Wisconsin 101

Tanning in Taylor County

Tanning in Taylor County In early 1890, members of a wealthy Boston-based family, the Shaws, visited Wisconsin to find new sources for the tannic acid needed to produced leather for horse harnesses and boots. The Shaw Family operated tanneries in Maine, Massachusetts,…

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April 1, 2019

Medford / Object Histories / Industry / Lumber Industry / 1877-1900 / 1900-1918 / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Region 1 - North West / Bark Spud / Taylor County

OBJECT HISTORY: Bark Spud

The bark spud is an iron tool used to remove bark from cut timber. Most bark spuds have a steel head with a hard wooden handle. The head is rounded or dish-shaped and has one cutting edge. The sharp wedge on the end of the bark spud slides between bark and wood on a log…

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April 1, 2019

Object Histories / Education / 1900-1918 / Waukesha County / Region 8 - South East / Old World Wisconsin

OBJECT HISTORY: Slate

Before chromebooks, iPads, and even lined paper, students still had to complete their assignments. In the past, students did most their schoolwork on a slate. A slate is a small, rectangular blackboard made from slate stone. They had two sides and the edges were wrapped in leather or wood to protect students’ hands. In the…

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November 1, 2018

Home Furnishings / Object Histories / Industry / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / Manufacturing & Trade / Science & Medicine

OBJECT HISTORY: Vacuum

People in the early 20th century witnessed the invention of all kinds of household tools we take for granted today, such as the vacuum cleaner, laundry machine, and refrigerator. This is a manual vacuum cleaner from 1911 at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. This small upright vacuum was designed to be operated by hand and easy…

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October 15, 2018

Industry / Object Histories / Lumber Industry / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / Nature & Environment

OBJECT HISTORY: Log-Marking Hammer

Between the 1840s and the 1890s, logs meant money. Wisconsin had a large supply of trees. Lumber mills made money by cutting down trees. Logging was one of the largest industries in Wisconsin. There were more than 450 lumber camps across Wisconsin. If we study this log-marking hammer and think about the people that used…

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October 15, 2018

Agriculture / Dairy Industry / New Glarus / Industry / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Green County / 1848-1877 / 1877-1900 / Global Connections / 1900-1918 / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 7 - South Center / The Hefty-Blum White Barn

The Swiss Roots of America’s “Dairyland”

When the wheat crop failures of the late nineteenth century jeopardized the incomes of many of Wisconsin’s immigrant farmers, the region’s Swiss population transitioned to a trade that they knew from the Old World: dairying and cheesemaking. To do this, Swiss farmers…

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September 10, 2018