1920-1940

La Crosse County / Region 3 - Center West / La Crosse / King Gambrinus Statues of LaCrosse / Manufacturing & Trade / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / 1920-1940 / Global Connections

OBJECT HISTORY: King Gambrinus Statues of La Crosse

The King Gambrinus statue located in La Crosse, Wisconsin depicts the king of beer and brewing.[1] The origins of the statue, specifically its sculptor and construction date, are unknown. Weighing in at approximately 2,000 pounds, this concrete statue is 15 feet tall.…

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August 17, 2021

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

Migrant Worker's Cabin

Oconto County / Migrant Worker's Cabin / 2000-2020 / Region 2 - North East / Oconto / Home Furnishings / Manufacturing & Trade / Object Histories / 1920-1940 / Nature & Environment / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000

OBJECT HISTORY: Migrant Worker’s Cabin

This cabin, once occupied by a family of migrant workers employed by the Bond Pickle Company, is located at the property of Thomas and Jamie Sobush of Pensaukee, Wisconsin. The cabin was originally one of many other small cabins, clustered together at the Bond Village Migrant Camp on Van Hecke Avenue in Oconto, Wisconsin. The…

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September 10, 2020

Langlade County / Region 2 - North East / Mepps Fishing Lure / Antigo / Manufacturing & Trade / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Nature & Environment / 1920-1940 / Global Connections

OBJECT HISTORY: Mepps Fishing Lure

The classic Mepps fishing lure the Aglia, was invented in France in the 1930s and patented in 1938. (Mepps is a French acronym for Manufacturier d’ Engins de Precision pour Peches Sportives, translated as “Manufacture of Precision Equipment for Sport Fishing”.) It was introduced to northern Wisconsin, and to the U.S., by a G.I. returning from France.…

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September 10, 2020

Rock County / Region 7 - South Center / Beloit / Clair Mathews' Feed Grinder / Food & Cooking / Science & Medicine / Object Histories / 1920-1940

OBJECT HISTORY: Clair Mathews’ Feed Grinder

Recognizing the need to grind feed for his dairy cows, but unable to afford a mill, Clair Mathews designed his own version of a feed grinder. That grinder would inadvertently create the snack that would come to be known as Korn Kurls.

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September 9, 2020

Region 5 - Center East / Cherryland T-Shirt / Ephraim / Door County / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 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