Manufacturing & Trade

Milwaukee County / Lifesaving Medal / Milwaukee / Region 8 - South East / Manufacturing & Trade / 1860-1880 / Object Histories / Nature & Environment / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Lifesaving Medal

All along Wisconsin’s 820 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, storms could mean the difference between profit and financial ruin, survival and terrifying death. This lifesaving medal reminds us of the risks that sailors and Wisconsin’s maritime communities have routinely faced since the early 19th century, and it documents the personal bravery, dedication, and ingenuity of those who would rescue their fellows…

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September 9, 2020

Horlick’s Malted Milk

Racine County / Racine / Region 8 - South East / Horlick's Malted Milk / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 1860-1880 / Science & Medicine / Object Histories / Global Connections

OBJECT HISTORY: Horlick’s Malted Milk

Invented in 1873 by British food manufacturer William Horlick, malted milk is made from wheat and malted barley extract mixed with reduced, dry whole milk.

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September 9, 2020

Door County / Ephraim / Cherryland T-Shirt / Region 5 - Center East / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking / Object Histories / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Cherryland T-Shirt

In 1927, Marilyn Färdig’s grandparents, Andrew and Esther Färdig, purchased twenty acres of land in Ephraim, Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Image ID: 79142. Wisconsin, and started a cherry orchard. With the help of their seven children and workers from a variety of locations, including the southern United States, Mexico, and Jamaica, Andrew…

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September 9, 2020

Cassel Soda Bottle (Image courtesy of Whitefish Bay Historical Society). Photograph by Elkin Gonzalez.

Cassel Soda Bottle / Whitefish Bay / Region 8 - South East / Milwaukee County / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1920 / Object Histories

OBJECT HISTORY: Cassel Soda Bottle

This soda bottle was sold by the Cassel Soda Company in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, in the early 1900s. Conrad Cassel owned and managed the company from 1897-1917. The company, along with other Wisconsin soda companies during that time, made carbonated water, a beverage that would gain special significance during Prohibition. The Cassel Soda Company sold its soda to Whitefish…

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September 9, 2020

Dane County / Babcock Butterfat Tester / Madison / Region 7 - South Center / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / Object Histories / 1940-1960 / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Babcock Ice Cream Carton

Ice cream has been a delicacy for hundreds of years, but in the last century, Wisconsin has come to be considered home to some of the world’s best ice cream. Babcock Hall, established in 1951, has contributed to this reputation, establishing ice cream as a symbol both of Wisconsin’s dairy farming past and its appeal…

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September 9, 2020

Madison / Region 7 - South Center / Babcock Butterfat Tester / Dane County / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking / Science & Medicine / 1880-1900 / Object Histories

OBJECT HISTORY: Babcock Butterfat Tester

The Babcock butterfat test, developed at the University of Wisconsin, provided a simple, accurate, and inexpensive way to assess milk quality and to pay farmers accordingly. By improving standards and rewarding the best milk producers, the Babcock butterfat test transformed the dairy industry in the United States and set Wisconsin firmly on the path to…

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September 9, 2020