Bøger udgivet af Wisconsin Historical Society Press

The true story of a family pet who served in WWII and went on to become a friend to wounded veterans During World War II, families all over the country volunteered their pet dogs to serve in the Dogs for Defense Program. This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the true story of a family and their beloved dog, Brownie, who served alongside the troops and returned home to become a companion to wounded vets. At first Brownie's boy, Oren, isn't sure he wants to send his boisterous best friend to war. But with the help of his parents, Oren decides that Brownie could do a lot of good. Brownie serves faithfully on the frontlines until an injury sends him home from the Pacific islands. His family welcomes him back with open arms. But Brownie is not content sitting around at home--he needs a job. He begins to accompany Oren's mother to the Veterans Home in King, Wisconsin, where she works. There, Brownie finds a way to serve his fellow veterans just as he served his fellow soldiers. Lovingly illustrated by Aaron Boyd, this heartwarming story gives poignant new meaning to the phrase "man's best friend" and will be a favorite for children and their grownups.

"This is an authorized history of Peter Jest's career as a Wisconsin-based concert promoter and club owner. Jest has lived his whole life in Milwaukee. During his youth, in the late-1960s and 1970s, he was a gawky kid with asthma who got hooked on music. Around age twelve, he began calling local radio stations and winning hundreds of giveaway prizes-albums and merch, but most importantly, concert tickets. After seeing a transformational Bob Seger concert in eighth grade, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing something related to that experience. Jest attended UWM, where he founded Alternative Concert Group-a student group dedicated to bringing national acts to campus. After college, he parlayed these skills into a short-lived gig as the tour manager for the Violent Femmes, then a job promoting and booking concerts for venues around the city and region, and eventually into owning his own venue, Shank Hall. Along the way, Jest developed his own unique business style-some associates and competitors have been known to call him a hardheaded jerk. However, he has also gained the trust of many musicians over the years by being fiercely loyal and devoted to those individuals who earn his respect. This devotion is exemplified in chapters dedicated to the artists with whom Jest developed special relationships throughout his career: Violent Femmes, John Prine, Leo Kottke, Leon Redbone, and Arlo Guthrie. The narrative, which ends in 2022, also details the experience of a small music venue during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this is memoir of Peter Jest's life and a book about the state's music scene from the mid-1980s through 2022, it is also more universal story about a person finding his place in the world and pursuing his passion to benefit his community"--

"Chasing the Stars traces the history of the University of Wisconsin's Washburn Observatory, where some of the world's most cutting-edge astronomical inventions were born. Learn about the earliest Indigenous stargazers, the women who worked as the first human computers, the astronomers who sold time by the stars, the scientists who shrank the Milky Way, and the crucial role Wisconsin astronomers played in the development of modern astrophysics and space astronomy. This extraordinary book features more than 100 modern and historic photographs that illustrate the people and science behind Wisconsin's astronomical innovations. Designed for lay readers and astronomers alike, Chasing the Stars inspires all of us to look up at the sky in wonder"--

"Wisconsin for Kennedy recounts how a team of Wisconsinites forged an alliance with the Kennedy family to win the make-or-break Wisconsin primary and propel JFK to the White House. By focusing on the Wisconsinites behind Kennedy's history-making success, Hollars reminds readers there was a time when politics really was personal--when people spoke nearly as loud as pocketbooks, and when the color of one's collar didn't determine one's value within a campaign. Wisconsin for Kennedy highlights the courage and commitment of Wisconsinites who came together in common cause--people from all walks of life who risked their reputations in the service of a more perfect union, a 'new frontier,' and a country willing to strive for peace and prosperity for all"

