Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article Milwaukee: The Bowling Capital of America

American Bowling Congress tournament in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, c. 1905. Photographer unknown.

Milwaukee: The Bowling Capital of America

Bowling evolved in the mid-nineteenth century United States from imported European games like the German kegling. Beginning with clubs in eastern U.S cities, bowling grew in popularity and spread to the Midwest—particularly cities like Milwaukee—as German-Americans migrated across the continent. Bowling was often…

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February 1, 2016

Read more about the article An Immigrant Family in Rural Wisconsin

European immigrants boarding a steamer to the United States. Harper’s Weekly, November 7, 1874.

Langlade County / Antigo / 2000-2020 / CCC Pillow Sham / Related Stories / Home Furnishings / Politics, Society & Government / Clothing & Fashion / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Ethnicity & Identity / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / Global Connections

An Immigrant Family in Rural Wisconsin

Rose Mary Drab was born in southeastern Langlade County on April 23 of 1913. Her family had settled there the year before on a small farm south of Antigo. Originally named Drabowski, Rose Mary’s parents left Hungary for Chicago a few years…

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October 1, 2015

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 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

Read more about the article How Does a Babcock Tester Work?

Grade-school children using a Babcock butter fat testing device, Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, c. 1915. Courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Archives.

Babcock Butterfat Tester / Related Stories / Food & Cooking / Science & Medicine / 1880-1900

How Does a Babcock Tester Work?

Simplicity, Simplicity, SimplicityIn 1890, few farmers had ever taken a science class, and even if they understood the potential benefit, most lacked the cash to pay an expert for laboratory testing. Babcock’s great accomplishment was to develop a powerful, reliable test that was simple…

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December 1, 2013

Read more about the article The Babcock Tester and the Wisconsin Idea

Handlers exhibit the University dairy herd for students at the Farmers Course, UW Stock Pavilion, 1900-1920. Part of the Frank N. Campbell Slide Collection. Courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Archives.

Dane County / Babcock Butterfat Tester / Madison / Region 7 - South Center / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking / 1880-1900 / Education

The Babcock Tester and the Wisconsin Idea

Free As Well WaterIn 1894 Adolph Schoenman of Plain, Wisconsin, published a booklet extolling the virtues of the Babcock butterfat test. In a parable explaining its benefits, an astonished Farmer Jones exclaims, “Isn’t that a dandy little machine, though? I suppose, of…

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December 1, 2013