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The first glimpse of this canoe from 1,200 years ago, still wet from the lake a beautiful deep brown wood almost looking blue in spots.

The Mendota Canoes

Connecting Past & Present

The Wisconsin Historical Society, in partnership with Wisconsin's Native Nations, is preserving a pair of historic dugout canoes recovered from Lake Mendota. Testing revealed the first canoe is 1,200 years old and the second 3,000 years old.

They will help provide a more complete story of how Native American ancestors lived in the area thousands of years ago while also connecting their traditions to the vibrant Tribal Nations of today.

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Explore Our Collections

Learn about Wisconsin's role in the Civil War, research more than 12 million historical records on McCormick-International Harvester, or check out more than 25,000 historical maps of the U.S. and Canada.

Wisconsin In The Civil War McCormick-International Harvester Collection Maps & Atlases

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