"This beautifully illustrated book for children ages 8-11 relates dramatic moments from Great Lakes maritime history in a graphic-novel style. The book's five true stories span four centuries but take place in one location: a dangerous stretch of water near Lake Michigan's western shore that is known as "Death's Door." Young readers will devour these tales of tragic accidents, mysterious disappearances, and heroic moments. The stories feature a 17th-century fur trading crew, an 18th-century Potawatomi trading party, a mail carrier and a shipbuilding family from the 19th century, and an early 20th-century basketball team. The narrator is Death's Door itself, who wonders why people insist on crossing its treacherous waters, concluding it is "because they are human. Ambitious and restless...but loving too." An informative afterword provides insight into the author's sources and features archival images and additional historical details about each of the stories"--

"Treaties made in the 1800s between the United States and the Indigenous nations of what is now Wisconsin have had profound influence on the region's cultural and political landscape. Yet few people realize that in the early part of that century, the Menominee and Ho-Chunk Nations of Wisconsin signed land treaties with several Indigenous nations from New York State. At the onset of the removal era, these eastern nations, including the Oneida Nation and the Six Nations Confederacy, were under constant pressure from the federal government and land speculators to move to lands around Green Bay and Lake Winnebago. In this groundbreaking book, Carol A. Cornelius has compiled a careful account of these nation-to-nation treaties, in large part in the words of those Indigenous leaders who served as the voices and representatives of their nations. Drawing on a rich collection of primary sources, Cornelius walks readers through how, why, and for whom these treaties were made and how the federal government's failure and unwillingness to acknowledge their legitimacy led to the further loss of Indigenous lands. The living documents transcribed here testify to the complexity and sovereignty of Indigenous governance then and now, making this volume a vital resource for historians and an accessible introduction to Indigenous treatymaking in Wisconsin"--

First published in 2007, the groundbreaking book Finding Freedom provided the first narrative account of the life of Joshua Glover, the freedom seeker who was famously broken out of jail by thousands of Wisconsin abolitionists in 1854. This paperback edition reframes Glover's story with a new foreword from historian Christy Clark-Pujara. Employing original research, authors Ruby West Jackson and Walter T. McDonald chronicle Glover's days as an enslaved person in St. Louis, his violent capture and escape in Milwaukee, his journey on the Underground Railroad, and his thirty-three years of freedom in rural Canada. While the catalytic "Glover incident" captured national attention--pitting the state of Wisconsin against the Supreme Court and adding fuel to the pre-Civil War fire--the primary focus is on the ordinary citizens, both Black and white, with whom Joshua Glover interacted. A bittersweet story of bravery and compassion, Finding Freedom provides the first full picture of the man for whom so many fought and around whom so much history was made.

"In a lively collection of feature obituaries and related news stories, longtime newspaper reporter George Hesselberg celebrates life, sharing the most fascinating stories that came from decades of covering the obit and public safety beats. In more than forty years at the Wisconsin State Journal, Hesselberg frequently found himself writing about fatal accidents, crime investigations, and the deaths of the wealthy, famous, or notorious. But he was most drawn to the curious, the unknown, and the unsung-the deaths that normally wouldn't make much of a splash, if any mention at all, in the news columns of a daily paper. Digging deeper, he uncovered the extraordinary among the ordinary, memorializing the lives of a sword designer, a radio villain, a pioneering female detective, a homeless woman who spoke fluent French, a beloved classroom tarantula, and many more. Their stories are alternately amusing, sad, surprising, and profound. Together they speak to a shared human experience and inspire us to see the people around us with new eyes, valuing the lives while they are still being lived"--

Madison made history in the sixties. Landmark civil rights laws were passed. Pivotal campus protests were waged. A spring block party turned into a three-night riot. Factor in urban renewal troubles, a bitter battle over efforts to build Frank Lloyd Wright's Monona Terrace, and the expanding influence of the University of Wisconsin, and the decade assumes legendary status. In this first-ever comprehensive narrative of these issues--plus accounts of everything from politics to public schools, construction to crime, and more--Madison historian Stuart D. Levitan chronicles the birth of modern Madison with style and well-researched substance. This heavily illustrated book also features annotated photographs that document the dramatic changes occurring downtown, on campus, and to the Greenbush neighborhood throughout the decade. Madison in the Sixties is an absorbing account of ten years that changed the city forever.

