Universalism arose in New England when a small group insisted that all men would ultimately be saved or partake in "universal salvation," and that the supreme powers of truth, right and love will triumph over evil. The Church achieved much popular success in the mid-19th century due primarily to its renunciation of the hellfire preaching of orthodox revivalism.  It also began to move closer to Unitarianism in doctrinal content.  Universalists arrived in Wisconsin before statehood and found an early foothold in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha before dispersing outward. There were 3,150 Universalists by the 1860s. The largest Universalist body in the late 19th century was in La Crosse County though membership had declined sharply thoughout the period.  The Universalists joined with the American Unitarian Association in 1961 to form the Unitarian Universalist Association.

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Dictionary of Wisconsin History

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