Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
The Rise of Dairy Farming
Wheat was the earliest and most important cash crop for white settlers in Wisconsin. It required a small initial capital investment and was fairly easy to grow, allowing farmers to harvest two crops a year. The high rate of financial return made wheat an especially attractive crop for homesteaders during the middle of the 19th century.
Wheat provided a way for new immigrants in Wisconsin to farm cheaply and to deliver a product that many people needed. From 1840 to 1880, Wisconsin was considered "America's breadbasket" because one-sixth of the wheat grown in the nation came from Wisconsin. The early... more...
Original Documents and Other Primary Sources
 | An interview with Dr. Babcock (1923) |
| William Dempster Hoard looks back on the start of dairy farming in Wisconsin |
| A history of cheesemaking in Green County |
| The legacy of the farm magazine, Hoard's Dairyman (1935) |
| Cheese-making in Monticello, ca. 1870 |
| A Sauk Co. farmer recalls turning from wheat to dairy in the 1850s. |
| Recollections of Old Superior |
 | A quilt made by hand, 1908-1934, from prize ribbons |
| Racine's malted milk transforms American soda fountains |
| The oldest toast in Wisconsin |
| A copper Swiss cheese kettle |
| Hoard's Dairyman Farm milk bottle |
 | A history and statistical summary of dairying, 1860-1931. |
| A 1944 cookbook featuring dairy products |
 | Pictures of the founders of Wisconsin's dairy industry. |
| Photos and advertisements showing dairy farmers at work, 1900-1950 |
| Picture of Dr. Stephen Babcock with his butterfat tester. |
| Advertisements for farm equipment |
| Photos and information about the UW Dairy Barn |
 | William Dempster Hoard discusses his vision for the dairy industry |
| A female leader in Wisconsin dairying |
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