Wisconsin Facts and information
Wisconsin WI admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848State Capital Madison
Wisconsin Situated in the Mid West
States having a border with Wisconsin
Iowa Minnesota Michigan Illinois
Iowa , Minnesota , Michigan , Illinois
Size of Wisconsin in Square Miles
65,498 sq mi
Major Lakes and Rivers in / through or touching Wisconsin
Lake Michigan
Lake Superior
Lake Winnebago
Wisconsin River
Mississippi River
St. Croix River
Chippewa River
Major Sports Teams
Major League Baseball Milwaukee BrewersPlay at Miller Park
Championships
AL Pennants 1982
NBA Milwaukee BucksPlay at Bradley Center
Championships 1971
National Football League Green Bay PackersPlay at Lambeau Field
NFL Championships
1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965
AFL-NFL Super Bowl Championships
1966 (I), 1967 (II)
Super Bowl Championships
1996 (XXXI)
American Hockey League Milwaukee AdmiralsPlay at Bradley Center
Main Industry and Jobs from
Agriculture
Dairy Farming
Cheese
Corn
Cranberries
Oats
Potatoes
Carrots
Cherries
Sweet Corn
Healthcare
GE Healthcare
Epic Systems
Manufacturing
Kohler Company
Rockwell Automation
Johnson Controls
Briggs & Stratton
Milwaukee Electric Tool Company
Oshkosh Truck
Harley-Davidson
Kimberly-Clark
Georgia-Pacific
Major Natural Disasters
1980 A severe and destructive thunderstorm strikes four counties in western Wisconsin
1984 F5 tornado nearly destroys the town of Barneveld, Wisconsin killing nine people, injuring nearly 200
Wisconsin Area Codes
262 414 608 715 920
Famous People Born in Wisconsin
Charles and John Ringling circus entrepreneurs
Chris Farley actor
Don Ameche actor
Frank Lloyd Wright architect
Harry Houdini magician
Liberace pianist
Orson Welles actor and producer
Spencer Tracy actor
Tyne Daly actress
Wisconsin Population
Estimated Population
1960 3,951,777
1970 4,425,944
1980 4,712,015
1990 4,904,562
2000 5,373,947
2005 5,580,757
Estimated Population in Major Cities 2004
Milwaukee 593,920
Madison 217,935 ( State Capital )
Green Bay 103,653
Kenosha 92,808
Racine 80,806
Appleton 71,895
Waukesha 66,816
Oshkosh 65,095
Eau Claire 63,897
Janesville 61,310
West Allis 60,607
La Crosse 51,507
Sheboygan 50,672
Wauwatosa 46,511
Fond du Lac 42,865
Brookfield 39,607
Wausau 38,912
New Berlin 38,896
Greenfield 36,059
Beloit 36,058
Politics
Wisconsin Government
United States Congress House of Representatives for Wisconsin
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin ( Democrat )
Congressman Mark Green ( Republican )
Congressman Ron Kind ( Democrat )
Congresswoman Gwen Moore ( Democrat )
Congressman David R. Obey ( Democrat )
Congressman Thomas Petri ( Republican )
Congressman Paul Ryan ( Republican )
Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner ( Republican )
State Governor
Jim Doyle ( Democrat )
US Senators
Herb Kohl ( Democrat ) 1989 -
Russ Feingold ( Democrat ) 1993 -
Wisconsin House Prices, Wages, Taxes
State Sales tax
5% many Counties also have an additional tax of 0.5%
Personal Income Tax
4.6% to 6.75%
Median Home Values
2000 $112,200
1990 $62,500
1980 $48,600
1970 $17,300
1960 $12,600
1950 $7,927
1940 $3,232
Some Examples of Homes Advertised in Local Newspapers
New Modern 5 bedroom Home $4,100 Appleton 1931
Double Flat $6,650 Appleton 1942
River Frontage Lot $750 Sheboygan 1951
4 bedroom Family Home $22,000 Appleton 1960
Lake Cottage $28,000 Oshkosh 1972
Some Examples of Food and Other Goods Advertised in Local Newspapers
Pure lard 15 cents per pound Wisconsin 1935
9ft X 12ft Axminster Wool Rugs From $44.95 Wisconsin 1946
Nash Statesman Car $2,345 Wisconsin 1955
Rib Roast 29 cents per pound Wisconsin 1954
Bananas 10 cents per pound Wisconsin 1963
Hoover Cleaner $59.95 Wisconsin 1963
Bananas 48 cents per pound Wisconsin 1998
Employment and Mean Annual Yearly Income
2,727,430 People Employed in Wisconsin
2005 $35,660
2000 $28,570
1990 $18,152
1980 $10,161
1970 $3,983
Old News Stories Involving Wisconsin
As we build our This Day in History Section we will include stories we find that are interesting and involve Wisconsin , we will include in this section.1920 May 11th
The number of students at Madison University now exceeds 7000 which is more than the buildings and staff can cope with
1934 April 29th
John Dillenger is still on the run from a nationwide hunt after escaping from a band of policemen with orders to catch him dead or alive 1 week ago in North woods Wisconsin, after escaping a dragnet was put up in surrounding countryside but again he escaped and is still Americas Public Enemy Number 1 and still running wild and free
1965 April 13th
The Midwest continued it's problem weather after a large number of tornadoes on Palm Sunday rivers are now at flood conditions along the Mississippi affecting Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota with mass evacuations and already a number of deaths caused by the flooding.
