Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article An Iron Kinship: Abraham Darby and William Aylward Sr.

Raw coke for iron ore smelting. Made by heating coal in the absence of air. Photo courtesy of Stahlkocher.

An Iron Kinship: Abraham Darby and William Aylward Sr.

In 1872, William Aylward Sr. combined air, coal, and iron ore to produce his first plowshares and other agricultural implements.[1] The founder of what would become the Neenah Foundry followed a process developed by an English man named Abraham Darby more than…

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September 29, 2021

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Neenah Foundry Manhole Cover

City of Madison Manhole Cover. Photo courtesy of Keith Kaziak, 2020.

Winnebago County / Region 4 - Center / Neenah Foundry Manhole Cover / Neenah / Manufacturing & Trade / Science & Medicine / 1900-1920 / Object Histories / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Neenah Foundry Manhole Cover

Since opening in 1904, the Neenah Foundry has earned a worldwide reputation for producing manhole covers. Manhole covers are removable lids fitted for tunnels large enough for people to access underground sewer and storm water systems. Made from strong and long-lasting cast…

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September 29, 2021

Read more about the article The Hearthstone House and Electricity to Wisconsin

Front view of historic house in the summertime c. 1974. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, ID# 28719.

Outagamie County / Region 5 - Center East / Appleton / Hearthstone House Chandelier / Related Stories / Home Furnishings / Science & Medicine / 1880-1900

The Hearthstone House and Electricity to Wisconsin

Built in 1882, the Hearthstone House operated using the first system of central electricity designed by Thomas Edison and it was the first private residence in the nation powered through hydroelectricity. The house was originally known as the Henry J. Rogers House,…

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June 7, 2021

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Hearthstone House Chandelier

Hearthstone House chandelier. Photo courtesy of Trase Tracanna, 2021.

Hearthstone House Chandelier / Appleton / Region 5 - Center East / Outagamie County / Home Furnishings / 1880-1900 / Science & Medicine / Object Histories

OBJECT HISTORY: Hearthstone House Chandelier

Known as Edison Light Fixtures, the original lighting fixtures of Appleton’s Hearthstone House, were created by Bergmann and Co., in association with the Edison Company for Isolated Lighting, out of New York. They designed the electric lights with the same general components…

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June 7, 2021

Region 5 - Center East / Related Stories / The 1904 Kohler “Armeda” Toilet / Sheboygan / Sheboygan County / Home Furnishings / Manufacturing & Trade / 1860-1880 / Science & Medicine

The Early History of the Kohler Company

As was so often the case with major American businesses in the 1800s, the Kohler Company grew from modest roots. The company’s founder, John Michael Kohler, began his working life first as a delivery truck driver and then a salesman. Born in…

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November 10, 2020

The Bathroom as a Household Space

When we think of a “bathroom,” we usually imagine a room containing three standard fixtures—a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. Bathrooms such as these are so universal in homes today that we can hardly imagine a time when they did not…

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November 10, 2020