"Water has been so critical to Milwaukee's development that imagining the community without it is virtually impossible. Milwaukee was literally built on water -- along the shores of Lake Michigan and its three main rivers, the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic, and on top of countless tons of landfill that raised the entire city out of the wetlands in the 1850s. Water was also the driving force behind many elements of Milwaukee's evolution, for transportation, industry, recreation, sanitation, or simply as the backdrop for daily life."--Provided by publisher.

"Beginning with the arrival of the first large wave of agricultural and industrial workers in the early 1920s, Wisconsin's Mexican community has played an integral role in the state's cultural, social, economic, and religious history. Although some came as migrant laborers who worked as seasonal workers and then returned to their homes and families in Mexico, a large number of Mexican immigrants settled across the state's cities and rural towns and in the process developed vibrant communities. Arriving after the settlement of most European-origin immigrants, Mexicans strove to carve out their own space in Wisconsin and its unique immigrant history. This manuscript will endeavor to tell both the story of those who came and those who stayed to make Wisconsin their home. Unlike many other immigrant groups, especially those from Europe, who witnessed a sharp decline in immigration beginning in the 1920s, Mexican immigration to Wisconsin has continued and grown to the present day. With communities across Wisconsin, ranging from Milwaukee to Wautoma to Green Bay to La Crosse, Mexicans have become integral members of the state's various communities, culture, and economies. Today, Mexicans rank as the third largest race or ethnicity category in Wisconsin, trailing only Non-Hispanic whites and Non-Hispanic Blacks. Despite having a sizable presence in Wisconsin since the 1920s, however, manuscript-length writing regarding the state's Mexican community has been limited. This manuscript will contribute to the growing field of historical research documenting this nearly century old community."--Provided by publisher.

Told in prose and verse, this unique American Indian memoir poetically charts the author's journey of personal discovery--from schoolyard bullies and workplace racism to lifelong love and the Green Bay Packers--as he endeavors to "be an Indian in the 21st Century."

Cream City Chronicles is a collection of lively stories about the people, the events, the landmarks, and the institutions that have made Milwaukee a unique American community. These stories represent the best of historian John Gurda's popular Sunday columns that have appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel since 1994. Find yourself transported back to another time, when the village of Milwaukee was home to fur trappers and traders. Follow the development of Milwaukee's distinctive neighborhoods, its rise as a port city and industrial center, and its changing political climate. From singing mayors to summer festivals, from blueblood weddings to bloody labor disturbances, the collection offers a generous sampling of tales that express the true character of a hometown metropolis.

Place of publication from publisher's website.

Only a fraction of what is known about Madison's earliest African American settlers and the vibrant and cohesive communities they formed has been preserved in traditional sources. The rest is contained in the hearts and minds of their descendants. Seeing a pressing need to preserve these experiences, lifelong Madison resident Muriel Simms collected the stories of twenty-five African Americans whose families arrived, survived, and thrived here in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While some struggled to find work, housing, and acceptance, they describe a supportive and enterprising community that formed churches, businesses, and social clubs--and frequently came together in the face of adversity and conflict. A brief history of African American settlement in Madison begins the book to set the stage for the oral histories.

Head "into the wild" on a thru-hiking journey along the famous Ice Age Trail with wanderer and wonderer Melanie Radzicki McManus. In thirty-six days, McManus hiked the National Scenic Trail's 1,100 miles, landing her in the elite group of thru-hikers known as the "Thousand-Milers." In prose that's alternately harrowing and humorous, she winds readers through forests, prairies, wetlands, and farms and into the neighborhood bars and gathering places of far-flung small towns. Woven throughout are details of the trail's history and helpful insights for undertaking a successful thru-hike.

