Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Pauline Pottery Covered Jar

Between 1888 and 1909 the city of Edgerton, Wisconsin was home to six different companies producing nationally recognized ceramic art. The art potteries of Edgerton were part of a late nineteenth and early twentieth century trend known as the American Art Pottery movement. This covered jar, made at Pauline Pottery, represents one example of this broad movement in American ceramics.

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September 10, 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 / Object Histories / Beloit / Wisconsin Made / Rock County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1918-1945 / Region 7 - South Center / Clair Mathews' Feed Grinder

OBJECT HISTORY: Clair Mathews’s Feed Grinder

Recognizing the need to grind feed for his dairy cows, but unable to afford a mill, Clair Mathews designed his own version of a feed grinder. That grinder would inadvertently create the snack that would come to be known as Korn Kurls.

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September 23, 2019

Food & Cooking / Object Histories / Wisconsin Made / Random Lake / Everyday Life / Manufacturing & Trade / Sheboygan County / 1965-1987 / Region 5 - Center East / Jolly Good Soda

OBJECT HISTORY: Jolly Good Soda

What would a Southeastern Wisconsinite grab on a hot summer day in the 1970s and 80s? Jolly Good soda of course! Though you can’t find it on store shelves today, Jolly Good soda was once one of the most popular beverages in the region. This cola flavored can of Jolly Good soda features patriotic colors…

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March 1, 2019

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Grant County / Ellenboro / Industry / Wisconsin Made / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / Transportation & Tourism / Region 6 - South West / Sterling Safety Bicycle

OBJECT HISTORY: The Crab Tree Special

In the 1890s, mass-produced safety bicycles sparked a bicycle craze across Wisconsin. However, despite the lowered costs associated with mass production, not everyone could afford this new luxury. Walter Atkinson of Ellenboro, Wisconsin, was not going to let a $100 price tag deter him from experiencing the liberating power of bicycle transportation. Tapping into the…

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February 10, 2019

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

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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October 15, 2018