Odd Wisconsin Archives: Curiosities
Wisconsin is known for a many things, but few people realize we possess the world's largest penny. That's right -- Wisconsin is home to the largest penny in the world, a monument commemorating Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb (1886-1956). "Dr. Kate" was responsible for the health of residents in nearly 300 square miles of northern Wisconsin. She was a dedicated... :: Posted on October 23, 2009
The origins of many Wisconsin place names are recorded in our online Dictionary of Wisconsin History. The note there on the Columbia County town of Wyocena -- that the name came to the town's founder, Elbert Dickason, in a dream -- led us to investigate. Dickason (1799-1848) was born in Virginia and migrated west gradually, arriving in Illinois in time... :: Posted on October 1, 2009
The soap opera Guiding Light, which went off the air a week ago after 72 years, remains alive in the Archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society. According to the New York Times, it was "the longest-running scripted program in broadcasting history." After 15 years on radio, more than 15,000 televised episodes were produced before the plug was pulled last Friday.... :: Posted on September 24, 2009
Today the Milton House in Milton, Wisconsin, is well-known for its history as a stop along the Underground Railroad. What most people don't know is that six early Milton residents were laid to rest beneath the floor of its underground tunnel, which ran between the Milton House inn and original owner Joseph Goodrich's log cabin. In 1850 a cholera epidemic... :: Posted on September 10, 2009
When one considers Wisconsin's important contributions to big industries, products like cheese, beer, and even ginseng come to mind. Unfortunately, for fashionistas across the state, Wisconsin designers have usually been marginalized while metropolitan centers like New York and Paris typically dictated what was "in." But in 1966, a Wisconsin paper company proved that the state was hip enough to instigate... :: Posted on August 27, 2009
"Yes, I am fond of history," comments the hero's sister in Jane Austen's 1803 novel, Northanger Abbey. "I wish I were too," replies heroine Catherine Morland. "I read it a little as a duty, but it tells me nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page;... :: Posted on August 12, 2009
In the fall of 1935, Wisconsin State Journal cartoonist David Seltz produced a panel every day showing strange episodes from our state's past. He called them "Badger Curiosities" appropriately enough, though today we might call them urban legends (or not-so-urban, given that this is the dairy state). Some of the stories he depicted are well-known, some are forgotten trifles; few... :: Posted on August 5, 2009
Last week two newly arrived residents of Madison requested a tour of Aztalan, our state's best known and largest archaeological site. This opened the door to an explanation on the strange origin of the name "Aztalan." The first white settler to lay eyes on it is said to have been Watertown pioneer Timothy Johnson, in 1836, who refered to it... :: Posted on August 2, 2009
Required ingredients for a July weekend, aren't they? And both have a proud heritage in Wisconsin. Corn was grown in fields like this for hundreds of years and stored by Indians in ceramic pots such as this one. Indians put it into stews, or dried and ground it to make "sagamite," described here by Fr. Jacques Marquette in 1673: "The... :: Posted on July 14, 2009
The religion of white settlers often seemed peculiar to American Indian elders. In 1828, for example, Ho-Chunk Chief Dandy was at Galena with some companions and "while strolling about the town one day, they came upon a Methodist church where a revival service was in progress. They approached the windows and were amazed at the sight within, the house crowded... :: Posted on June 22, 2009
In the 1830s, a giant named Pierre Pauquette traded with the Ho-Chunk at the portage on the Wisconsin River. At six-foot two and 240 pounds, Pauquette was famous for his strength. His thighs were as thick as most men's waists, he could carry an 800-pound barrel of lead, and more than once he lifted a horse clear off the ground.... :: Posted on June 18, 2009
Are you ready to pack up the car and head out on a summer vacation? Whether it's a grand cross-country journey or just a quick trip up north, this is a good time to reflect on how we got from horse-drawn wagons like this one to comfortable cars like this one. Take a break from packing for a quick look... :: Posted on June 8, 2009
We've been told for decades that Jean Nicolet (1598-1642), the first European known to reach Wisconsin, was searching for a route to Asia when he landed near Green Bay in 1634. Artists showed him wearing a Chinese robe as he strode ashore at Red Banks and local historians staged celebrations and erected historic markers where they assumed it happened. But... :: Posted on May 25, 2009
Smart phones seem to be trivializing social life. The constant stream of Twitter tweets, Facebook status updates, and daily blogs calls to mind Henry David Thoreau's famous comment on the new technology of his own day: "We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important... :: Posted on May 12, 2009
With the new edition of the classic Flavor of Wisconsin: An Informal History of Food and Eating in the Badger State reaching bookstores this month, we wondered if author Therese Allen considered including any of the justly forgotten recipes described here over the last few years. For example, there was Thomas Anderson's muskrat pie, whose aroma made everyone at his... :: Posted on April 19, 2009
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.
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