Wisconsin History

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Brief History
The following important events in the history of Wisconsin affected political jurisdictions, family movements, and record keeping.

1690–1820: Roman Catholic missionaries established the mission of St. Ignace de Michilimackinac, at Mackinac (now Michigan). The mission was the center for traders going to and from what is now Wisconsin. For records of baptisms, marriages, and burials, see the Church Records page.

1763: The British took possession of the area from the French but discouraged new settlers.

1787: Wisconsin officially became part of the U.S. Northwest Territory, but British fur traders effectively controlled the region until 1816.

1800: The present Wisconsin area was included in the Indiana Territory.

1804: Land ceded by the Sauk and Fox Indian tribes.

1806: Battle of Mole Lake, Sokaogon Ojibwe battled the Sioux over control of a local wild rice producing lake. Some 500 warriors died.

1809: The Wisconsin area was part of the Illinois Territory.

1818: The Wisconsin area was included in the Michigan Territory. The territorial governor of Michigan created the first two Wisconsin counties, Brown and Crawford.

1820s: High prices for lead attracted settlers to the mines of southern Wisconsin. The Michigan 1820 census lists residents of what is now Wisconsin.

1827: Winnebago Indians War

1829, 1833, 1837, &amp; 1842: Land ceded by the Chippewa, Ottawa and Potamoni Indian Tribes

1829, 1832, &amp; 1837: Land ceded by the Winnebago Indians

1830s: Heavy settlement began along the Lake Michigan shoreline at the sites of present-day Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha. The Michigan 1830 census lists of residents of what is now Wisconsin.

1831: Menominee Indians ceded land to the Oneida Indians (1836 &amp; 1848)

1831, 1836, &amp; 1848: Land ceded by the Menominee Indians

1832: The Black Hawk War ended the last serious Indian threat to white settlements.

1836: Congress created the Wisconsin Territory, which included lands west of the Mississippi River to the Missouri River. Much of the western portion was later transferred to the Iowa Territory, created in 1838.

1837: Land ceded by the Chippewa and Sioux

1840s: Many families arrived from Germany and New York.

1848: Wisconsin, with its present boundaries, became a state.

1861– 1865: Over 90,000 men from Wisconsin served in the Union armed forces during the Civil War.

1898: Over 300,000 men were involved in the Spanish-American War which was fought mainly in Cuba and the Philippines.

1917–1918: More than 26 million men from the United States ages 18 through 45 registered with the Selective Service. World War I over 4.7 million American men and women served during the war.

1930's:  The Great Depression closed many factories and mills. Many small farms were abandoned, and many families moved to cities.

1940–1945:  Over 50.6 million men ages 18 to 65 registered with the Selective Service. Over 16.3 million American men and women served in the armed forces during World War II.

1950–1953:  Over 5.7 million American men and women served in the Korean War.

1950's–1960's  The building of interstate highways made it easier for people to move long distances.

1964–1972:  Over 8.7 million American men and women served in the Vietnam War.

Historical Content
Histories are great sources of genealogical information. Many contain biographical information about individuals who lived in the area, including:

Local Histories
Some of the most valuable sources for family history research are local histories. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search. Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. The United States Research "History" page cites nationwide bibliographies of local histories which include histories of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin has a large number of county and regional histories, which contain much family history information. The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society has prepared every-name indexes to about fifty of the histories. The Family History Library has most of these indexes.


 * A Bibliography of American County Histories


 * United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress

State Histories Useful to Genealogists
Good genealogists strive to understand the life and times of their ancestors. In this sense, any history is useful. But certain kinds of state, county, and local histories, especially older histories published between 1845 and 1945, often include biographical sketches of prominent individuals. The sketches usually tend toward the laudatory, but may include some genealogical details. If these histories are indexed or alphabetical, check for an ancestor's name. Some examples for the State of Wisconsin are:

You can learn about the pre-statehood era of Wisconsin in the many published volumes of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Two good sources are the Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and the Northwest, Illinois, and Michigan, and Wisconsin Territorial Papers. Indexes to the territorial papers are in:


 * The Territorial Papers of the United States

The Wisconsin territorial papers collection has a few court records for 1836–1848: Bureau of Indian Affairs records 1836–1848; appointments of postmasters 1836–1848; maps 1836–1848; records of lighthouses and customs, and many other governmental records in:


 * The Territorial Papers of the United States: the Territory of Wisconsin, 1836–1848: a Microfilm Supplement.

Much historical information is included in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Magazine of History. (See the "Periodicals" page.)

A source for early Wisconsin historical information for the 1690s to the 1860s is:


 * ''Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin The papers collected in this work mainly focus on the history of Wisconsin prior to statehood. For example, volume 19 has extensive information about persons engaged in the fur trade, 1778–1817.

A source with excellent bibliographies concerning the early French traders and Indian records is:


 * "Voyageurs and Habitants: Tracing the Early French in the Great Lakes Region''

Especially useful sources for studying the history of Wisconsin are:


 * Wisconsin: Its History and Its People, 1634-1924


 * History of Wisconsin

United States History
The following are only a few of the many sources that are available:


 * The Almanac of American History, This provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.


 * Dictionary of American History, Revised ed This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations. A snippet view is available at Google books.


 * Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium  This includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.


 * Writings on American History Has the full text available at Google Books

To find more books and articles about Wisconsin 's history use the Internet Google search for phases like "Wisconsin history." Family History Library Catalog Surname Search lists many more histories under topics like:
 * WISCONSIN - HISTORY
 * WISCONSIN, [COUNTY] - HISTORY
 * WISCONSIN, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - HISTORY
 * WISCONSIN, BIBLIOGRAPHY

Web Sites

 * State Historical Society of Wisconsin
 * Wisconsin State Genealogical Society