Wisconsin Historical Society

816 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
http://wisconsinhistory.org/

The Wisconsin Historical Society was founded in 1846, two years before Wisconsin became the 30th state, and it ranks as one of the largest, most active, and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. Its headquarters were dedicated in 1900 as the home of Wisconsin history.

Highlights:
Wisconsin Historical Society Image Collections
The Wisconsin Historical Society's Archives collections include approximately three million photographs, negatives, films, cartoons, lithographs, posters, and ephemeral materials from private, business, and governmental sources that document the rich social, economic, and political history of Wisconsin and the upper Midwest as well as those ethnic groups who helped shape its history. In addition to strong holdings in regional history, the collections have a national focus in the areas of nineteenth century expeditionary photography, Native American images, mass communications, and social action movements, including labor and civil rights.

Wisconsin Genealogical Index
Patrons can search for pre-1907 Vital Records, including birth, death, and marriage records as well as for 150,000 Wisconsin Name Index records, including biographical sketches, obituaries, and newspaper articles published before 2000.

Odd Wisconsin
From its beginnings as a blog to a book and now a museum exhibit, Odd Wisconsin aims to amuse, surprise, perplex, astonish, and otherwise connect Wisconsinites with their past.


Construction of the Wisconsin Historical Society building, 1898. Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.


"Attempting to fly," from the Wright Days Gallery in the Sky High online exhibit. WHS Image ID 2077


"Original Wisconsin Historical Society Library," featuring the 3x4 foot bookcase from which the WHS Library eventually grew. Read about it here. WHS Image ID 40286

Images courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Entry compiled by Lisa Muccigrosso