Wisconsin 101

An official WPA poster. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons.

The Works Projects Administration – An Answer to the Great Depression

In 1929, the United States fell into the deepest economic hole the country has known: the Great Depression. Over the three years following the economy’s collapse in 1929, 3,392 banks across the country closed their doors and over $1 billion in deposits…

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September 8, 2020

Sheboygan / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / Sheboygan County / 1900-1920 / Religion / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Region 5 - Center East / Synagogue Window

The Growth of Sheboygan’s Jewish Community

Although Sheboygan and Milwaukee are only 55 minutes apart by car today, the two cities on the west coast of Lake Michigan remained largely separate in 1900 when they both competed to become the industrial capital of Wisconsin. Through the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the industrialization process in both cities was shaped by an increase in Jewish immigration to the region.

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July 7, 2020

Food & Cooking / Education / Whitewater / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / 1820-1840 / Jefferson County / 1840-1860 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / 2000-2020 / Region 7 - South Center / 2020-2040 / Esterly Broadcast Seeder

Industry and Manufacturing in the Whitewater Area

Since the earliest settlers arrived in the Whitewater area in the 1830s, industry and manufacturing have played important roles in the establishment and continued growth of the area.One of the earliest industries in Whitewater was grain milling, performed at the Old Stone…

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June 29, 2020

Racine / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / Curators' Favorites / Racine County / 1940-1960 / Region 8 - South East / Racine Belles Movie Costume

“Ringing the Community Belles” – Racine’s Professional Baseball Team

As the United States entered World War II in 1941, the war’s impact on American culture was felt far and wide. Aside from the obvious strains on economic and industrial production, American recreation was temporarily put on hold. This included much of…

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June 24, 2020

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Curators' Favorites / Global Connections / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Polka Rhythms Bandstand

Polka’s Popularity in the United States

After World War II, polka made its first mainstream American appearance thanks to Cleveland, Ohio’s celebrated “Polka King,” Slovenian-American Frankie Yankovic. The genre remains popular today, especially with the older crowd in the Midwest.

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May 17, 2020

The Rise and Fall of Shoe Fitting Fluoroscopes

Shoe-fitting fluoroscopes were invented almost simultaneously in the United States and England. Milwaukee quickly became a center of the new technology.

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May 11, 2020