Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article The Vulcan Corporation

Inspecting pins coming off the Vulcan assembly line, 1954. Photograph courtesy of the Langlade County Historical Society.

The Vulcan Corporation

The Vulcan Corporation was founded in 1909 in Ohio as a manufacturer of wooden shoe lasts. The business really took off once they developed a new shoe last turning lathe. In 1919, Vulcan started a plant in Crandon, Wisconsin, which made “rough-turned”—or unfinished—lasts.…

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February 1, 2016

Read more about the article The Great Depression in Langlade County

Farm Security Administration (FSA) county supervisor reviewing a farm plan with a Wisconsin farmer and his family. Photograph by John Vachon, September 1939, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Image ID 25048.

Langlade County / Region 2 - North East / CCC Pillow Sham / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Politics, Society & Government / Nature & Environment / 1920-1940

The Great Depression in Langlade County

While local governments across the United States struggled to deal with the sharp economic downturn in the first years of the 1930s, Langlade County initially found itself in an enviable position at the onset of the Great Depression.The county, with a total…

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October 1, 2015

Read more about the article History of Soda Bottles

Saratoga soda bottle (Image courtesy of the Illinois Glass Company Catalog).

Cassel Soda Bottle / Related Stories / 1800-1820 / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking

History of Soda Bottles

In the 1800s, semi-automatic machines began making glass bottles. The first soda bottles were made in 1806 and resembled ale and spirits bottles. These bottles had short, square bottoms and a small neck.The next style of soda bottles, called Saratoga bottles, looked…

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October 1, 2014

Read more about the article Whitefish Bay Urbanization

Milwaukee, 1872 (Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society).

Milwaukee County / Cassel Soda Bottle / Whitefish Bay / Region 8 - South East / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Politics, Society & Government / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / Nature & Environment / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960

Whitefish Bay Urbanization

In the late 1800s, meatpacking, wheat processing and brewing industrialization boomed in Milwaukee. This increase of manufacturing attracted workers from all over the country to move to Milwaukee. In fact, from 1870-1900, Milwaukee’s population quadrupled. Milwaukee's housing infrastructure couldn't support this drastic…

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October 1, 2014

Read more about the article Soda’s Role in Prohibition

Milwaukee Journal article regarding Prohibition (Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society).

Cassel Soda Bottle / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking / Politics, Society & Government / 1920-1940

Soda’s Role in Prohibition

When the prohibition of alcohol began in 1920, the law brought huge social and economic effects to Wisconsin. Visitors enjoyed coming to Milwaukee because of the many brewery-related social events and institutions, including the Whitefish Bay Pabst Resort. Against the wishes of Milwaukee…

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October 1, 2014

Read more about the article Milwaukee Resort Towns

Whitefish Bay Pabst Resort (Image courtesy of the Whitefish Bay Historical Society).

Milwaukee County / Cassel Soda Bottle / Milwaukee / Region 8 - South East / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking / 1880-1900 / Transportation & Tourism

Milwaukee Resort Towns

When Chicago’s population boomed in the 1800s, the newcomers frequently traveled “up north” to Milwaukee for vacations. Several Milwaukee-based companies built resorts in the towns surrounding the city to increase profits from tourists. These “resort towns” attracted visitors from all over Wisconsin…

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October 1, 2014