device, Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, c. 1915. Courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Archives.

Agriculture / Dairy Industry / Industry / Madison / Education / Dane County / Related Stories / Curators' Favorites / Manufacturing & Trade / 1877-1900 / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Babcock Butterfat Tester

How Does a Babcock Tester Work?

Simplicity, Simplicity, SimplicityIn 1890, few farmers had ever taken a science class, and even if they understood the potential benefit, most lacked the cash to pay an expert for laboratory testing. Babcock’s great accomplishment was to develop a powerful, reliable test that was simple…

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December 1, 2013