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Photograph

First McCormick Reaper Re-Enactment

Date: 1929
Description: Re-enactors demonstrating a replica of the first reaper built by Cyrus Hall McCormick in 1831. The man raking at the back of the reaper appears to be playi...
Photograph

First McCormick Reaper Re-Enactment

Date: 1929
Description: Re-enactors demonstrating a replica of the first reaper built by Cyrus Hall McCormick in 1831. The man raking at the back of the reaper appears to be playi...
Photograph

"Romance of the Reaper" Film Still

Date: 1929
Description: Scene from the film "Romance of the Reaper" showing the building of the first practical reaper on the McCormick farm in Virginia. Actors playing the parts ...
Historical Essay

Pleasant Ridge: A Community of Black Farmers in Wisconsin

Read the history of Pleasant Ridge, Wisconsin, a unique a community developed by formerly enslaved African American slaves in the mid-19th century.
Historical Essay

Pierce, Hettie, 1829-1944

Madison's Oldest Resident
Born into slavery, Hettie Pierce lived 115 years and was able to fully experience both life before and after emancipation.
Historical Essay

Benjamin Butts (1853-1930)

One Man's Journey from Slavery to Madison Business Owner to State Assembly Staff Member
Learn about a freed slave's intriguing story as a barber serving Wisconsin's prominent politicians, and as a well-known, beloved face in the capital city.
Historical Essay

Black History in Wisconsin

Read about Black history in Wisconsin. There are many links to original documents, pictures, eyewitness accounts, and other primary sources.

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