Wisconsin 101

Platteville’s Mining History

The Platteville lead boom spanned from 1827 to 1849, bringing diverse groups of people and the mining industry to what would later become southwest Wisconsin. In 1827, galena (lead ore) was discovered in Platteville by frontiersmen exploring the Northwest Territory, which included…

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December 21, 2022

Eau Claire / Broad History / Education / Related Stories / Eau Claire County / Nature & Environment / Region 3 - Center West / Council Oak Tree

UW-Eau Claire & The Council Oak Tree

Oak Trees have been regarded for centuries as a symbol of strength, moral, and knowledge, and throughout history have been represented in different mythologies to show these attributes. And for the original Council Oak Tree, grown in Eau Claire, it also held…

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October 5, 2021

Home Furnishings / Eau Claire / Education / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Everyday Life / Eau Claire County / Nature & Environment / Region 3 - Center West / 1987-2011 / Council Oak Tree

OBJECT HISTORY: Council Oak Tree Bench

Dating from the early 1800’s, the Council Oak Tree, planted in Eau Claire stood for over 150 years with little to no disturbance. However, on July 10, 1966, a summer storm blew through the city and lightning struck the tree, leaving a…

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October 1, 2021

Home Furnishings / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Art & Design / Related Stories / Iowa County / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / Nature & Environment / 1918-1945 / Region 6 - South West / Frank Lloyd Wright Pew/Bench

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic Architecture

Born in 1867 in Richland City, WI, Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly 150 buildings in Wisconsin alone, as well as numerous homes and churches across the United States. Wright’s philosophy of matching an architectural structure to its natural environment, along with his…

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August 19, 2021

Grafton / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Music, Theatre & Cinema / Object Histories / Ozaukee County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1918-1945 / Nature & Environment / Region 8 - South East / Paramount Records 78

OBJECT HISTORY: Paramount Records Power Wheel

Located near the heart of Grafton, WI, a rusted power wheel sits on the steep west bank of the Milwaukee River. Despite its corroded appearance, this metal device once powered an entire factory responsible for pressing popular shellac records.The history of this…

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December 29, 2020

Education / Pre-1787 / La Farge / Ethnicity & Identity / A Dam Tower in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve / Related Stories / Vernon County / Nature & Environment / Region 6 - South West

Wisconsin’s Ancient History in the Kickapoo Valley

If you look closely, the landscapes around us tell stories about the past. Sometimes in the curve of a road, a line of trees, or stretch of prairie careful observers can find evidence of the people and animals that used to call…

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September 24, 2020