Wisconsin 101

Great Lakes Shipping and the SS Meteor

The SS Meteor sailed the lakes longer than most ships of her day, and in her many reincarnations she offers a portrait of how some of the industries on the Great Lakes changed – and what those changes meant for Wisconsin. Launched in 1896,…

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October 1, 2017

Superior / Maritime Industry / Industry / Related Stories / Douglas County / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 1 - North West / Transportation & Tourism / The SS Meteor

The American Steel Barge Company

Duluth, MN and Superior, WI face each other across the Saint Louis Bay. In the mid-nineteenth century, as grain harvests of the northern plains expanded, logging grew, and as iron and copper mining developed in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, shipping…

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October 1, 2017

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: <i>The SS Meteor</i>

Superior / Industry / Object Histories / Maritime Industry / 1877-1900 / Douglas County / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 1 - North West / Transportation & Tourism / The SS Meteor

OBJECT HISTORY: The SS Meteor

The SS Meteor was launched as the SS Frank Rockefeller in Superior, Wisconsin by the American Steel Barge Company in 1896. The last remaining of only 44 “whaleback” ships ever built, she was designed by a Scottish immigrant named Alexander McDougall. She is 380 feet long, 45 feet wide and 26 feet deep. You may notice that the SS Meteor looks somewhat different…

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October 1, 2017

Oconto / Agriculture / Industry / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / 1918-1945 / Oconto County / 1945-1965 / Region 2 - North East / 1965-1987 / Migrant Worker's Cabin

Migrant Workers and the Bond Pickle Company

The Bond Pickle Company of Oconto, Wisconsin was founded in 1915 by five brothers. The Bond brothers quickly developed the firm, by 1917 acquiring 10 “salting stations” where the cucumbers were received from local farmers and a processing factory on West Main Street in…

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September 1, 2017

Agriculture / Object Histories / Ephraim / Industry / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / Door County / Everyday Life / 1945-1965 / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism / Cherryland T-Shirt

OBJECT HISTORY: Cherryland T-Shirt

In 1927, Marilyn Färdig’s grandparents, Andrew and Esther Färdig, purchased twenty acres of land in Ephraim, Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Image ID: 79142. Wisconsin, and started a cherry orchard. With the help of their seven children and workers from a variety of locations, including the southern United States, Mexico, and Jamaica, Andrew…

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July 1, 2017

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