Cool Links
We recently put more than 80 standard county histories online. The collection totals about 56,000 pages and is being enthusiastically welcomed by genealogists, local historians, archivists and public librarians. These books typically were published 1880-1920 and contain several hundred pages filled with pioneer recollections and other local data that was not recorded anywhere else. Have a look.
We've been adding and updating records for the last several months. If you haven't used this index to more than 2,500,000 Wisconsin birth, marriage and death certificates recently, have another look. You'll also find listings for more than 150,000 obituaries and biographical sketches.
Almost 10,000 entries — biographies, place names, terms from American Indian languages and French, and the peculiar jargon of fur traders, farmers and lumberjacks. How long was a league? Where did the name of your town come from? Why are the Packers called the Packers?
We've put more than 40,000 historical photographs online, and you can order high-quality reproductions directly from the site. Browse more than 30 galleries created by our photo archivists, or search for specific places, people, topics, or events. Thousands of people check it out each day.
The famous influenza outbreak of 1918-1919 sickened more than 100,000 people in Wisconsin and claimed 8,459 lives. A brief description of how officials responded is online in our Dictionary of Wisconsin History, where you'll also find links to historical documents and a reliable, modern analysis of the 1918 flu epidemic in Wisconsin.
Nearly 4,000 artifacts are available for viewing online. Categories include paintings, dolls, quilts, moccasins, samplers, children's clothing, ceramic art and objects chosen as Curators' Favorites. In addition, the Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database features 19th and early 20th century material culture artifacts from the collections of local historical societies around the state.
Every day we add more historical images to our online collection, Wisconsin Historical Images. Not just Wisconsin, but the whole country. Not only candid snapshots, but work by major photographers. And not only photographs, but also posters, engravings, lithographs, maps and more. See the last 30 days' worth of additions by clicking above.
Thousands of us are trying to clean up and dry out after the amazing storms and floods of recent weeks. When the worst is over, take a break and look into how your ancestors coped at times like these. Read about earlier floods and historic tornadoes in the Dictionary of Wisconsin History, where you'll also find links to contemporary pictures and accounts.
Now that the two major parties appear to have decided on nominees, don't miss the chance to see how their predecessors used to go at it. The Wisconsin Historical Museum is currently sharing more than 400 artifacts from presidential elections dating back to 1856 in That's the Ticket!, which will run through November.
March is Women's History Month. Visit our page on Wisconsin women for a short history, with live links to women's writings, eyewitness accounts of important events, and other primary sources. You can find also hundreds of pictures of women at Wisconsin Historical Images, and dozens of articles on Wisconsin women's history in the archives of our Wisconsin Magazine of History. All free, all the time.
Join author, teacher and TV host Eric Smith on May 5th for a morning session on African-American family history. Learn about the unique records created during slavery, Recontstruction, and later eras that enable research into the family histories of Black Americans. This event is part of our spring series of genealogy workshops.
African Americans came to Wisconsin in the early 1700s, long before Yankees, Germans or Norwegians. Read about Black fur traders, a Wisconsin slave who sued his owner in court for back wages, and much more. A short history and more than 30 rare documents are just a click away.
In 1842 teenager Caroline Quarlls made a daring escape from slave-catchers, traveling from St. Louis to Wisconsin and on into Canada. This brand-new biography for young readers gives a compelling account of the tension-filled journey of a brave young woman. Original documents about Quarlls are also online at Turning Points in Wisconsin History.
Jan. 21: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
"Your actions inspire me deeply…" So wrote Martin Luther King Jr. to Fr. James Groppi on Sept. 4, 1967, at the height of Milwaukee's civil rights demonstrations. This Martin Luther King Day, read the account of those times by Fr. Groppi's widow in the Wisconsin Magazine of History and see original documents at Turning Points in Wisconsin History.
With the Packers now one step closer to the Super Bowl, you may want to pick up our new biography of the man who started it all, part of the Badger Biographies series for young readers. There's lots of Packers history online free at Turning Points in Wisconsin History, too.
Check out more than 200 rare Wisconsin artifacts (and the stories behind them) at this site created by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Univ. of Wisconsin, and the Chipstone Foundation. It includes not only fine antiques and traditional crafts, but oddities such as this box carved by an Eau Claire lumberjack from a tree that fell on him.
The Hmong are among recent immigrants to Wisconsin from Asia. Read a teenager's harrowing account of her journey from Laos, and learn how she and her compatriots were greeted. Young readers will enjoy the story of Mai Ya Xiong, who came to Wisconsin in 1987.
A second printing of the 100 most "amusing, perplexing, and unlikely stories from Wisconsin's past" has had to be ordered. Get your copy of this 200-page book, complete with dozens of illustrations, before they're all gone. It's the perfect gift for that puzzling eccentric friend on your holiday gift list.
From oil paintings to Cheeseheads, from the Milwaukee Braves to potato chips, see digital re-creations of 15 of our most popular museum exhibits from years past.
You can now read every page of every issue (except the current one) for free — 1,800 feature articles about Wisconsin people, places, and events. The current issue is described at right.
In a partnership with Wisconsin Public Television, a dozen collections of letters (and one diary) by Wisconsin men and women who served in World War Two have just been added (here) to Turning Points.
This final installment of documents includes several different accounts of the massacre at Bad Axe, conflicting versions of Black Hawk's surrender, and a chronology of the war's aftermath.
As the nation celebrates the 400th anniversary of Jamestown this month, you can read eyewitness accounts of the colony here. These include George Percy's description of the voyage and John Smith's tribute to Pocahontas.
Nearly 50 local and regional events are scheduled around the state over the next few weeks to celebrate Wisconsin's local history, prehistoric sites, and built environments. Click above to see what's happening near you.
Sources on Madison history, all in one place. This site was made for the city's sesquicentennial in 2006 and leads to information on all aspects of our state capital's past.
Spring's approaching. It's time to plan your trip to the shipwrecks that dot Wisconsin's coastline. Learn how you can explore our state's shipwrecks from the comfort of your living room, a hike on the beach, or even a trip underwater.
From 18th-century black fur traders to Milwaukee school desegregation and beyond, this site leads to pictures, documents, and original essays on three centuries of life in Wisconsin for African Americans.
On May 9, five leaders in environment and conservation, business, sports, technology and public service will be honored at our annual History Makers Gala. Please join us in celebrating their remarkable achievements.
See the beautiful, unusual and unique Wisconsin places that are open to the public or merely "places along the way." Learn about Wisconsin by walking around.
This collection of documents, publications and photographs of International Harvester machines is a perennial favorite. Also see a collection of posters at Art of the Draw.
Wisconsin's rich history spreads across the state — a living quilt of time, land, values and beliefs that forms the collective memory of who we are and where we came from.
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