Wisconsin 101

Manitowoc’s Maritime Identity

The city of Manitowoc has been deeply shaped by its maritime industry. Located directly on the shores of Lake Michigan, Manitowoc’s identity is intimately tied to the Great Lakes. Manitowoc utilized the access to Lake Michigan to build an economy fueled by…

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May 29, 2023

Maritime Industry / Industry / Manitowoc / Object Histories / Manitowoc County / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Politics & Government / 1900-1918 / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism / Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse

OBJECT HISTORY: Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse

Many of us can easily picture a lighthouse in our minds. You may think of a tall structure that’s right along a lake or ocean, illuminating the water and land it protects. Whatever comes to mind, lighthouses have an everlasting cultural presence…

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May 29, 2023

Maritime Industry / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / 1877-1900 / Politics & Government / Transportation & Tourism / Wind Point Lighthouse

Orlando Metcalf Poe and Wisconsin’s Waterways

Orlando Metcalf Poe was an engineer who shaped the landscape of Wisconsin’s harbors and waterways, playing a crucial role in the development of Wisconsin’s commerce. Through his lighthouse designs and his design of major systems of ship locks and canals on the…

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May 10, 2023

Industry / Maritime Industry / Racine / Object Histories / Racine County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1877-1900 / Nature & Environment / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Wind Point Lighthouse

OBJECT HISTORY: Wind Point Lighthouse

Wind Point Lighthouse is located in the Village of Wind Point, which sits just north of the Racine harbor on Lake Michigan. The lighthouse was constructed in 1880 and stands 108 feet high. In 1870 the U.S. Lighthouse Board, a federal agency…

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May 10, 2023

Health & Medicine / Waukesha / Related Stories / Waukesha County / 1877-1900 / Nature & Environment / 1900-1918 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

The Saratoga of the West: Resort Culture in the Waukesha Springs Era

Bethesda Spring Park, ca. 1900. The springhouse stands on the right. The spring runs into the pond, which reflects the words “1868-Bethesda.” The Terrace Hotel can be seen in the left background. People sit on the lawn and stand around the springhouse.…

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February 20, 2023

Food & Cooking / Waukesha / Related Stories / Everyday Life / Manufacturing & Trade / Waukesha County / 1877-1900 / Nature & Environment / 1900-1918 / Science & Medicine / Region 8 - South East / Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

Nature’s Purest Drink: The Henk Mineral Spring Company

As a center of the mineral spring water industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Waukesha, Wisconsin, saw the rise of over 200 spring water companies during the period known as the Waukesha Springs Era. With over fifty mineral springs…

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February 19, 2023