Yesterday was the 150th Anniversary of the start of the Civil War. We've been tweeting Civil War related images all day and though it would be nice to highlight one collection in particular, the Wisconsin Goes to War: Our Civil War Experience collection. 


Wisconsin Goes to War is filled with first person stories and narratives from Wisconsin soldiers and citizens. The collection includes poems, letters, diaries and other written records that help us understand Wisconsin's part in the Civil War and how it effected us at home. 


Many of these items are hand written and were chosen based on subject matter and legibility. Many of them also include a typed transcription to help with research.


In the collection is a poem written by Jules Francois in March 1862 while in Camp Utly at Racine, Wisconsin. Here is an excerpt from the poem:


We come from the valleys of the young Badger State,
Where the prairies are so grand, so magnificent and great.
We have rallied round the banner of the brave and the free,
Around our own starry banner in Dillion's battery. 


The rest of the poem can be read in the collections. When you have time, take a look at some of the letters, they can help you get a real sense of Wisconsin's part in the Civil War. 

Bethesda Spring

Last Friday, we showed you our new Bunny Berigan Collection. Today I wanted to highlight another of our new collections, the Waukesha County History Collection.The materials selected document the industries, people, and structures important to the development of Waukesha County. Many of the images come from Warren S. O’Brien, a prolific Waukesha photographer.


The 1870s marked the beginning of the Springs Era in the city of Waukesha. As mineral springs were discovered and their waters bottled, Waukesha’s health and tourism industries flourished. Large and small bottling plants cropped up, giving rise to Waukesha’s beverage and bottling business. 

Fountain Spring House

Known as the “Saratoga of the West,” Waukesha became a nationally recognized destination for those seeking relaxation and restoration of the mind and body. Beautiful parks dotted the landscape, lakes offered recreation opportunities, and grand resorts welcomed visitors.


This image and text collections highlights this era is Waukesha history.


Take a peek and let us know what you think!

Today we thought we would share one of our new collections with you.  The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey Digital Collection contains more than 4,000 black and white photographs taken by field geologists working for the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey between 1910 and 1935.


The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, part of the University of Wisconsin–Extension, conducts research on Wisconsin’s rocks, soils, and groundwater. 


Since its official creation by the state legislature in 1897 the Survey has produced publications describing the natural history, geography, geology, soils, and groundwater of the state. WGNHS continues to produce maps and publications for geology professionals and for the general public. City and county governments, engineers, schools, and conservation groups are among those that depend on research done by the Survey for projects and developments.


The pictures show natural rock formations; Wisconsin landscapes including lakes, rivers, and dams; and economic activities such as brick making, mining, road building, and farming. The collection also includes photographs of the field parties and their families as well as a few images from neighboring states and from the Southwest.


We hope that you take a look and enjoy! 

Kenosha County is situated in the most southeastern part of Wisconsin adjoining the Illinois State border, and is this bloggers home town.

The C.E. Dewey Lantern Slide Collection contains images of this time period from the 1830s to the early 1940s. Cortland Ernest Dewey collected Kenosha County photographs, images, drawings, and maps and also provided detailed descriptions of these materials from old settlers, their descendents, and news stories.

The Louis M. Thiers Glass Negative Collection contains images from the 1880s into the 1910s. The Louis M. Thiers Glass Negative Collection is comprised of over 1,000 glass plate photographic negatives. In 1938 Mr. Thiers gave his glass negatives, albums, notebooks and other items to the Kenosha County Historical Society. The stability of the glass plates has wonderfully preserved the images of people, homes, buildings, industries, domestic and recreational scenes, animals, landscapes, and events in Kenosha County, primarily from the late 1880s into the early 1910s.

The eight books chosen for this collection represent the early days of European-American settlement in Kenosha County, document the history of Racine and Kenosha Counties, and profile prominent residents.

This collection contains amazing photographs showing Kenosha before my time. This picture on the left looks exactly like a log that me and my friends used to hang out at in Petrifying Springs park, who knows maybe it's the same one.

Check it out, Kenosha might surprise you!

The Wisconsin Oneida Language Preservation Project presents original stories and curriculum, with accompanying audio that teaches the Wisconsin Oneida language. Materials presented here include Kindergarten through Grade Six curriculum, songs, and stories, and approximately 800 stories recorded as part of the 1930-40's Works Progress Administration (WPA) project.

By UNESCO standards the language of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin is critically endangered, which means there is a real and present danger that the language will be irretrievably lost in the foreseeable future. At this point there remain only three native speakers of the Wisconsin dialect of Oneida. All of these elders are over 90 years old.

This collection is interesting and educational. The stories are available in audio files as well as paper copies. Take a look and you might discover great traditions.