From origin stories to contemporary struggles over treaty rights and sovereignty issues, Indian Nations of Wisconsin explores Wisconsin's rich Native tradition. This unique volume includes compact tribal histories of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Oneida, Menominee, Mohican, Ho-Chunk, and Brothertown Indians. Author Patty Loew focuses on oral tradition--stories, songs, the recorded words of Indian treaty negotiators, and interviews--along with other untapped Native sources, such as tribal newspapers, to present a distinctly different view of history. Lavishly illustrated with maps and photographs, Indian Nations of Wisconsin is indispensable to anyone interested in the region's history and its Native peoples.

"A stray dog wanders the Milwaukee docks until he realizes his calling--to be a ship dog! After being rescued from the Milwaukee River, Sport lives on the lighthouse tender ship the Hyacinth. He helps the crew as they deliver supplies to lighthouses and maintains buoys and other safety features on the lake. Over time Sport also becomes popular among the lighthouse tenders' families, crew members of other ships. When Sport is separated from his crew in Chicago, he is recognized and hitches a ride on a passenger ship to be reunited with the Hyacinth in Milwaukee. Through Sport's story, young readers will learn how working on Lake Michigan during the early 20th century was both dangerous and thrilling, and about the role of the lighthouse tender in keeping the lake safe. The book will include a page of historical background in the back, and factual information is incorporated onto several spreads to help kids learn about life on a lighthouse tender in the early twentieth century"--

Jerry App's farm stories open the barn door to understanding life in the country. "Even with the all the hard work, we had more time (perhaps we took more time) to enjoy what was all around us: nights filled with starlight, days with clear blue skies and puffy clouds. Wonderful smells everywhere--fresh mown hay, wildflowers, and apple blossoms. Interesting sounds--the rumble of distant thunder, an owl calling in the woods, a flock of Canada geese winging over in the fall." In this paperback edition of a beloved Jerry Apps classic, the rural historian tells stories from his childhood days on a small central Wisconsin dairy farm in the 1930s and 1950s. From a January morning memory of pancakes piled high after chores, to a June day spent learning to ride a pony named Ginger, Jerry moves through the turn of the seasons and teaches gentle lessons about life on the farm. With recipes associated with each month and a new introduction exclusive to this 2nd edition, Living a Country Year celebrates the rhythms of rural life with warmth and humor.

"In March of 2020, shortly after Wisconsin began receiving positive cases of COVID-19, writer and professor B. J. Hollars struck out to create a collaborative writing project to bridge the emotional distance created by way of our physical social distancing. Drawing upon Emily Dickinson's famous poem, "Hope Is The Thing with Feathers," Hollars put out a call for Wisconsinites to reflect on their own glimpses of hope in the COVID-19 era. The guidelines were simple: five hundred words or less, and a title that borrowed from Dickinson's format: "Hope is the Thing [Fill in the Blank]." The call resulted in an avalanche of submissions, each of which reflects on hope's ability to persist and flourish, even in the darkest times. The one hundred contributors represent a variety of backgrounds, from truck driver to poet laureate, from middle school student to octogenarian. They are racially diverse, geographically diverse, and culturally diverse, representing a rough cross section of Wisconsin voices. Some are seasoned writers, while others have never been published. The result is a book-length exploration of the depth and range of hope as its currently being experienced by Wisconsinites in the midst of this crisis, as well as an important record of what Wisconsinites are facing and feeling through these historic times"--

"A gardening guide for kids and their grownups, with projects, recipes, and more"--Cover.

This inspiring and educational book presents examples of LGBTQ+ activism throughout Wisconsin's history for young people to explore and discuss. Drawing from a rich collection of primary sources--including diary entries, love letters, zines, advertisements, oral histories, and more--the book provides a jumping-off point for readers who are interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ history and activism, as well as for readers who want to build on the work of earlier activists. We Will Always Be Here shines a light on powerful and often untold stories from Wisconsin's history, featuring individuals across a wide spectrum of identities and from all corners of the state. The LGBTQ+ people, allies, and activists in this guide changed the world by taking steps that young people can take today--by educating themselves, telling their own stories, being true to themselves, building communities, and getting active. The aim of this celebratory book is not only to engage young people in Wisconsin's LGBTQ+ history, but also to empower them to make positive change in the world.