November 24th, 1918-La Cross, Wisconsin: F.J. Wiggert Shows off His Motorbike Invention
A homemade motorcycle was created in La Crosse by Wiggert of the Wisconsin Telephone Company in 1900. It is reported to possibly be the first in the U.S. nation as well. He had showed off this invention in a 1918 issue of a local La Cross Newspaper. This first bike ran on dry cell batteries and oil.
February 15th, 1923-Land Grants Offered to Oneida Indians
Oneida claimed land in New York this year. As a result Native Oneida Indians from both Outagamie and Brown Counties in Wisconsin would begin receiving money, which many now do in the present day.
This land was claimed on the premise that the Oneida tribe was a part of the Six Nations, which were to be separate from the states of the Union. This treaty was signed by Washington in the year 1874, and was a major factor in these tribes being able to receive rights to this land-which some can argue would not have been a fair restitution for all they been through, but a motion granted nonetheless.
June 25, 1936-Eau Clair man Recalls Custer Battle
Sixty years prior to this date was the gruesome Battle of Little Big Horn, which was coined by some writers as the “Custer Massacre”. A man by the name of D.J. O’ Malley recalls as he learned it from the Native Americans from the area.
D.J.’s stepfather was a cavalry trooper under the command of a man known as General Terry, and had brought the writer (D.J. O’ Malley) with him not far from the battlefield a year after the massacre-to Fort Keogh.
It was during this time in Fort Keogh that the writer was able to learn of the trials that the Native men went through. O’ Malley became friends with many of them and then later writes an account that is published in a local Eau Claire news publication in 1936.
August 31st, 2002-Ladysmith, Wisconsin: Mount Scenario College Closes
Mount Scenario, a college that was open since 1962, closed this day. The reason was mostly due to financial troubles, which are largely believed to be an indirect result of the September 11, 2001 tragedy in New York (the bombing of the World Trade Center).
Labor Day, 2002-Ladysmith, Wisconsin: Huge Tornado Hit
One September 2, 2002 a strong tornado with a rating as high as an F3 hit Ladysmith, WI (considered a very strong tornado). Considerable damage was done by this natural disaster entity. For instance, a water tower was knocked down that was filled with water, and a Baptist Church was hit.
October 24th, 1920-Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Native American Culture Honored
A group of people march on Wisconsin trails to celebrate the Native American culture. It is documented in the Milwaukee Journal that there were two streams of people walking in this march-one group European and one group “Indians”, as they were called then.
According to this historical documentation the two groups did not mingle, but yet this record does describe famous U.S. people of Native descent, such as Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, as well as those men who married Native American brides.
1921-Madison, Wisconsin-Equal Suffrage Bill Signed
Governor Blaine of Wisconsin signed the first civil equal rights bill in the nation. The intent of this new bill that was made law was to help women have the same rights as men (i.e. to vote, right to choose residence, right to take civil service exams). More improvements were yet to be made in this area over the years. However, in a 1942 report which appears to be an editorial, it sells the positive aspects of this law.
June 5, 1925-Fon Du Lac: First Woman Area Voter Pier Dies Suddenly
Mrs. Kate Pier died in her home the day after her 80th birthday. She was remembered for many things, including being the first women to be to be admitted into the Wisconsin Bar Association and the first woman to vote in Fon Du Lac County.
