Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Jolly Good Soda

What would a Southeastern Wisconsinite grab on a hot summer day in the 1970s and 80s? Jolly Good soda of course! Though you can’t find it on store shelves today, Jolly Good soda was once one of the most popular beverages in the region. This cola flavored can of Jolly Good soda features patriotic colors…

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May 9, 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

Marathon County / Region 2 - North East / Hamburg / Fromm Fox Fur Coat / Manufacturing & Trade / Clothing & Fashion / Object Histories / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940

OBJECT HISTORY: Fromm Fox Fur Coat

This coat was made from the fur of foxes raised on the Fromm Fur Farm in Hamburg, Wisconsin. The jacket is covered in light-silver fox fur and lined with a taupe fabric. Straps allow the coat to also be worn as a cape. In the early decades of the 20th century, it was fashionable to use…

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December 9, 2017

Green County / Region 7 - South Center / New Glarus / The Hefty-Blum White Barn / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking / 1860-1880 / Object Histories / Nature & Environment

OBJECT HISTORY: The Hefty-Blum White Barn

Barns are a defining feature of the Wisconsin landscape, and hold a special place in the history of Wisconsin. Among the many barns that contributed to Wisconsin’s place as a major dairy producing state is a Swiss barn that was built in 1878 in Green County. This barn, the Hefty-Blum White Barn, was used to…

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September 10, 2017

Oconto County / Migrant Worker's Cabin / Region 2 - North East / Oconto / Related Stories / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1920 / Nature & Environment / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Ethnicity & Identity / 1960-1980

Migrant Workers and the Bond Pickle Company

The Bond Pickle Company of Oconto, Wisconsin was founded in 1915 by five brothers. The Bond brothers quickly developed the firm, by 1917 acquiring 10 “salting stations” where the cucumbers were received from local farmers and a processing factory on West Main Street in…

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September 1, 2017

Read more about the article Migrant Labor and Door County Cherries

Oliver, Sheldon, and Glen Fardig help in the Fardig Orchard in Ephraim, WI, c. 1930. Photograph courtesy of the Ephraim Historical Foundation.

Cherryland T-Shirt / Region 5 - Center East / Door County / Related Stories / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / Politics, Society & Government / Nature & Environment / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Transportation & Tourism

Migrant Labor and Door County Cherries

Early Door County cherry orchards relied heavily on local workers, and all members of the family that owned a cherry orchard were expected to contribute. From the planting process, spraying of fungicides, pruning, and finally cherry picking, each cherry tree required a…

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July 1, 2017