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…

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June 29, 2020

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

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.

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August 7, 2019

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

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…

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August 7, 2019

An Ojibwe man and woman harvesting wild rice in 1966 near Ashland, WI. Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 133699.

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

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September 30, 2018

In 1818 Anna Maria von Phul painted this picture of a Native American woman wearing a white wool trade blanket. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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

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…

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June 7, 2018

Industry / Military History / Broad History / Langlade County / Wolf River / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / Politics & Government / Region 2 - North East / Transportation & Tourism / Mepps Fishing Lure

The Wolf River

Todd Sheldon first discovered the virtues of the Mepps Aglia spinner and later realized improvements afforded by a tuft of squirrel tail while fishing at one of his favorite spots: the Wolf River. Today the Wolf continues to be a destination for sports…

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May 24, 2018