Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article James Duane Doty

William Cogswell’s Portrait of Doty ca. 1858. Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

James Duane Doty

As settlers continued moving westward during the nineteenth century, the United States was a mix of states and large territories. From 1805-1837, Wisconsin was part of the Michigan territory. James Duane Doty spearheaded the movement to create partitions in the Michigan territory, …

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December 18, 2020

Dane County / Madison / Region 7 - South Center / Manufacturing & Trade / Object Histories / 1920-1940 / Education / Curators' Favorites

OBJECT HISTORY: Jar of Marbles

Today, the Wisconsin State Fair is full of attractions, rides, and great food, but in its early years, it was a place for farmers to gather and share ideas about the agricultural industry. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that the state…

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October 6, 2020

Edgerton / Dane County / Region 7 - South Center / Pauline Pottery Covered Jar / Home Furnishings / Manufacturing & Trade / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 1880-1900 / Object Histories

OBJECT HISTORY: Pauline Pottery Covered Jar

Between 1888 and 1909 the city of Edgerton, Wisconsin was home to six different companies producing nationally recognized ceramic art. The art potteries of Edgerton were part of a late nineteenth and early twentieth century trend known as the American Art Pottery movement. This covered jar, made at Pauline Pottery, represents one example of this broad movement in American ceramics.

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September 10, 2020

Dane County / Madison / Old Abe, the Live War Eagle / Region 7 - South Center / Politics, Society & Government / 1900-1920 / Object Histories

OBJECT HISTORY: Old Abe, the Live War Eagle

A bald eagle stands guard over the State Assembly Chamber in Wisconsin’s Capitol building. Between two and three feet tall, the raptor has the characteristic white head and tail feathers, a brown body, and a yellow beak and talons. He sits atop a tree stump in front of a large mural called Wisconsin that represents the state’s…

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September 10, 2020

Dane County / Madison / Madison-Style Ice Boat / Region 7 - South Center / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / 1900-1920 / Nature & Environment / Transportation & Tourism / Global Connections

OBJECT HISTORY: Madison-Style Ice Boat Model

This miniature ice boat was originally built in Madison, Wisconsin about 1916-1917 by a member of the Bernard family. Carl Bernard grew up in the culture of ice boating and began making models of them at a young age. Creating models helped the Bernards try new innovative building techniques and were also raced for fun.

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September 9, 2020

Region 7 - South Center / Dane County / Babcock Butterfat Tester / Madison / 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