She was reported to be in her “usual health” when she passed. Additionally, she was buried on what would have been her 59th wedding anniversary and she outlived her entire wedding party.
August 25th, 1949-Black River Falls: Native American Column Writer Passes Away
Charles Running Low Cloud, a.k.a. the “Voice of the Winnebago” passed away this day. He wrote for the Black River Falls Banner-Journal for about 18 years. The name of his column was called the “Indian Report”. He wrote about a variety of different topics including those pertaining to the white man and Native relationship (then called Indians) as well as about World War II. He also wrote about religion, the weather, and so forth.
1955-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-The Discriminatory Housing Practice is Examined
African Americans were being offered the least attractive of housing opportunities during this time (which also is still the case in the present day, but even more so then). This issue was analyzed in one report, which was done of a study of Milwaukee housing during this time period.
Madison, Wisconsin 1989-Native American Treaty Rights Examined
A journal was published in Madison, Wisconsin in 1989 which thoroughly documented the people and places along with the politics of the Native American treaty rights. These specific rights largely pertain to the ones given to the Ojibwe tribe by the U.S. government in the years 1837 and 1842 which allowed this tribe to fish and hunt on their ceded territory (land made separate from the Union).
The reason this particular issue is so hotly debated is because of the changes that were made. The largest change was the fact that reservations were granted certain Native American tribes.
January 25th, 1989-Tommy Thompson Advocates School Choice
Tommy Thompson began laying out a proposal for school choice this year. This plan, if enacted as law would allow students to be placed in any school of a parent’s choosing, no matter where the family lives. He also strongly pushed for action to help young mothers break free from dependency on the welfare system.
January 31, 2001-Tommy Thompson Assumes New Position in Government
Tommy Thompson resigned as governor this year after serving in that seat for about 14 years. He is currently working now (as of 2001) for President Bush as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. On the day he resigned he summarized his years serving as governor of Wisconsin.
July 2005-Wisconsin Charges the Largest Gas Tax
In this month it is reported that Wisconsin has charged the highest gas tax of the nation (U.S.). This state charged 32.9 cents per gallon tax during this time, which is approximately one more cent than was charged by the states of Pennsylvania and Washington.
January 7th 2008 Tornado that hit Wheatland in Kenosha
An EF3 tornado strikes the town of Wheatland in Kenosha, very unusual for the time of year destroying over 100 homes , in total 4 tornados touched down in Wisconsin that day folowing a dramatic change in weather and temperatures setting new highs of 62 degrees in early January
Tourism
Door County
Wisconsin Dells
House on the Rock
Oshkosh Airshow
Circus World in Baraboo
Hunting, Fishing and Recreation in Wisconsin
Wisconsin DNR
Amnicon Falls State Park
Aztalan State Park
Belmont Mound State Park
Big Bay State Park
Big Foot Beach State Park
Black River State Forest
Blue Mound State Park
Browntown-Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area
Brule River State Forest
Brunet Island State Park
Buckhorn State Park
Capital Springs State Park and Recreation Area
Capital Springs State Park and Recreation Area
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area
Copper Culture State Park
Copper Falls State Park
Coulee Experimental State Forest
Council Grounds State Park
Devil's Lake State Park
Fischer Creek State Recreation Area
Flambeau River State Forest
Governor Dodge State Park
Governor Knowles State Forest
Governor Nelson State Park
Governor Thompson State Park
Harrington Beach State Park
Hartman Creek State Park
Havenwoods State Forest
Heritage Hill State Park
High Cliff State Park
Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area
Interstate State Park
Kettle Moraine State Forest
Kinnickinnic State Park
Kohler-Andrae State Park
Lake Kegonsa State Park
Lake Wissota State Park
Lakeshore State Park
Merrick State Park
Mill Bluff State Park
Mirror Lake State Park
Natural Bridge State Park
Nelson Dewey State Park
New Glarus Woods State Park
Newport State Park
Pattison State Park
Peninsula State Park
Perrot State Park
Peshtigo River State Forest
Point Beach State Forest
Potawatomi State Park
Rib Mountain State Park
Richard Bong State Recreation Area
Roche-A-Cri State Park
Rock Island State Park
Rocky Arbor State Park
Straight Lake State Park
Tower Hill State Park
Whitefish Dunes State Park
Wildcat Mountain State Park
Willow River State Park
Wyalusing State Park
Yellowstone Lake State Park
