Wisconsin 101

The Wisconsin Milk Strikes of 1933

As the effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression rippled through the United States, many working-class Americans felt the economic impacts, including Wisconsin’s farmers. Midwestern farmers were already suffering even before the Depression, and since Wisconsin served as…

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June 27, 2023

Dairy Industry / Industry / New Glarus / Food & Cooking / Related Stories / Green County / 1848-1877 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1877-1900 / 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

Industry / Dairy Industry / New Glarus / Food & Cooking / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Green County / Everyday Life / Global Connections / 1848-1877 / 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

Horlick’s Malted Milk

Dairy Industry / Wisconsin Made / Industry / Racine / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / Everyday Life / Racine County / 1848-1877 / Manufacturing & Trade / Science & Medicine / Region 8 - South East / Horlick's Malted Milk

OBJECT HISTORY: Horlick’s Malted Milk

Invented in 1873 by British food manufacturer William Horlick, malted milk is made from wheat and malted barley extract mixed with reduced, dry whole milk.

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September 9, 2020

Industry / Wisconsin Made / Dairy Industry / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / Dane County / Madison / Everyday Life / Manufacturing & Trade / 1945-1965 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 7 - South Center / Babcock Butterfat Tester

OBJECT HISTORY: Babcock Ice Cream Carton

Ice cream has been a delicacy for hundreds of years, but in the last century, Wisconsin has come to be considered home to some of the world’s best ice cream. Babcock Hall, established in 1951, has contributed to this reputation, establishing ice cream as a symbol both of Wisconsin’s dairy farming past and its appeal…

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September 9, 2020

Agriculture / Industry / Dairy Industry / Madison / Dane County / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 1877-1900 / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Babcock Butterfat Tester

OBJECT HISTORY: Babcock Butterfat Tester

The Babcock butterfat test, developed at the University of Wisconsin, provided a simple, accurate, and inexpensive way to assess milk quality and to pay farmers accordingly. By improving standards and rewarding the best milk producers, the Babcock butterfat test transformed the dairy industry in the United States and set Wisconsin firmly on the path to…

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September 9, 2020