Wisconsin 101

Harley Davidson and Milwaukee

It’s no secret that Harley-Davidson’s history is deeply rooted in Milwaukee. From dealerships to museums, the motorcycle giant serves as a cultural landmark and has become synonymous with the sprawling city. Thus, one may be surprised to learn of its humble beginnings.…

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June 18, 2022

Eau Claire / Education / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / 1800-1820 / Eau Claire County / 1820-1840 / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / Nature & Environment / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / Region 3 - Center West / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / Council Oak Tree

UW-Eau Claire & The Council Oak Tree

Oak Trees have been regarded for centuries as a symbol of strength, moral, and knowledge, and throughout history have been represented in different mythologies to show these attributes. And for the original Council Oak Tree, grown in Eau Claire, it also held…

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October 5, 2021

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: The Land of the Freed-up Woman

Marge Engelman, "The Land of the Freed-up Woman," 1971. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, object 2000.79.1

Brown County / Green Bay / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Politics, Society & Government / 1960-1980 / Region 5 - Center East / The Land of the Freed-up Woman

OBJECT HISTORY: The Land of the Freed-up Woman

Marge Engelman’s The Land of the Freed-Up Woman embodies the progressive thinking of the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970s. Engelman’s decision to use two symbols of womanhood—birth control pills and bras—as the medium for her artwork transformed the recognizable flag into a message…

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August 19, 2021

Read more about the article Wisconsin’s Feminist Leaders and the National Organization for Women

A group of women are standing outdoors holding signs. One sign reads: "Fights Discrimination." Other signs read: "Kenosha Wis. NOW" and "ERA Wisconsin Women Say YES," c. 1973-1987. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Image 147430

Dane County / Madison / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / Politics, Society & Government / 1960-1980 / Region 7 - South Center / The Land of the Freed-up Woman

Wisconsin’s Feminist Leaders and the National Organization for Women

In the early nineteen sixties, American women organized in pursuit of socio-political change and gender equality. In Wisconsin, women challenged inequitable policies and societal norms by organizing the Wisconsin Commission on the Status for Women and participating in the National Organization for Women…

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August 19, 2021

Read more about the article The Heileman Family: A German Immigration Story

John Gund Brewing Company postcard, c. 1911, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Image 35952.

La Crosse / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Global Connections / 1840-1860 / Manufacturing & Trade / La Crosse County / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / Region 3 - Center West / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / 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

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: World’s Largest Six-Pack

Photo depicting original Old Style behind updated LaCrosse Brewing label, August 7, 2021, Courtesy of Cortney Anderson Kramer.

La Crosse / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / La Crosse County / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 3 - Center West / 1960-1980 / King Gambrinus Statues of LaCrosse

OBJECT HISTORY: World’s Largest Six-Pack

Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the “World’s Largest Six-Pack” is a popular tourist attraction and landmark structure representative of the city’s renowned brewing history. At 54 feet tall, the six steel storage tanks, shaped and arranged to resemble a six-pack of beer,…

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August 17, 2021