Quick Facts: Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.. It is bordered by Minnesota and Iowa to the west, Michigan and Lake Superior to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, with Iowa and Illinois to the south.

ABBREVIATION: WI
NICKNAME: The Badger State
POPULATION: 5,960,975 (2024 est.)
CAPITAL: Madison
STATE BIRD: Cardinal
STATE FLOWER: Wood Violet
AREA: 65,498 sq. mi.
TIME ZONE: Central
ENTERED UNION: May 29, 1848
ALTITUDE: High, 1,951 ft. Timms Hill
CLIMATE: Warm summers, cold winters, both marked by extremes of temperature. Moderate rainfall.

Wholly agricultural when it joined the Union in 1848, Wisconsin to this day appears predominantly rural. On the uplands of the interior and on the ridges and lowlands of the east, the tillable soil left by the glacial ice sheet, combined with an annual rainfall of 30 to 35 inches and a growing season of 120 to 180 days, makes this region the dairy capital of the nation.

Each year its farms produce over three billion gallons of milk from over a million dairy cows, almost 14% of the country’s total output. As much as 90% of Wisconsin’s milk is made into cheese and 90% of that famous Wisconsin Cheese is sold outside of the state’s borders. Wisconsin has led the United States in cheese-making since 1910 and produces over 25% of the country’s total output.

The state is also a major grower of hay, corn, peas, beets, and cranberries. Wisconsin is usually a top ten state for livestock products and total agricultural production.

Yet, like much of the Midwest, Wisconsin offsets the man on the land with the man in the city. For, despite agriculture’s importance, the number of people living on farms is about 137,000; only about 2.4% of the total population.

Most of the population is concentrated in the southeast, whose highways, rail lines, rivers, and Great Lakes ports like Milwaukee help to make Wisconsin one of the top 5 states for manufacturing.

Milwaukee itself is a major manufacturer of heavy machinery and is known as “The Machine Shop of the World”, and they have a pretty good track record when it comes to beer production too; Oshkosh is probably best known for OshKosh B’Gosh, a manufacturer of overalls and children’s clothing founded in Oshkosh in 1895.

The town is also well known its production of severe heavy duty all wheel drive defense or military trucks, aircraft or emergency rescue, and fire and emergency trucks; and the city of Green Bay has a great reputation in the production of paper, plastics, steel furniture, tissue paper, gloves, fertilizers, clothing, and auto parts, just to name a few.

Anyway you look at it, knows how to manufacture products.

Cows at a dairy farm in Wisconsin

Of the states west of the Alleghenies, Wisconsin was among the first to be populated largely by immigrants who came directly from continental Europe after the political upheavals of 1848.

Today many of the state’s communities retain a distinctive European flavor. Swiss-Americans dominate the cheese-making town of New Glarus, near Madison. German-Americans brought their brewing skills to their new home in Milwaukee.

Russians live around Lake Winnebago, while Icelanders have clustered on Washington Island. In addition there are groups of Poles, Norwegians, and Austrians scattered about the state.

“We are not a melting pot, but a beef stew”, John Rector Barton, once a University of Wisconsin sociologist, had observed. “We were all thrown together in the same pot, but the beef remained the same, and the carrots the same, and the peas the same.”

Fun Facts:

The first hydroelectric plant in the country was built on the Fox River in Appleton in 1882.
Baraboo is the birthplace of the Ringling Brothers Circus.
The first snow-machine patent was issued to Carl Eliason of Sayner, Wisconsin. Today the state has more than 25,000 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, with over 200,000 registered snowmobiles (2015 est.).
In 1856 a German immigrant named Margarethe Schurz opened the first kindergarten in the United States in Watertown. Her concept of teaching young children through play quickly spread across the U.S.
Door County, which includes Door Peninsula, has more than 250 miles of shoreline, more than any other county in the United States.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in Pepin in 1867. Her famous ‘Little House’ books are based on her childhood life in the forests and prairies of the Midwest.

History:

The history of Wisconsin is a story of ancient cultures, European exploration, frontier development, immigration, and industrial growth. From its earliest Native American inhabitants to its status as a Midwestern hub of agriculture, education, and manufacturing, Wisconsin has played a vital role in shaping the American experience.

Long before European contact, Wisconsin was home to various Indigenous cultures. The ancient Hopewell and Mississippian peoples built large earth mounds, some of which remain today, such as those at Aztalan State Park. Later, tribes like the Menominee, Ojibwe (Chippewa), Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Potawatomi, and Sauk lived throughout the region.

They hunted, fished, and traded across the Great Lakes and river systems, developing strong cultural traditions and social networks.

European exploration began in the 1600s with French explorers and fur traders. Jean Nicolet is believed to be the first European to reach what is now Wisconsin in 1634, arriving on behalf of the French government in search of a water route to Asia.

The French soon established fur trading posts and missionary stations, forming alliances with Native tribes. The fur trade, especially in beaver pelts, became the foundation of Wisconsin’s early European economy.

In the 1760s, control of the region passed from France to Britain after the French and Indian War, and then to the United States following the American Revolution.

The area became part of the Northwest Territory and was later organized as part of the Michigan Territory before becoming its own territory in 1836. During this period, settlers began arriving in greater numbers, drawn by fertile land, lead mining opportunities, and growing transportation networks.

Wisconsin became the 30th state of the Union on May 29, 1848. In the mid-19th century, it experienced a large influx of immigrants, especially from Germany, Scandinavia, Ireland, and Poland. These groups contributed to Wisconsin’s agricultural traditions, building farms, churches, and tight-knit communities.

German immigrants in particular had a significant cultural and political influence, helping to shape Wisconsin’s progressive spirit.

As the state developed, dairy farming became a key industry. By the early 20th century, Wisconsin had earned the nickname “America’s Dairyland” due to its leadership in cheese and milk production. Meanwhile, cities like Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison grew as centers of brewing, meatpacking, paper production, and education.

Wisconsin also played a role in national reform movements. It was a leader in the Progressive Era in the early 1900s, thanks to figures like Governor Robert M. La Follette, who promoted workers’ rights, government transparency, and corporate regulation.

The University of Wisconsin system became a model of the “Wisconsin Idea,” promoting public service and research to improve lives statewide.

In modern times, Wisconsin remains a blend of rural tradition and urban innovation. It has continued to balance manufacturing, agriculture, education, and healthcare while navigating political and economic changes.