Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Frank Lloyd Wright Pew/Bench

For over a century, the First Unitarian Society of Madison has been a center for like-minded individuals to share ideas and connect. The Society’s Meeting House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and stands as a one of his most representative works,…

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August 16, 2021

Read more about the article The Fish Boil Tradition

Fish boil meal, courtesy of the White Gull Inn.

Food & Cooking / Door County / Related Stories / 1945-1965 / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism / Two-sided Spork

The Fish Boil Tradition

Familiar to many Wisconsinites, the Door County fish boil is more than just a cookout, it is a social experience. It begins when guests arrive early to sit outside around a crackling fire, where they enjoy a drink selected from the beverage…

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May 3, 2021

Industry / Wisconsin Made / West Bend / Food & Cooking / Object Histories / Everyday Life / Manufacturing & Trade / Washington County / 1945-1965 / Region 8 - South East / Penguin Server

OBJECT HISTORY: Penguin Server

A penguin-themed serving bowl dishes out stories about the aluminum industry, postwar consumer culture, and home entertainment in mid-twentieth century Wisconsin.

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September 10, 2020

Migrant Worker's Cabin

Agriculture / Oconto / Home Furnishings / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Everyday Life / Global Connections / Migrant Worker's Cabin / Manufacturing & Trade / Oconto County / Region 2 - North East / 1945-1965

OBJECT HISTORY: Migrant Worker’s Cabin

This cabin, once occupied by a family of migrant workers employed by the Bond Pickle Company, is located at the property of Thomas and Jamie Sobush of Pensaukee, Wisconsin. The cabin was originally one of many other small cabins, clustered together at the Bond Village Migrant Camp on Van Hecke Avenue in Oconto, Wisconsin. The…

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September 10, 2020

Sports & Games / Wisconsin Made / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Antigo / Langlade County / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Region 2 - North East / 1945-1965 / Mepps Fishing Lure

OBJECT HISTORY: Mepps Fishing Lure

The classic Mepps fishing lure the Aglia, was invented in France in the 1930s and patented in 1938. (Mepps is a French acronym for Manufacturier d’ Engins de Precision pour Peches Sportives, translated as “Manufacture of Precision Equipment for Sport Fishing”.) It was introduced to northern Wisconsin, and to the U.S., by a G.I. returning from France.…

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September 10, 2020

Agriculture / Industry / Ephraim / Object Histories / Door County / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / Everyday Life / 1945-1965 / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism / Cherryland T-Shirt

OBJECT HISTORY: Cherryland T-Shirt

In 1927, Marilyn Färdig’s grandparents, Andrew and Esther Färdig, purchased twenty acres of land in Ephraim, Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Image ID: 79142. Wisconsin, and started a cherry orchard. With the help of their seven children and workers from a variety of locations, including the southern United States, Mexico, and Jamaica, Andrew…

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September 9, 2020