Battle of Bad Axe
This week in Wisconsin history, the final and most brutal engagement of the Black Hawk War occurred on August 2, 1832. Otherwise known as the Massacre at Bad Axe, after…
Phillips Fire of 1894 starts
This week in Wisconsin history, the clear-cutting by the lumber industry left massive debris behind, and on one dry summer in 1894, a huge fire would break out, bigger than…
Milwaukee Officials Arrest Jeffrey Dahmer
This week in Wisconsin history, Milwaukee officials confirmed that parts of and/or all of 11 bodies were recovered from an apartment belonging to a man named Jeffrey Dahmer on July…
The Great Heat Wave of 1936
This week in Wisconsin history, one of the hottest heat waves Wisconsin has ever endured happened on July 13, 1936. At multiple points during the week from the 7th to…
Circus World Museum Opens
This week in Wisconsin history, the Circus World Museum opened in Baraboo on July 1, 1959. Located on the 33-acre site that used to be the winter quarters for the…
The Great Marshfield Fire of 1887
This week in Wisconsin history, a fatal spark from the Central Wisconsin Railway traincar firebox nearly burned down the booming Marshfield town on June 27, 1887. The day’s windy conditions…
First Large Group of German Immigrant Arrive in Milwaukee
This week in Wisconsin history, nearly 800 German immigrants arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 15, 1839. By the 1850s, the German population reached 38,000 and would jump to 184,000…
The Circus Day Tornado
This week in Wisconsin history, the 9th deadliest tornado in US history, and the most dangerous to ever occur in Wisconsin, touched down on June 12, 1899. Known as the…
The Madison Free Library Opens
This week in Wisconsin history, the second public library in the state opened in Madison on May 31, 1875. Known as the Madison Free Library, it inherited much of its…
Wisconsin is accepted into the Union
This week in Wisconsin history, President James Polk signed the bill accepting Wisconsin’s constitution, admitting Wisconsin into the Union on May 29, 1848. As the population in the state rose…
Ringling Brothers Perform First Circus Show
This week in Wisconsin history, the Ringling Brothers gave their first circus show performance in Baraboo, Wisconsin, on May 19, 1884. Six years later, the brothers, Al, Otto, Alf T.,…
Joseph Schlitz was born in Germany
This week in Wisconsin history, well-known Milwaukee brewer Joseph Schlitz was born in Mainz, Germany, on May 15, 1831. He immigrated to Milwaukee in 1855 before working at a brewery…