Wisconsin History and State Facts

Bounded on the south by the state of Illinois, on the east and the north by Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan, and on the west by the states of  Minnesota and Iowa. 
  

• The first settlement in 1745 near Green Bay was established by the French.

• Wisconsin Territory was created in 1836 and became the 30th state on May 29, 1848.
• Population - 1890   1,686,880
• Population - 1920    2,631,839
    

Wisconsin is nicknamed the Badger State.  In the early lead-mining days in Southwestern Wisconsin, the miners from Southern Illinois and farther south returned home every winter and came back to the diggings in the spring, thus imitating the migrations of the fish popularly called the "sucker," in the Rock  Illinois and other south-flowing rivers of the region.  For this reason, the south-winterers were jocosely called "Suckers" and Illinois became known as "The Sucker State"  On the other hand, lead miners from the Eastern States were unable to return home every winter, and at first lived in rude dug-outs--burrowing into the hillsides after the fashion of the badger.  These men were the first permanent settlers in the mines north of the Illinois line; and thus Wisconsin in later days became dubbed "The Badger State"  Contrary to general belief, the badger itself is not frequently found in Wisconsin.  (Source:  1899 Wisconsin Blue Book)

Wisconsin Genealogy on GeneaSearch:

Wisconsin State Officials in 1899

Wisconsin Government Officers in 1903