Still a big deal in 1910
Posted on 01/02/2016 5:01:53 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
One of the best things about getting older is that you never stop learning. I learned a few things from this e-mail. Interesting - Especially the one about Green Bay and #10 -- Oconomowoc was popular with gangsters. (So was Mequon.)
Growing up in Wisconsin, a lot of us learned some facts about the state's history and took an historical field trip or two. But there are some things many people just don't know about the state despite living here for a long time. Here are ten little-known facts about Wisconsin's history.
1. Everything that Wisconsin is is thanks to glaciers.
Why is it that Wisconsin has enjoyed excellent crops, a dairy industry, beautiful forests, and almost a lake per person? You can thank Wisconsin glaciation. Wisconsin glaciation extended from approximately 85,000 to 10,000 years ago. Prehistoric human migration was greatly influenced through this last glacial period. Beyond that, it left us admiring some awesome geography, such as Devil's Lake State Park.
2. There are tons of effigy mounds hiding across Wisconsin.
The author has come across some of these mounds and had no idea that what he was looking at was not due to geology. Effigy mounds are raised piles of earth that were built in the shape of an animal, symbol or other figure. They were built by Native American communities throughout the country, but the most in the country are right here in Wisconsin. They built between 15,000 and 20,000 of these mounds. Today, still 4,000 exist.
3. The United States acquired Wisconsin from France.
Ha ha ha (cue French accent). Yeah, we are all little Frenchies. The French came up here and basically dominated the fur trade, bringing beaver furs back to Europe, where they were all the rage. They maintained control over us until the Treaty of Paris (1783). We were originally claimed by Massachusetts and Virginia. Eventually, we became our own state.
4. Many of the first settlers were lead miners.
You might think that Wisconsin is the "Badger State" because these cute little guys are found in Wisconsin. Actually, the reference has to do with the rush of lead miners in our state during the early 19th century. Men came to Wisconsin to mine, and rather than build structures, they would actually burrow into the hillsides. That's kind of what badgers do, so the name stuck.
5. The Republican Party was born in Ripon, Wisconsin.
A lot of people do not know that the Republican party was founded in Ripon, Wisconsin. It was founded at a meeting at the Little White Schoolhouse, which you can visit and is included on the Registered Historic Places list. The reason this party came into existence was for the express purpose to combat slavery.
6. The most disastrous fire in United States history happened in Wisconsin.
A lot of people learn about the Great Chicago Fire, even if they aren't from Illinois. But most people never learn about the Great Peshtigo Fire. Coincidentally, it occurred on the same exact day as the Chicago fire. But it was much more devastating. In fact, it caused the most deaths in one fire in United States history. As many as 2,500 people perished as a result of this fire (by contrast, the Great Chicago fire only killed around 300). Small fires were often set to clear land in Wisconsin, but on that fateful day, incredibly strong winds fanned the flames and it quickly became out of control.
7. Madison has not always been the capital of Wisconsin.
Actually, Madison was not the first. The first was Belmont, and there is a free admission historic museum located just outside of there. In these buildings, territorial legislators first met to establish the territorial government.
8. Wisconsin's oldest city is Green Bay?
It seems like Milwaukee or Madison would have been the first city. But the oldest city is actually Green Bay. Nicolet founded a trading post in Green Bay back in 1634, originally naming Green Bay "La Baie des Puants" (which means 'the stinking bay'). The British renamed it Green Bay...you're welcome. Because The Stinking Bay Packers really doesn't have the same ring to it.
9. The first American kindergarten was started in Wisconsin.
The first American kindergarten was actually started in Watertown, Wisconsin. It was opened in 1856 by Margarethe Schurz, who started a home kindergarten for her daughter and four of the cousins. She soon let other children in. You can even visit the actual house, which was been converted into a museum.
10. Wisconsin has provided a hideaway for a LOT of gangsters.
You might think that all of the old-time gangsters operated in Chicago or on the East Coast. But there is a huge history of gangsters up in Wisconsin. They really enjoyed Waukesha County, particularly Oconomowoc. Some notorious vacationers included Baby Face Nelson, Bugs Moran, John Dillinger, and, of course, Al Capone.
Why didn't we learn this stuff in history class? Or, did we?
Avery is guilty.
That movie was filmed by a couple of lefties who decided the story as the trial was going on. One of our local talk guys is a lawyer and he covered the trial for months. He said the evidence was overwhelming and the defense was very brief. He said he saw the film makers everyday and they had an attitude - remember, they are making big money for casting doubt on the legal system.
Green Bay Bump!
Even this Native Texan found it interesting -- especially the part about all the effigy mounds. My involvement in archaeology has led me to visit several in Ohio -- but I was ignorant of their ubiquity in Wisconsin...
Thanks again!
I actually use that. Folks around here have been taught since childhood about the glaciers. You only need to say something like "they tell us that thousands of years ago there was ice a mile high right here. What happened to it?"
I’ve only been once because of the OshKosh airshow. Had a very nice time.
My wife has a friend up there that she hung with and I got a lot of walking in and maybe saw 10 or 15% at most of what was there.
It’s the home of Leinenkugels.
That, alone, is reason to visit.
Here is one you fergot!
The upper penninsula was originally also part of Wisconsin. But it was decided to give it to Michigan . As a result of a territorial claim created by the Michigan Ohio war. When the Ohio national guard was called out to defend Toledo from a Michigan invasion when Michigan laid claim to it. And the song; Don’t give a a damm for the whole state of Michigan cause we’re from Ohio, came about.
