Wisconsin 101

Object Histories / La Farge / Industry / A Dam Tower in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve / Vernon County / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Politics & Government / 1965-1987 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 6 - South West

OBJECT HISTORY: A Dam Tower in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve

This concrete obelisk stands near the Kickapoo River and is located a mile north of the village of La Farge. It rises nearly a hundred feet above the river valley floor. The tower was constructed more than forty years ago as part…

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September 9, 2020

Industry / Sheboygan / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Global Connections / 1877-1900 / 1900-1918 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / Sheboygan County / Society & Religion / Region 5 - Center East / Synagogue Window

The Growth of Sheboygan’s Jewish Community

Although Sheboygan and Milwaukee are only 55 minutes apart by car today, the two cities on the west coast of Lake Michigan remained largely separate in 1900 when they both competed to become the industrial capital of Wisconsin. Through the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the industrialization process in both cities was shaped by an increase in Jewish immigration to the region.

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July 7, 2020

Arpin / Agriculture / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / 1900-1918 / Society & Religion / Wood County / Region 4 - Center / Synagogue Window

The Arpin Settlement of Jewish Farmers

Today the largest Jewish communities in Wisconsin exist in the cities with the highest populations. This, however, was not always the case. Around 1900, there were many new and budding Jewish communities across the state in places like Sheboygan, La Crosse, and Eau Claire. There were also smaller, rural communities emerging like the Arpin Settlement in Wood County.

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July 7, 2020

Agriculture / Object Histories / Whitewater / Wisconsin Made / 1848-1877 / Jefferson County / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 7 - South Center / Esterly Broadcast Seeder

OBJECT HISTORY: Esterly Broadcast Seeder

George Esterly, a southern Wisconsin farmer and inventor, helped revolutionize farming practices across the nation with the creation of the Broadcast Seeder.

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June 29, 2020

Agriculture / Broad History / Industry / Education / Related Stories / Whitewater / 1787-1848 / 1848-1877 / Jefferson County / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 7 - South Center / Esterly Broadcast Seeder

Industry and Manufacturing in the Whitewater Area

Since the earliest settlers arrived in the Whitewater area in the 1830s, industry and manufacturing have played important roles in the establishment and continued growth of the area.One of the earliest industries in Whitewater was grain milling, performed at the Old Stone…

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June 29, 2020

Agriculture / Object Histories / Madison / Dane County / Education / Curators' Favorites / Manufacturing & Trade / 1918-1945 / Society & Religion / Region 7 - South Center

OBJECT HISTORY: Jar of Marbles

Today, the Wisconsin State Fair is full of attractions, rides, and great food, but in its early years, it was a place for farmers to gather and share ideas about the agricultural industry. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that the state…

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April 6, 2020