The period of southern migration to Wisconsin was short, lasting from the late 1820s to 1840. Settlers from the southern states of Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina were the first white Americans after fur traders and military men to arrive in Wisconsin.  By 1840, southerners numbered around 5,400, 56 percent of which lived in the lead region. The lead region had a distinctly southern atmosphere for several years--some settlers even brought their slaves. When the lead industry began to decline in the mid-1840s, southern migration slowed.

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Migrations in Wisconsin

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Dictionary of Wisconsin History

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