Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Sholes & Glidden Typewriter

Sholes & Glidden typewriter developed by Christopher Latham Sholes of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and marketed c. 1874. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, ID 1964.31.

OBJECT HISTORY: Sholes & Glidden Typewriter

Christopher Latham Sholes (1819-1890) had a number of interests, one of which was spending time at Kleinsteuber’s Machine Shop in Milwaukee. While there, he met other tinkerers including Samuel Soule who was a printer by trade and Carlos Glidden who was a…

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September 22, 2021

Read more about the article The Heileman Family: A German Immigration Story

John Gund Brewing Company postcard, c. 1911, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Image 35952.

Industry / La Crosse / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / 1848-1877 / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / La Crosse County / 1877-1900 / 1900-1918 / Region 3 - Center West / King Gambrinus Statues of LaCrosse

The Heileman Family: A German Immigration Story

The G. Heileman Brewing Company is often remembered by historians as the vision of the two ambitious men who founded the brewery in La Crosse, Wisconsin. At the height of its popularity in 1983, Heileman’s was the fourth largest brewery in the…

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August 17, 2021

Art & Design / Norwegians / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Home Furnishings / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Everyday Life / 1848-1877 / Global Connections / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Norwegian Trunk

In the 1800s, European immigrants coming to America had to find a way to preserve the objects indispensable to their lives, bringing their most precious belongings on an ocean voyage to a far-away new home. Most families were only able to bring…

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October 6, 2020

Wade House Museum / Greenbush / Object Histories / 1848-1877 / Sheboygan County / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Plank Roads

Before the 1850s, Wisconsin did not have roads, at least not ones you would recognize. As more people moved to Wisconsin, settlers cut thick prairies and forests into roads, but these were just dirt paths that were often quite muddy. As a solution, Wisconsinites decided to build plank roads which had a lot of advantages over the dirt ones.

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September 10, 2020

Military History / Object Histories / Dane County / Madison / 1848-1877 / Politics & Government / Region 7 - South Center / Old Abe, the Live War Eagle

OBJECT HISTORY: Old Abe, the Live War Eagle

A bald eagle stands guard over the State Assembly Chamber in Wisconsin’s Capitol building. Between two and three feet tall, the raptor has the characteristic white head and tail feathers, a brown body, and a yellow beak and talons. He sits atop a tree stump in front of a large mural called Wisconsin that represents the state’s…

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September 10, 2020

Maritime Industry / Milwaukee / Object Histories / Milwaukee County / 1848-1877 / Nature & Environment / Society & Religion / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East / Lifesaving Medal

OBJECT HISTORY: Lifesaving Medal

All along Wisconsin’s 820 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, storms could mean the difference between profit and financial ruin, survival and terrifying death. This lifesaving medal reminds us of the risks that sailors and Wisconsin’s maritime communities have routinely faced since the early 19th century, and it documents the personal bravery, dedication, and ingenuity of those who would rescue their fellows…

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September 9, 2020