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Wisconsin Magazine of History
About the Magazine
The Wisconsin Magazine of History is a primary vehicle connecting readers to the history of our state and region. Since 1917, WMH has been the flagship publication of the Society and today remains one of the most valued benefits of membership.
While our orientation is to the past, the magazine is relevant to today and to the life of our state, region, and nation. Our goal is to share engaging, well-researched stories of our past with everyone who opens our pages, from everyday readers to history professionals. From bite-size departments to in-depth feature articles, the magazine spans a wide rage of topics and eras, all presented in a lavish design. The result is a rich mix of content that helps readers discover connections to their own heritage and interests while inviting them to explore new stories and perspectives.
Keep searching backward, so we can look "Forward!"
Recent Issues
View WMH ArchivesVol. 110, No. 1
Fall 2026
In This Issue: Black Americans build a powerful sanctuary at Pleasant Ridge a decade before Emancipation; the sons of “Fighting” Bob La Follette carry his Progressive legacy into the New Deal; and the Yellowstone Trail influences early road building in Wisconsin.
Vol. 109, No. 4
Summer 2026
In This Issue: Celebrate America's 250th and Old World Wisconsin's 50th! A former curator reflects on her years at Old World; a soldier's 1776 diary reveals life behind the lines; a powder horn proclaims "Liberty or Death"; and Civil War envelopes revive the spirit of the American Revolution.
Vol. 109, No. 3
Spring 2026
In This Issue: A dedicated team finishes the fifty-year project to document the history of the US Constitution's ratification; State Senator Tiny Krueger beats stigma to become the respected Voice of the North; and a World War II Army nurse is recognized for heroism.
Vol. 109, No. 2
Winter 2025
In This Issue: A Ho-Chunk Elder and his son team up to preserve ancient mounds; a scholar questions archeologist Charles Brown's legacy; and environmentalist Calvin De Witt remembers the battle to preserve the wetlands of Dunn County.
Vol. 109, No. 1
Fall 2025
In This Issue: Three men from Vernon County join the famed Iron Brigade; an archbishop's murder in New York reverberates through Wisconsin's Armenian community; and Ojibwe football great Joe Guyon transfers from Carlisle to Keewatin Academy to finish his high school education.
Vol. 108, No. 4
Summer 2025
In This Issue: The Wizard of Oz comes to Wisconsin; Society archaeologists find traces of Wisconsin's pier communities along Lake Michigan; the state changes its approach to handling algae blooms; and a long-serving woman lighthouse keeper puts out her light.
Want to Receive WMH?
The Wisconsin Magazine of History is a benefit of membership to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
All membership levels include
- Free admission to our 12 historic sites and museums
- A subscription to the Wisconsin Magazine of History
- 10% discount on merchandise and ticketed events
- And much more!
Featured Article
Read Full Article
Toward a More Perfect Union
Wisconsin Magazine of History | Spring 2026
It took less than a year for the thirteen original states to ratify the US Constitution. Documenting their debates—a project of the Center for the Study of the American Constitution at UW–Madison—took more than fifty.
In October 2025, CSAC published the forty-seventh and final volume, and The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution—a labor of love and scholarship—came to a close.
In our Spring 2026 issue, CSAC founder and longtime director John P. Kaminski took us behind the scenes of the project, outlining its origins and impact and revealing the tremedous scope of work that went into its making.
This article is part of a yearlong series celebrating America250.
Hesseltine Winner Michail Takach
Wisconsin Magazine of History
Hesseltine Award
The William Best Hesseltine Award was established in 1965 in memory of historian and Wisconsin Historical Society past president William B. Hesseltine. The award honors the writer of the best article in the previous volume year. Our most recent winner, for 2024–2025, is Michail Takach, for the article, "Black Nite, Part 2: From Legend to Landmark."
View Past WinnersGo to top
