Wisconsin 101

Curling’s Growth in Wisconsin

When the Scottish migrated to the United States in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they brought more with them then just bagpipes; they brought the growth of curling, a winter sport in which the players slide heavy granite blocks across icy terrain…

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June 20, 2024

Fish Boil Kettle / Door County / Related Stories / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / Nature & Environment / Region 5 - Center East

Early Fishing in Northern Door County: Before the Turn of the 20th Century

The impact of the fishing industry on Door County cannot be understated, as it held the keys for the original formation of the County and many of its cities and villages. Although commercial fishing has waned, the tradition persists in area as…

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April 10, 2024

Fish Boil Kettle / Door County / Related Stories / 1860-1880 / Nature & Environment / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism / 1980-2000

Tourism in Droves: Door County as a Tourist Destination

In the present day, the Door County tourism industry brings in over $500 million in total economic impact every year, with the summer as peak season. Rising from humble beginnings, and getting some help along the way from innovation, mainly the rise…

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April 10, 2024

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Madison / Dane County / Related Stories / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / Politics, Society & Government / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / 2000-2020 / Region 7 - South Center / 2020-2040 / Box of Chlorinium

From Fairs to Football Games: A History of Camp Randall

University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium has been through many transformations yet has remained a pillar of statewide community. First put to public use as fairground enjoyed by residents across the state of Wisconsin, the site housed the state’s largest soldier training…

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September 26, 2023

Dane County / Related Stories / 1860-1880 / Politics, Society & Government / Region 7 - South Center / Box of Chlorinium

Camp Randall Prison Camp

Madison residents crowded outside the local railroad station in April of 1962 and awaited the arrival of Confederate prisoners to be held at Camp Randall. Surprisingly, the Northerners met the newcomers, many among which were riddled with disease, with sympathy and curiosity…

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September 26, 2023

New Object Histories / Madison / Object Histories / Dane County / 1860-1880 / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Box of Chlorinium

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