Wisconsin 101

Squirrel Tails Wanted? The Improved Mepps Lure

Driving through Antigo, visitors are often puzzled by a sign proclaiming “Squirrel Tails Wanted” advertised by Sheldons’ Inc., manufacturer of Mepps lures. Squirrel tail hair has unique properties ideal for lures. [1] Its addition to the Anglia has proven to be the…

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May 24, 2018

Langlade County / Antigo / Region 2 - North East / Related Stories / Mepps Fishing Lure / Manufacturing & Trade / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Nature & Environment / 1940-1960 / Global Connections

Mepps Lures: The Antigo Connection

A chance encounter of an American G.I. in France after World War II with a local fisherman led to the development of a major industry in Antigo, Wisconsin and put Antigo on the sports fishing map. Frank Velek discovered a fishing lure…

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May 24, 2018

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: La Crosse Normal School Fireplace

Children in the La Crosse Normal School model kindergarten sitting before the fireplace. Image courtesy of Leslie Crocker, "We've Hung the Lanturn," (2013) pg. 33.

La Crosse County / Region 3 - Center West / La Crosse / La Crosse Normal School Fireplace / Home Furnishings / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 1900-1920 / Object Histories / Education

OBJECT HISTORY: La Crosse Normal School Fireplace

UW- La Crosse was once a smaller school that went by a different name. The original school, La Crosse Normal, was originally a training school for prospective teachers. It opened on September 7, 1909. Parts of the Normal School can still be seen on the UW-La Crosse campus, though they can be difficult to spot.…

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April 9, 2018

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Graphophone

Image courtesy of WikiCommons

Art, Sport & Entertainment / 1880-1900 / Science & Medicine / Object Histories

OBJECT HISTORY: Graphophone

The graphophone was one of the first ways to record and play sound. And without this invention we would not have things like voicemail, iTunes, or Spotify.

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December 9, 2017

Grant County / Region 6 - South West / Sterling Safety Bicycle / Ellenboro / Manufacturing & Trade / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 1880-1900 / Object Histories / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: The Crab Tree Special

In the 1890s, mass-produced safety bicycles sparked a bicycle craze across Wisconsin. However, despite the lowered costs associated with mass production, not everyone could afford this new luxury. Walter Atkinson of Ellenboro, Wisconsin, was not going to let a $100 price tag deter him from experiencing the liberating power of bicycle transportation. Tapping into the…

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September 10, 2017

Kenosha County / Kenosha / Region 8 - South East / Sterling Safety Bicycle / Manufacturing & Trade / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 1880-1900 / Object Histories / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Sterling Safety Bicycle

What did a bicycle rider in 1890 look for in a new bike? Safety and comfort, of course, but also beautiful construction—many of the same qualities that contemporary bicycle riders also seek. Sterling Bicycle advertisement featuring Annie Oakley on the safety bicycle, 1890s. The bicycle pictured here was donated to the Wisconsin Historical Museum, where it…

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September 10, 2017