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Historical Essay

Louise Williams

First Woman Notary Public
Discover the story of Wisconsin's first woman notary public Louise Williams who provided legal counsel for southern Wisconsin after the Civil War.
Historical Essay

When Beer Was Almost Illegal

A Popular Speaker Sways Opinion
Discover the connection between P.T. Barnum and the 1853 statewide referendum on liquor sales.
Historical Essay

The Man With the Branded Hand

The Story of Jonathan Walker, Abolitionist
Discover the story of Jonathan Walker, "Slave Stealer."
Historical Essay

The Budget Deficit of 1921

How a New Progressive Governor Repaired the Economy
Read about Governor John J. Blaine's plan to deal with the Budget Deficit of 1921.
Historical Essay

How Madison Became a City

From Bear Hunting on the Capitol Square to a Fully-incorporated City
Discover how Madison went from a small village in 1836 to being organized and governed as a city in 20 years time
Historical Essay

Death to Capital Punishment

How Wisconsin Eliminated the Death Penalty
Read about the final person to be executed in Wisconsin before the state prohibited the death penalty.
Historical Essay

Juliet Severance, Radical Victorian

A Good Mother, a Good Friend and a Good Woman
Discover Juliet Severance, the free-thinking Whitewater physician who was involved with the anti-slavery movement, temperance and women's rights.
Historical Essay

Smallpox Epidemics in Wisconsin History

The Conflict of Modern and Traditional Medicine
Discover the history of smallpox in Wisconsin and the public's reaction against hospitalization
Historical Essay

More Bank Failures (1857)

Discover the effects that the Panic of 1857 had on La Crosse.
Historical Essay

Pearl Harbor through Wisconsin Eyes

Witnesses Tell Their Stories
Learn about the attack on Pearl Harbor through these firsthand accounts from Wisconsinites who were there when it happened.
Historical Essay

Psychics and Mystics in 1850s Wisconsin

Spirits Lead a Woman to Fortune
Morris Pratt was a well known psychic medium whose legacy is his eponymous spiritualist institution in Whitewater, known locally as "Pratt's Folly."
Historical Essay

Was Nicolet Really the First European in Wisconsin?

An Unreliable Text and Other Evidence
Wisconsin History books teach that Jean Nicolet was the first white person to reach the state, but he may have been the second.
Historical Essay

Fort Koshkonong

A Fortification That may not Have Existed
Learn the story surrounding the building of Fort Koshkonong by General Henry Atkinson.
Historical Essay

Our First Presidential Candidate

The Rise and Fall of Isaac Walker
Discover the story of Isaac P. Walker, the first Wisconsin presidential contender in 1850.
Historical Essay

Origins of Madison Street Names

The Constitutional Convention's Influence on the City
Find out where some of the most traveled streets of Madison got their names.
Historical Essay

The Origins of Thanksgiving

It's not What You Might Think
Discover the historical evidence of the first Thanksgiving.
Historical Essay

Labor Day in Wisconsin

Beyond Beer and Brats
Explore the history of Labor Day celebrations in Wisconsin.
Historical Essay

Epidemic Anniversary

A History of Disease in Wisconsin
Read this informative collection of all the outbreaks and epidemics in Wisconsin's history.
Historical Essay

Mary Hayes-Chynoweth, Psychic Healer

An Ordinary Woman has an Extraordinary Encounter
The story of Mary Hayes-Chynoweth, one of Wisconsin's most famous mystics who also predicted the future on a number of occasions.

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