“The Peshtigo Fire was a forest fire that took place on October 8, 1871 in and around Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It was a firestorm that caused the most deaths by fire in United States history, with estimated deaths of around 1,500 people,[1] possibly as many as 2,500.[2] Occurring on the same day as the more famous Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire has been largely forgotten.[3][4] On the same day as the Peshtigo and Chicago fires, the cities of Holland and Manistee, Michigan, across Lake Michigan, also burned and the same fate befell Port Huron at the southern end of Lake Huron as well.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_Fire
Thanks!!
“By the time [the Peshtigo Fire] was over, 1,875 square miles (4,860 km² or 1.2 million acres) of forest had been consumed, an area approximately twice the size of Rhode Island. Some sources list 1.5 million acres (6,100 km²) burned.[citation needed] Twelve communities were destroyed. An accurate death toll has never been determined because local records were destroyed in the fire. Between 1,200 and 2,500 people are thought to have lost their lives. The 1873 Report to the Wisconsin Legislature listed 1,182 names of deceased or missing residents.[7] In 1870, the Town of Peshtigo had 1,749 residents.[8][9] More than 350 bodies were buried in a mass grave,[10] primarily because so many had died that no one remained alive who could identify many of them.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_Fire
That was one heck of a fire.
I’ll take your word for it. I had to look that up since I don’t drink.
Bouncing around some of the backcountry was fun too. Some pretty farm land.
Those pioneering lead miners in southwestern Wisconsin were immigrants from Cornwall. Their wives sent with them to the mines a noon lunch consisting of cooked veggies and meat enclosed in a pastry “envelope” called a “pasty.” Mineral Point restaurants still today (or at least they did a decade ago) offer a meat & veggie meal enclosed in a pastry wrap, a “pasty.”
Some of the miners, not taking time immediately to construct a log cabin residence, or lacking the wherewithal to afford it, set up housekeeping in existing caves in the limestone cliffs. Some wag observed that they lived
like “badgers,” and from this, legend has it, came Wisconsin’s “nickname, the “Badger State.”
I believe this industry, along with earlier ventures in fur trapping, were major natural resource sources of material wealth well before tilling the soil and growing crops became established. Early Wis. was an important wheat-growing territory/state long before dairy farming got started as what might be termed an “industry.” The lumber industry later came along, harvesting the pine/fir forests of the north. Many major “brownstone” buildings in New York City were build of reddish-brown granite mined in central Wisconsin, leaving large, very deep pits now filled with water.
Not be upstaged by a larger place:
The “You Know You’ve Been on Guam Too Long Test.”
1. What do you think is the purpose of a trip to the world’s largest K-Mart on Thursday?
a. An errand to see what is on sale
b. The social highlight of the week
2. What do you think is an appropriate speed limit on a highway?
a. 55 to 75 mph
b. 35 mph but occasionally 45
3. What do you call a stray dog?
a. A stray dog
b. A boonie
4. What do you think about nepotism in government?
a. A serious crime
b. It is something that is cured by a vaccination
5. What is a “Tang-a-Tang”?
a. A cocktail made from powdered orange juice, vodka and club soda.
b. A small, ugly tree that looks like a mimosa but can’t be killed
6. What is a poinsettias?
a. A decorative plant at Christmas
b. A noxious weed that grows in your yard
7. What do you think about a daily commute to work of 15 miles?
a. A short commute
b A really long way to go
8. What do you think about going to the beach?
a. A fun family outing
b. What you do when you don’t have anything else to do
9. What are the things you look for when house hunting?
a. A house with curb appeal, floor space, bathrooms and number of bedrooms
b. A house with a concrete roof and that is flood, earthquake and tsunami proof
10. What are fruit trees?
a. A desirable addition to your yard
b. a nuisance that make the grass hard to mow
11. What would your reaction be if you received directions to: “go to the overpass and turn right”?
a. Ask “What over pass?”
b. Say “Oh, OK” because there is only one overpass on the island
12. How long does rush hour traffic last?
a. At least an hour probably two or three
b. 15 to 30 minutes
13. Which of these is more likely to break the windshield of your automobile?
a. An errant baseball from a pickup game being played by neighborhood boys
b. A falling coconut
14. What is your response if a checkout clerk at the grocery store says “Half a Day”?
a. You think she is commenting on her work schedule
b. You realize that the word “Hafadai” is hello in Chamorro.
15. What is a “Gwa-ee-ick”?
a. You have no idea
b. A small lizzard
How to score the test
If you answered “A” to 12 or more of these you are a normal person
If you answered “A” to 8 or more of these you have probably lived on Guam but should consider moving soon
If you answered “A” to 3 or less of these you you need to stay on Guam because people in other places will laugh at you and call you a freak
If you answered “B” to all 15 questions you are probably really angry with me at this time for making fun of you culture
Thanks. Of both crimes? He got off on the earlier rape on the strength of DNA evidence, one pube (Gregory Foster?) after serving 18 years. The Averys were a pretty salty bunch.
Not all of the miners stayed for the winter. Those who moved south to Illinois came to be known as suckers, after a migratory freshwater fish, a name that came to be applied to all Illinoisans. And that was not an insult--one of Illinois' nicknames is The Sucker State.
No, the murder. He had a pretty big lawsuit for the injustice of the first conviction, and a lot of sympathy for the lost years.
Damn, it’s cold in Wisconsin. Just so cold.
You almost ended up with everything up to the southern tip of Lake Michigan including Chicago according to this article. dnainfo
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