Odd Wisconsin Archives: Animals
Considered ugly by some and revered by others, sturgeon boast a rich history in Wisconsin. After having survived whatever killed the dinosaurs, they evolved into a robust fish that can enjoy a lifespan of more than a century. In 1932, one sturgeon proved its lasting power in a particularly fragrant way. For years, state law required that confiscated fish and... :: Posted on November 12, 2009
Tornado season is here again. Huge storms are crossing the Mississippi as we write tonight, prompting a reminder that everyone needs to be ready when the sirens sound. On June 12, 1899, there were no sirens when a tornado struck New Richmond, in St. Croix Co. and 117 people died. Because a circus was in town, the town's population swelled... :: Posted on April 22, 2009
As the deep snow departed from Wisconsin fields this month, its place was taken by another sure sign of spring: migrating sandhill cranes. Driving from Milwaukee to Madison one March day we spotted no fewer than 24 -- a flock of 12 circling over a meadow in Waukesha Co., another 8 crossing above the highway in Jefferson Co., and two... :: Posted on March 18, 2009
Thomas G. Anderson (1779-1875) was a fur-trader in northwestern Wisconsin in the opening years of the 19th century. He spent the winter of 1811-1812 sixty miles from his nearest neighbor, and when the spring thaw came about March 20th, he headed south to Prairie du Chien. From there he turned up the Wisconsin River for Green Bay with his flotilla... :: Posted on August 21, 2008
As you've surely noticed, this summer's floods spawned a record crop of mosquitoes. Few of God's creatures are quite as annoying, or in quite the same way. Beseiged by them while exploring the northwoods in 1820, Henry Schoolcraft reflected that, "It certainly requires a different species of philosophy to withstand, undisturbed, the attacks of this ravenous insect, from that which... :: Posted on July 25, 2008
As tiny kinglets and gigantic sandhill cranes move north through Wisconsin again, this may be a good time to consider our state's place in American ornithology. Before the Civil War, R.P. Hoy cataloged the birds of southeastern Wisconsin and reported his findings to scholars in the East. Another mid-century scientist, Increase Lapham, built on Hoy's work to create the first... :: Posted on April 24, 2008
Driving from Madison into Dodge Co. yesterday, we saw open water for the first time in months, as well as a foolish turkey walking in Hwy 73 and three majestic sandhill cranes overhead. That part of the state is known for its wildlife, thanks in large part to the preservation of Horicon Marsh. On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt... :: Posted on March 15, 2008
Friday's Wisconsin State Journal contained a photo of a wolf in Kate Cassidy's Iowa County yard. Like the cougar sighting near Milton two weeks ago, this led us to look into the history of wolves in Wisconsin. We discovered that when white settlers dispersed across the state in the 1830s, wolves were everywhere. Robert Ream (1809-1885), one of the first... :: Posted on February 16, 2008
Early in the last century, Jack Ryan kept a saloon for woodsmen at Mercer, Wisconsin. Fresh from a long winter in the forest, lumberjacks would often blow their entire season's wages on a grand spring bout of drinking, gambling, fighting, and debauchery. Ryan kept a pile of old gunny sacks in a corner where they could pass out on the... :: Posted on September 30, 2007
At the battle of Wisconsin Heights on July 21, 1832, Orderly Sgt. John McNair took a bullet in a tender spot. Although it was just a flesh wound, McNair complained incessantly about it in the hours after the battle, and insisted that he could no longer ride his horse. His comrades made so much fun of him that he asked... :: Posted on August 2, 2007
In honor of July 4th, we offer another glimpse into the bald eagle, this time in its role as a cultural symbol in Wisconsin history. Long before white people came to Wisconsin, Native Americans used eagles' tail feathers to express power and bravery. Warriors in most tribes from the Great Plains to the Northeast were only permitted to wear eagle... :: Posted on July 3, 2007
Last week the U.S. Dept. of the Interior took the bald eagle off the list of threatened and endangered species. According to press reports, by the early 1960s widespread use of the pesticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane (DDT) had nearly exterminated the entire species, and only 25 pairs of eagles were left in Wisconsin. Today there are more than 1,000 breeding pairs... :: Posted on June 30, 2007
"If any man wants to know what frogs can accomplish in the matter of making a noise, let him take a summer trip to Green Bay," wrote Alfred Cope (1806-1875) when visiting that city in 1849. Now, in the interests of objectivity, we must admit to a certain familial fascination with frogs that may lead us to see merits in... :: Posted on June 20, 2007
Father Jacques Marquette was in the prime of life 334 years ago this week as he made his way down the west shore of Green Bay. With him was Louis Joliet, a young trader with "the courage to dread nothing where everything is to be feared." The pair was on their way to discover whether the Mississippi River went south... :: Posted on May 20, 2007
Here at the Historical Society headquarters we are busy mounting all the back issues of our quarterly Magazine of Historyonline. Besides printing scholarly and popular articles, the Magazine also gave occasional glimpses into the activities of the staff. One Sunday in 1955, director Clifford Lord and associate director Don McNeil drove down to Milton, in Rock Co., to support innovative... :: Posted on March 18, 2007
Did You Know?
The Wisconsin Historical Museum is currently featuring Odd Wisconsin objects in the latest exhibit: Odd Wisconsin. And don't miss the Odd Wisconsin book by author Erika Janik published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
|
