Wisconsin Blue Books

Wisconsin Blue Book, 1853 to 2004


The Blue Book has been the primary one-volume reference source about the state for a century and a half. It was first published irregularly, then annually from 1879-1883, and biennially since 1885 to the present day. It was intended for the use of lawmakers, so each volume includes extensive descriptions of virtually all aspects of life in Wisconsin. For example, each volume contains detailed statistics about the state's population, geography, history, elections, social services, finance, agriculture, industry, transportation system, and more. Many useful lists are also provided, such as of lists of elected officials, cities and towns, media outlets, post offices, political parties, and so forth. Beyond this, many editions also provided a special in-depth article of substantial length focusing on some historical event, geographical feature, or social aspect. Indexes of these special articles appear in the 1954 Blue Book, p. 177-182, in the 1964 Blue Book, p. 227-232, and in the 2003/04 Blue Book, p. 175-176.

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Related Topics: Immigration and Settlement
Wisconsin in the Civil War Era
Mining, Logging, and Agriculture
The Progressive Era
Industrialization and Urbanization
Wisconsin's Response to 20th-century change
Great Lakes Steamships and Canals
Development of the Railroads
19th-Century Immigration
The Founding of Major Cities
The Founding of Social Institutions
Abolition and Other Reforms
Wisconsin and the Republican Party
The Iron Brigade, Old Abe and Military Affairs
The Civil War Home Front
Logging and Forest Products
The Rise of Dairy Farming
Mining in Northern Wisconsin
The Birth of the Labor Movement
Americanization and the Bennett Law
The Woman's Suffrage Movement
The Conservation Movement
Travel and Tourism
The Career of Robert M. La Follette
Progressivism and the Wisconsin Idea
World War I, at home and in the trenches
The World War II Military and Home Fronts
McCarthyism, Korea and the Cold War
Vietnam and Opposition at Home
The Introduction of Electrical Power
Automobile Culture
Milwaukee Sewer Socialism
The Rise of Skilled Manufacturing
Depression and Unemployment
Post-war African-American Migration
The Modern Environmental Movement
Desegregation and Civil Rights
Indians in the 20th Century
Brewing and Prohibition
20th-Century Immigration
Tommy Thompson and the Conservative Revolution
Farming and Rural Life
Creator: Wisconsin. Legislature
Pub Data: Madison, 1853-2004.
Citation: Use the exact wording found on the title page of the specific edition you consulted, followed by: Online facsimile at:  http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBks; Visited on: 5/4/2024