Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: The Harley-Davidson V-Twin Engine

When Edward Pennington unveiled the first prototype for what he deemed the “motorcycle” in 1895, inspiration struck the minds of two Milwaukee natives, William Harley and Arthur Davidson. Joined by Arthur’s brother, Walter, the three began tinkering with two-wheelers and eventually designed…

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June 18, 2022

Eau Claire / Broad History / Education / Related Stories / Eau Claire County / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / 1965-1987 / Region 3 - Center West / Council Oak Tree

UW–Eau Claire History

Today, The University of Wisconsin System consists of 11 four-year campuses that educate over 165,000 students. But this extensive institution grew from very modest beginnings. Most of the universities that formed the UW System began as one-building teacher’s colleges, and for the…

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October 5, 2021

Marathon / Industry / Related Stories / 1877-1900 / Marathon County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / Region 4 - Center / Marathon Brewing Company "Superfine" Beer Bottle

The Marathon Brewery’s Chain of Calamities

In the early 1880s, Franz Sindermann, who was trained as a brewer in Germany, formed a brewery in Marathon, Wisconsin with his brother, August, along with a third partner, Charles Klein. The brewery got off to a good start, producing 300 barrels…

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September 14, 2021

Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Home Furnishings / Related Stories / Iowa County / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / Nature & Environment / 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

La Crosse / Industry / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / Global Connections / 1877-1900 / 1900-1918 / La Crosse County / Manufacturing & Trade / 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

Home Furnishings / Health & Medicine / Sheboygan / Object Histories / Industry / Wisconsin Made / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / Manufacturing & Trade / Sheboygan County / Region 5 - Center East / The 1904 Kohler “Armeda” Toilet

OBJECT HISTORY: The 1904 Kohler “Armeda” Toilet

By the year 1904, when the “Armeda” toilet pictured here appeared in the Kohler Company’s product catalogue, Sheboygan-based Kohler had become one of the largest makers of bathroom furnishings in the United States. Even at this early date in its history, as…

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November 10, 2020