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

Racine / Object Histories / Racine County / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Science & Medicine / 1960-1980 / Transportation & Tourism / 1980-2000 / 2000-2020 / 2020-2040 / Region 8 - South East / Wind Point Lighthouse

OBJECT HISTORY: Wind Point Lighthouse

Photo of Wind Point Lighthouse. Image courtesy of Cheryl Kaufenberg (June, 2016). 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…

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May 10, 2023

Waukesha / Food & Cooking / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Waukesha County / Nature & Environment / 1880-1900 / Science & Medicine / 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

Waukesha / Food & Cooking / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Waukesha County / Nature & Environment / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 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 / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / Waukesha County / Nature & Environment / Science & Medicine / 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

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

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