Highlights Archives
8,000 Records in the Online Dictionary of Wisconsin History
When did Tommy Thompson start in politics? What was a "coureur de bois"? How many Wisconsin soldiers served in the Korean War? Where was the first Big Boy restaurant? Why is our capital called Madison? Where did Gaylord Nelson grow up? Which Indians were called the Outagamis? Who put pink flamingos all over the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Bascom Hill? How long did Prohibition last? Where the heck is Bad Axe?
These are just some of the thousands of questions you can answer in the online Dictionary of Wisconsin History.
The online dictionary gives more than 2,000 brief lives of famous Wisconsin people (and many not-so-famous ones). It provides the exact location of every community and civil township in the state, and explains how every county and 800 cities and towns got their names. You can even display a map or satellite image of any city, town, or village with a single click.
Many businesses are listed, from Schlitz Brewing to Trek Bicycles. Dozens of historical events are summarized, from the founding of the Gideons to the Dow Riot of 1967. Every obsolete ancient name applied to Wisconsin Native American tribes is defined. Historical jargon such as "road monkey" and "Cousin Jack," foreign-language expressions like "oriniak" or "toise," and specialized terms such as "Durham boat" and "yellow dogs" are all explained. More than 100 broad topics such as "roads in Wisconsin" or "Indian treaties" are briefly summarized and linked to more detailed information in our online collections, exhibits and photo galleries.
Multiple ways to search and browse make it possible to find information about, for example, surveyors, theaters or musicians. The inclusion of all the politicians described in every Wisconsin Blue Book since 1960 shows exactly where our lawmakers came from and what they worked on. A handy "Suggestions?" link on every page allows users to propose improvements. You can even submit your own entries when you discover an important topic that hasn't been included yet.
So have a look. Explore. Contribute. Surprise your friends by knowing what "casse-tete" means ("a war club, though the French literally means 'head-breaker' as its Indian original did: 'The Savages call it Assan Oustick, Oustick signifying the Head, and Assan, to break.'") or where Ashland got its name ("The county was named after the village, which was named in honor of the Kentucky homestead of Henry Clay. Martin Beaser, one of the earliest settlers of the village, and an ardent admirer of Henry Clay, is credited with the selection of the name.")
:: Posted December 18, 2005
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