The state became a Territory in 1836, A State in 1848. But much went on before those important events– events which appeared thousands of years after Wisconsin’s first inhabitants roamed the area.

Wisconsin’s Fascinating Native-Americans

The fact is, Native Americans occupied Wisconsin during Pre-Historic days, long before the French arrived in the 1600s. (And long before the first “British Invasion” in the 1700s).

The study of the state’s Indian tribes (past or present) would span several blogs. But suffice to say that you’d find many of their names quite familiar… “Chippewa,” “Ho-Chunk,” “Menominee,” “Potawatomi,” “Sauk,” “Fox,” et. al.

Paleo-Indians lived through the last glaciation period of Wisconsin, hunting large mammals like Bison, Mastodons and Mammoths. Later descendants established the first significantly-sized WI community in a place they called “Aztalan.”

In his travels with Louis Joliet through the area, “Father Jacques Marquette” first entered into his journal an Indian name which meant “this stream meanders through something red” (presumably describing the “Misconsing” River, running through the red bluffs of the Dells).

French explorer, La Salle, later misread Marquette’s “Misconsing,” calling it instead “Ouisconsing”… and the rest, as they say, is history. Oui, Oui! 

Immigrants and a Badger Named “Bucky”

About the time lead miners first arrived in the state, Congress decided to put a “W” at the beginning of the name, which stuck for the subsequent 2 hundred years. This is the moniker hard-working Czechs, Poles and other Eastern Europeans would have been familiar with (as well as more Socialist-minded Germans), as they arrived around the mid-1800s.

Fun fact about immigration from Northwestern Europe: just as Spanish and English are often printed on various types of things today, German and Norwegian accompanied English on forms, documents, and other items throughout the 1800s.

Here’s another fun fact about the 30th State admitted into the Union: we all know the mascot named “Bucky Badger.” But did you know his full name is actually “Buckingham Ulysses”?

… And did you also know that “The Badger State” was actually named after Wisconsin lead miners (often called “Badgers,” because of their propensity to burrow into hillsides and dig underground)?

Yes, it’s true… the state has its fair share of badgers (though this lifelong Wisconsinite might have seen only one over the decades).

According to estimates, every Wisconsin county, save 6, has reported an official badger population– a fact which is hard to pin-down, because these deceptively cute carnivores are predominantly only active at night.

Beyond being described as “elusive,” the other adjectives frequently attached to the badger are “fierce” and “relentless.”

Wisconsin adopted the white with black-striped mammal as its “state animal” in 1957… 130 years after lead miners first arrived in the state!

A Few Famous Things About Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s been well-known for many things over the years, including Mining, Lumber (plus associated paper mills), Cranberries and, of course, Dairy. It switched from predominantly harvesting wheat to producing dairy products back in the Civil War era.

Dairy-minded immigrants from New York helped change Wisconsin from “America’s Breadbasket” to “America’s Dairyland,” after the chinch bug and poor soil practices nearly devastated wheat production.

Since then, immigrants from all over the globe have contributed their unique talents to this place I call home. Just to travel to our state capital, Madison, is to experience diverse shopping and dining experiences, connected to places like Ethiopia, Thailand, Vietnam, and you-name-it.

Heck, if you travel to the South of “MadTown,” and enter Green County, you might discover a charming, throw-back place called “Little Switzerland” (also known as “New Glarus”). Here you can transport yourself into a totally different culture, as you visit Swiss buildings and festivals… seemingly from the old-world!

To round out our look at this fascinating place called “Wisconsin,” let’s look at a few more Fun Facts from The Wisconsin Historical Society (from which I drew some of my research for this piece).

A Few More Fun Facts about Wisconsin

• Nearly 21 million gallons of ice cream are consumed by Wisconsinites each year.
• Wisconsin is a leading producer of Ginseng in the United States.
• Green Bay is known as the “Toilet Paper Capital” of the world.
• The first ice cream sundae was concocted in Two Rivers in 1881.
• The Fox River is one of the few rivers in the nation that flows north.
• Practically all the natural lakes in Wisconsin have resulted from glaciers.
• According to Wisconsin stories, Wisconsin contains more ghosts per square mile than any other state in the nation.
• American Birkebeiner, the largest cross country ski race in the US, brings upwards of 5,000 competitors to Cable.
• The largest experimental aviation event in the world is the EAA Fly-In at Oshkosh.
• Sun Prairie’s sweet corn festival is one of the largest of its kind in the nation.
• It takes an average of 100 hours of fishing to catch a 33.4 inch muskie.
• The first circus in the US was in Delavan, Wisconsin.
• Sheboygan is the “Bratwurst Capital” of the world.
• More than 800,000 deer roam Wisconsin woods.
• Almost 1/3 of all Americans live within a 500 mile radius of Wisconsin/
• Door County has more shoreline than any other county in the US – over 250 miles.
• If all of the hunter’s on opening day of deer season in Wisconsin were grouped together, they would comprise the sixth largest army in the world.

Bryan Oldenburg is a Filmmaker and Digital Marketer in Beloit, Wisconsin

The post Wisconsin: A Few Non-Cheesy Facts! first appeared on Swing State, The Series.

