Wisconsin 101

Wisconsin’s Ancient History in the Kickapoo Valley

If you look closely, the landscapes around us tell stories about the past. Sometimes in the curve of a road, a line of trees, or stretch of prairie careful observers can find evidence of the people and animals that used to call…

0 Comments

September 24, 2020

Jefferson County / 2000-2020 / 2020-2040 / Region 7 - South Center / Whitewater / Esterly Broadcast Seeder / Related Stories / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 1820-1840 / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / Education / 1940-1960 / Ethnicity & Identity / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000

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…

0 Comments

June 29, 2020

Region 8 - South East / Waukesha County / Home Furnishings / 1880-1900 / Object Histories / Education

OBJECT HISTORY: Slate

Before chromebooks, iPads, and even lined paper, students still had to complete their assignments. In the past, students did most their schoolwork on a slate. A slate is a small, rectangular blackboard made from slate stone. They had two sides and the edges were wrapped in leather or wood to protect students’ hands. In the…

0 Comments

February 10, 2020

Region 7 - South Center / Yerkes Telescope / Williams Bay / Walworth County / 1880-1900 / Science & Medicine / Object Histories / Education

OBJECT HISTORY: Yerkes Telescope

The 40-inch refracting telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, contains the world’s largest refracting lenses. Built in 1895, the telescope contains two lenses, one made of crown glass, and one made of flint glass. The lenses are each 40 inches in diameter, weigh 500 pounds, and have a 62-foot focal length. The telescope and observatory…

0 Comments

September 10, 2019

Region 5 - Center East / Door County Book Mobile / Door County / Home Furnishings / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / 1940-1960 / Education

OBJECT HISTORY: Door County Bookmobile

The Door County Bookmobile was the rural public library. In 1950 when the Door-Kewaunee Regional Library Demonstration first brought bookmobiles to the Door Peninsula, nearly 23% of Wisconsinites did not have access to a free library. With many remote towns and islands, a low overall population, poor transportation, and low literacy rates, the Door Peninsula offered an opportunity…

0 Comments

June 9, 2019

Employers Mutual Audiometer / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / Education / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980

Promoting Workplace Safety

For an insurance company like Employers Mutual, it made sense to try to promote safety in the workplace. Reducing the number of industrial accidents would naturally lead to less money lost to claims. But Employers Mutual was also very adept at translating its…

0 Comments

May 24, 2018