Wisconsin 101

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…

Comments Off

June 29, 2020

Broad History / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Global Connections / Society & Religion / Norwegian Genealogical Plaque / Norwegians

Norwegian Women Immigrants

Norwegian women played a vital role in the agricultural and social lives of rural communities. Spurred by a cultural acceptance of work, women on the farm took on both domestic chores and contributed to the family’s economy through production of food and material goods.

Comments Off

July 1, 2019

Broad History / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Global Connections / Society & Religion / Norwegian Genealogical Plaque

Norwegian Communities in Wisconsin

When Norwegian immigrants like Kristian Magelssen came to Wisconsin in the 1860s, they found an incredibly active Norwegian Lutheran Church. Comprised of fourteen distinct synods often divided by theology, these institutions provided a foundational compass for constructing and maintaining a sense Norwegian…

Comments Off

July 1, 2019

Broad History / Pre-1787 / Lake Koshkonong / Industry / Ethnicity & Identity / 1787-1848 / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / A Duck Decoy / 1877-1900 / Jefferson County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / Nature & Environment / 1918-1945 / Region 7 - South Center

When Lake Koshkonong was a Marsh

Maintaining practices like an annual visit to Lake Koshkanong to hunt and harvest food is an important way for indigenous knowledge and culture to be passed-on to the next generation.

Comments Off

July 1, 2018

Wausau / Broad History / Industry / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / Related Stories / Everyday Life / Global Connections / Marathon County / Manufacturing & Trade / A Hudson's Bay Company Point Blanket Coat / Region 4 - Center / Fur Trade

What is a Point Blanket Coat?

The practice of converting Hudson’s Bay Company blankets into coats began years before the company began mass-manufacturing point blanket coats in the twentieth century. During the fur trade, Native Americans hunters traded beaver pelts for wool point blankets. Point blankets were waterproof…

Comments Off

February 1, 2018

Agriculture / Broad History / Industry / Door County / Related Stories / 1848-1877 / 1877-1900 / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / Nature & Environment / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / Transportation & Tourism / Region 5 - Center East / Cherryland T-Shirt

The Cherry Industry in Door County

While early European immigrants in Door County survived by subsistence farming, efforts in later years to grow cash crops proved challenging, due in large part to the area’s rocky landscape. Despite little success with traditional crops, Door County residents continued to look…

Comments Off

July 1, 2017