Warriors, Saints, and Scoundrels

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Brief Portraits of Real People Who Shaped Wisconsin

Michael Edmonds and Samantha Snyder

Meet the mayors, ministers, mystics, murderers, and more whose lives influenced and defined the state of Wisconsin in these brief biographies from the past.

234 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, 62 b&w photos
Paperback: $26.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-792-1
Ebook: $15.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-793-8
Publication Date: 4/14/2017

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Front cover of Warriors, Saints, and Scoundrels

Description

A governor who saw ghosts, an incorrigible horse thief, a husband and wife who each stood over seven feet tall, an Native American leader who defied forced removal, and the first woman to practice law before the Supreme Court—these are just some of the remarkable characters whose lives influenced and defined the state of Wisconsin. Authors Michael Edmonds and Samantha Snyder plumbed the depths of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s collections to research and compose colorful portraits of eighty such notable individuals in one entertaining volume.

These eighty short sketches of weird and wonderful folks—from fishermen and fur traders to poets and politicians—will make you laugh, gasp, and cheer while they bring Wisconsin history to life. Each biographical story is followed by recommended sources for readers’ continued exploration. Whether read on the fly or all in one sitting, Warriors, Saints, and Scoundrels will intrigue and inform as you delve into Wisconsin’s diverse and diverting history.

Author Bios

Michael Edmonds

Michael Edmonds is a writer and historian based in Madison, Wisconsin. His writings on history, nature, and folklore explore the ways that ideas have moved through time and space. He has always been fascinated by eccentric and atypical people or events that mainstream culture has overlooked. For more than a decade he wrote the syndicated weekly newspaper column “Odd Wisconsin,” which highlighted bizarre and little-known stories from the state’s past. Among his other books are Taking Flight, Risking Everything, and The Wisconsin State Capitol.

Samantha Snyder

Samantha Snyder earned her MA in History from George Mason University and her MLIS and BA in English from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition to her academic writing, Snyder has contributed to public history through articles, podcasts, and digital projects that explore the lives of early American women and their influence on the Revolutionary and Early Republic periods. Currently a research librarian at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Snyder lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Finally a book filled with people like me! Edmonds and Snyder identify all of the quirky and accomplished people who made me love history in the first place and make me proud of my adopted home state. These men and women, with all their foibles and eccentricities, fill in Wisconsin’s story with humor and, frankly, the humanity that makes history relatable.