Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Box of Chlorinium

Madison’s beloved Camp Randall Stadium holds a rich history many football fans are unaware of as they pass under the iconic Memorial Arch entrance. A box of chlorinium, tucked away in the Wisconsin Historical Society archives, opens the window to Civil War-era…

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September 26, 2023

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 / 1877-1900 / Waukesha County / 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

Waukesha / Food & Cooking / Object Histories / Everyday Life / Waukesha County / Nature & Environment / 1877-1900 / Science & Medicine / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

OBJECT HISTORY: Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle

Henk Mineral Spring Water Bottle. Courtesy of Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum Collection ID: 2009.011.181. Once a small prairie town, Waukesha, Wisconsin became known as Spring City during the late 19th century with the discovery and promotion of healing springs throughout…

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February 19, 2023

Read more about the article An Iron Kinship: Abraham Darby and William Aylward Sr.

Raw coke for iron ore smelting. Made by heating coal in the absence of air. Photo courtesy of Stahlkocher.

Industry / Neenah / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1877-1900 / Winnebago County / Science & Medicine / Region 5 - Center East / Neenah Foundry Manhole Cover

An Iron Kinship: Abraham Darby and William Aylward Sr.

In 1872, William Aylward Sr. combined air, coal, and iron ore to produce his first plowshares and other agricultural implements.[1] The founder of what would become the Neenah Foundry followed a process developed by an English man named Abraham Darby more than…

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September 29, 2021

Read more about the article The Hearthstone House and Electricity to Wisconsin

Front view of historic house in the summertime c. 1974. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, ID# 28719.

Home Furnishings / Appleton / Hearthstone House Chandelier / Related Stories / Everyday Life / Outagamie County / 1877-1900 / Science & Medicine / Region 5 - Center East

The Hearthstone House and Electricity to Wisconsin

Built in 1882, the Hearthstone House operated using the first system of central electricity designed by Thomas Edison and it was the first private residence in the nation powered through hydroelectricity. The house was originally known as the Henry J. Rogers House,…

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June 7, 2021