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Historical Essay

Madison's First Thanksgiving

The Power of the Pumpkin
Read the story of the first Thanksgiving celebrated in Madison.
Historical Essay

Beaver Top Hat

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Top hat made from beaver felt and worn by Green Bay resident Morgan L. Martin, c. 1825. (Museum object #1968.644)
Historical Essay

Campers' Wash-Up Kit

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Wash-Up Kit made by the Bay West Company, Green Bay. Distributed by the Yankee Paper and Specialty Co. of Menasha in the 1920s. (Museum object #1998.6.2)
Historical Essay

Bra Flag

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Land of the Freed-up Woman American flag banner made from bras, 1971. (Museum object #2000.79.1)
Historical Essay

The First Book Printed in Wisconsin

The Printer and the Priest
Discover how Wisconsin got its first printing press, and the impact that a Catholic priest would have on Ho-Chunk literacy.
Historical Essay

Brett Favre's Packers Jersey

Wisconsin Historical Museum Object – Feature Story
Green Bay Packers football jersey worn by Brett Favre during game against Chicago Bears, January 2, 2005. (Museum object #2005.83.1)
Historical Essay

Joseph Crelie, the Oldest Pioneer in Wisconsin

An Old Man's Tall Tale
Wisconsin pioneer Joseph Crelie was said to be 139 years old when he was exhibited to spectators in 1864. But how old was he really?
Historical Essay

Allouez, Claude Jean (1622-1689)

Jesuit Missionary
Read about the Jesuit priest who established several missions in Wisconsin during the 17th century.
Historical Essay

Petersylvania, Wisconsin

A Bizarre Story of Land Prospecting Gone Awry
Read the amazing story of a man who watched his potential 10,000-square-mile northern Wisconsin empire disappear into thin air.
Historical Essay

The Miracles at Robinsonville

The Virgin Mary Appears to an Illiterate Peasant Girl
Learn about the first and only manifestation of the Virgin Mary in the United States near Green Bay, confirmed by the Vatican.
Historical Essay

Was Nicolet Really the First European in Wisconsin?

An Unreliable Text and Other Evidence
Wisconsin History books teach that Jean Nicolet was the first white person to reach the state, but he may have been the second.
Historical Essay

Company Surgeon Mistakenly Overdoses Soldiers

A Wisconsin Civil War Story
Historical Essay

The History of Wisconsin Winter Weather

Learn about the first extreme winters in Wisconsin suffered by explorers and settlers in the 17th through 19th centuries, with links to other articles
Historical Essay

The Fur Trade Era: 1650s to 1850s

A Short History of Wisconsin
Historical Essay

Wisconsin's Name: Where it Came From and What it Means

Learn about the origin, and the many spellings and multiple meanings of "Wisconsin."
Historical Essay

The French Fur Trade in Wisconsin

When the Beaver was King
Discover how beavers transformed Wisconsin's economy in the 1650s for the next two centuries.
Historical Essay

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

How Wisconsin was Divided
Discover how the Ordinance of 1787 extended government, prohibited slavery and led to the survey of public lands north of the Ohio River.
Historical Essay

The War of 1812

Wisconsin's Involvement with the war on the French, British and Natives
Learn how the British relinquished control of Wisconsin and Americans took over the region's fur trade during the war of 1812.
Historical Essay

The Creation of Wisconsin Territory

A Plot of Land Becomes a City
Discover how Wisconsin went from a small part of a territory to a capital city.

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