Wisconsin Historical Society

Wisconsin's State Archaeologist, Dr. James Skibo, has passed away. Dr. Skibo worked in coordination with Wisconsin's Native Nations on the historical recovery of two canoes with great archaeological significance to the state and its tribal communities.

If you haven’t been to Mineral Point, a small town in southwest Wisconsin, you might not know about its many historic buildings. In the 1800s, Cornish immigrants gravitated there when lead mining was booming. Nearly a century later, two men – both life and business partners – saved a cluster of stone cottages that would become a state historic site called Pendarvis, the name of an estate in Cornwall.

Lake Ivanhoe is not the resort oasis it was in 1926 or the Black family-filled community it once was. Still, the about-to-be-erected state historical marker will commemorate the significance of the vacation oasis during an era of segregation and strife.

The Oscar Mayer 'Wiener Song' has become a cultural touchstone in America, and it all started with a contest out of Madison, Wisconsin. We explore the humble origins of the song and its legacy today.

An hour's drive from Milwaukee, Lake Ivanhoe came to life in the 1920s when a group of Chicago Black businessmen bought land for their families to enjoy rural life free of racial strife. The community is about to receive state recognition for its place in Wisconsin history, but one resident is as interested in keeping Lake Ivanhoe alive.

For many, the coronavirus pandemic has been a life-changing experience — especially if you’ve gone through loss. In Madison, a memorial was recently collected by the Wisconsin Historical Society of nearly 9,000 ribbons that were tied to rail posts, ropes, and other surfaces located outside of the Trinity United Church. Each ribbon represents someone who died from COVID-19 in the state.

Wisconsin state archeologist James Skibo and Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archeologist Tamara Thomsen share how they found and extracted the state’s oldest dugout canoe from the bottom of Lake Mendota in Madison, Wis.

History is happening every day, and it’s not just recorded by people in power. The coronavirus pandemic is a huge moment in our collective history…

If the Smithsonian Institution is known as “The Nation’s Attic,” the Wisconsin Historical Society holds that distinction here in this state. But leaders…

Wisconsin is home to an internationally significant collection of artifacts that most of us will never see first hand.They’re relics on-board scores of…