Wisconsin 101

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

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…

0 Comments

August 19, 2021

Art & Design / Industry / Art, Sport & Entertainment / La Crosse / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / La Crosse County / 1918-1945 / Region 3 - Center West / 1965-1987 / King Gambrinus Statues of LaCrosse

OBJECT HISTORY: King Gambrinus Statues of La Crosse

The King Gambrinus statue located in La Crosse, Wisconsin depicts the king of beer and brewing.[1] The origins of the statue, specifically its sculptor and construction date, are unknown. Weighing in at approximately 2,000 pounds, this concrete statue is 15 feet tall.…

0 Comments

August 17, 2021

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

Industry / Agriculture / La Crosse / Object Histories / La Crosse County / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 3 - Center West / 1965-1987 / 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,…

0 Comments

August 17, 2021

Courtesy of the White Gull Inn

Fish Creek / Food & Cooking / Object Histories / Door County / Region 5 - Center East / Transportation & Tourism / 1965-1987 / Two-sided Spork

OBJECT HISTORY: Two-sided Spork

The Door County fish boil is a culinary tradition local to the peninsula that spawned the invention of the two-sided spork. This unique cooking utensil made its first appearance at the White Gull Inn in the 1960s. The White Gull Inn’s history…

0 Comments

May 3, 2021

Sports & Games / Wisconsin Made / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Antigo / Langlade County / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Region 2 - North East / 1945-1965 / 1965-1987 / 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.…

1 Comment

September 10, 2020

Sports & Games / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 20-sided die / Lake Geneva / Object Histories / Walworth County / 1965-1987 / Region 8 - South East

OBJECT HISTORY: A Twenty-sided Die

Dice are used in games around the world to generate a random number. Traditionally the die is cubical; however there are multiple forms of non-cubicle die, such as, the 20-sided die. Ancient die were typically made from bones, wood, or rock. Today, die of all shapes are usually made from resin. The 20-sided die can…

0 Comments

September 9, 2020