Sure, Wisconsin started Democratic (with obscure-sounding “Whig” and “Free-Soiler” influences as well). But it soon became known as the original “Home of the Republican Party.” The city of Ripon opened “The Little White Schoolhouse” in 1854, where the GOP first gathered. (WI’s special Swing-State nature started early on).

The Party was fiercely abolitionist. But it soon proved to be too strong in other areas, like lumber, mining and rail. Historians have noted that the 1840s Republicans created a “machine,” which could easily rival the Democratic one in Illinois today.

This monopolization lead to a very famous chapter in this Swing-State’s history, with the emergence of “The Progressive Party”– and its legendary leader, “Fighting Bob La Follette.”

This once staunch Republican fought against monopolistic practices, and established “The Wisconsin Idea”–– an idea that melded the immense brain-power of the University with the Capital up the road.

Both Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis, and Theodore Roosevelt referred to WI as “The Laboratory of Democracy,” for its creative experimentation and innovative ideas.

The latter suffered a bullet to the chest, when a crazed gunman shot him at a speaking event in Milwaukee. (The Progressive Party had nominated TR for President in 1912). The only things saving Teddy’s life, were his thick, pocketed speech and metal eye-glass case.

WI’s Fascinating Swing-State Past

Few may know this, but a Socialist mayor ran Milwaukee at the time of the attempted assassination. In fact, 3 consecutive, Socialist mayors ran Milwaukee– a unique fact boasted by no other city.

Frank Zeidler, the last of these mayors, oversaw the city from 1948-1960, and failed in a later campaign for Governor. In 1976, he ran for President under “The Socialist Party of America.” His loss predated Bernie Sanders’ Presidential run by many years.

At the same time of Zeidler’s zenith, a very famous, anti-Communist WI Senator named Joseph McCarthy was presenting his case against Hollywood actors, producers, et. al. This demonstrated, once more, the bi-polar nature of this Swing-State’s voting populace. Here’s some interesting footage:

As I mentioned earlier, I used to assume WI was a Blue state growing up, but I didn’t fully know my state’s intriguing history.

Senator William Proxmire set a record for the longest, consecutive voting record in Congress. But he was most famous for his annual “Golden Fleece Award,” which he sometimes showcased on the Johnny Carson Show. The friendly Proxmire once shook my hand, as I entered Camp Randall to see a Badger football game. I must have been 15.

Another Democrat giant, Governor Gaylord Nelson, founded the now beloved “Earth Day” — a day celebrated every April 22nd. Most politicians I remember early on were to the Left of center, but again, I didn’t see the whole picture. Like many young people, my grasp of the past wasn’t all it should have been. I guess my mind was on things like “MadTown” (as we called our capital), and all the associated excitement.

A Few Fun Facts:

• Wisconsin voted for 31 Republican Governors (many early in its history)
• Again, Ripon established the Republican Party in 1854.
• WI elected 13 Democratic Govs (including the current one, Tony Evers)
• It elected 1 Whig and 2 Progressive Govs (Bob La Follette and his son)
• It voted 25 times for a Republican President, 17 times for a Democrat
• WI voted for a Progressive Candidate ( Bob La Follette) once in 1924
• WI had some recent, razor-close elections, like Gore v. Bush in 2000
• Prior to Donald Trump, WI last went Red in 1984 (with Ronald Reagan)

Just a Snapshot of Wisconsin’s Past

Hopefully this brief, personal overview gives you a better idea of the bipolar, Swing-State nature of Wisconsin. It is, by no means, a complete record of the state’s rich history and numerous, memorable leaders.

Remember, my state elected LaFollette, McCarthy and Zeidler in the somewhat distant past. But it also later put Liberal Russ Feingold and Republican Tommy Thompson (the longest serving Governor) into office simultaneously.

It elected the first openly gay Senator in Tammy Baldwin, the same time it elected one of the most Conservative ones in Ron Johnson. Both have been in Congress for over 10 years.

Ron Johnson, Governor Scott Walker and Paul Ryan were part of a huge Red Wave in one of the state’s most recent chapters. The latter even became Speaker of the House under Donald Trump. Since then, WI has elected a Liberal Governor and 2 Supreme Court Justices (one Conservative, one Liberal).

Wrap Up

In short, why should anyone care about the history of Wisconsin? Well, as at least one Senatorial candidate has put it, “As Wisconsin goes, so goes the nation!” America’s Dairyland is one of several very important Swing-States, which have determined the outcome of recent, contentious elections.

In 2020, the DNC chose Milwaukee to host its Convention, but Covid closed the Fiserv Forum before that could happen. Next election, the GOP plans on hosting their Convention in the same city, at the same center.

With another possible rematch between Trump & Biden in 2024, all eyes will, once again, be on the Dairy State! Next election, it could prove to be the most vital Swing-State of all!!!

To see some details you may have missed in the last couple elections, please click on the link below. Here you can view my rare, historical documentation called “The Swing State Series.”

The 2nd Part in the Series recently won the “Peoples Choice Award” in my beloved state of Wisconsin! And it showed, yet again, the “Swingy” nature of this beautiful place that many of us call home. Thank you and please visit America’s Dairyland soon!

Bryan Oldenburg is a Filmmaker and Digital Marketer in Beloit, Wisconsin

The post Wisconsin: Always a Swing-State? first appeared on Swing State, The Series.