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Wisconsin Genealogy & History
A Family Heritage Resource

Read our BookReviews

ORDER
Wisconsin, Land
of Change: An
Illustrated History

ORDER
Women's Wisconsin:
From Native
Matriarchies to the
New Millennium

ORDER
History Just Ahead: A Guide to Wisconsin's Historical Markers

ORDER
Wisconsin Frontier
(History of the
Trans-Appalachian
Frontier)

ORDER
Vintage
Milwaukee
Postcards

ORDER
History of
Milwaukee
City and County
(Volume III)

Wisconsin -- called New York's "sister state" due to the many early settlers who arrived from there -- is on the western shore of Lake Michigan. Once home to many Native American peoples, Wisconsin was explored by the French, conquered by the British, and then ceded to the young United States. In the 1830s, the Wisconsin Territory attracted settlers from New England and New York, then from European countries such as Germany, followed later by those from Switzerland, Ireland, Bohemia, Poland, more. Wisconsin became the 30th state in 1848. Milwaukee is its largest city.

Here are resources for people doing genealogy and family history research that includes Wisconsin.

GO TO:  Introduction | History | Immigrants | Genealogy | Maps

Introduction   [ Top ]

Wisconsin's History, Culture and Economy: an introduction to the early fur trade, lead mining, wheat farming, dairies, lumbering, and much more that shaped Wisconsin's economy and culture. Wisconsin Territory, a key step toward statehood, was inaugurated July 4, 1836, in Mineral Point in the lead mining district, Henry Dodge the first governor. A Brief Wisconsin Chronology up to 1948, Wisconsin's 150th birthday, and a short Timeline of Wisconsin's historical dates. How Wisconsin was explored and governed after the War of 1812 -- with many more articles such as: ·  Green Bay Girlhood in the 1820s ·  Founding of Sheboygan in the 1830s, recalled    by early woman settler ·  First German Women to settle in Milwaukee in    the 1840s ·  A Connecticut Yankee describes Wisconsin's    virtues and the Baraboo area in the 1840s ·  Pioneer Czech Settlers in Langlade County Sampling of Wisconsin History through first-hand accounts of journeys, new ideas, women, more. Routes to Wisconsin: the St. Lawrence River, Erie Canal, Great Lakes, Ohio River, and Mississippi River all were key travel routes to the state as shown on this 1854 map. Harbor Towns and Cities: Lake Michigan's west shore has many ports, from Kenosha and Racine in the south to Green Bay and Marinette up north. Introduction to Milwaukee: overview, history, and recent developments in Wisconsin's biggest city. Old Milwaukee: a sketch of early Milwaukee history and culture by William George Bruce, in Wisconsin Magazine of History online. Milwaukee Streets:  early street names and the name changes vital to understanding old records in view of today's city. Links to the Past for Milwaukee: a wealth of resources on history and genealogy including early census records, directories, history books. Letters from Early Milwaukee: 1836-1846 letters by Increase A. Lapham  portray the rapid growth of the young city, plus weather, agriculture, arrival of German immigrants, early industry, and more.

ORDER Wisconsin History Highlights: Delving into the Past   ORDER Great Lakes and Great Ships: An Illustrated History for Children   ORDER Milwaukee Streets: The Stories Behind Their Names   ORDER German Milwaukee: Its History ~ Its Recipes

Milwaukee's History in brief, from the producers of Milwaukee Then and Now, with then and now photos from City Hall to the Turner Hall, an historic image library.

ORDER
The Making of
Milwaukee
(Wisconsin)

ORDER
Wisconsin:
A HISTORY
.

History of Wisconsin: Volume II:
The Civil War Era, 1848-1873

History Of Wisconsin: Volume IV:
The Progressive Era, 1893-1914

History Of Wisconsin: Volume IV:
The Progressive Era, 1893-1914

ORDER
The Antiquities
of Wisconsin

ORDER
Wisconsin History:
An Annotated Bibliography

ORDER
Wisconsin (On-the-
Road Histories)

ORDER
Wisconsin Travel Companion:
A Guide to History along
Wisconsin's Highways

ORDER
On Wisconsin!:
The History of
Badger Athletics
.

ORDER
Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance
and Renewal

ORDER
Farming the Cutover:
A Social History of Northern Wisconsin, 1900-1940

ORDER
MILWAUKEE
BOOKS
Solomon Juneau,
Voyageur

Vintage
Milwaukee
Postcards

History of
Milwaukee
City and County
(Volume III)

ORDER
Byron Kilbourn
and the Development
of Milwaukee

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GENEALOGY
SHOP
Books & More

History & Heritage   [ Top ]

Wisconsin History Timeline for Kids starting 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age with Native American peoples and continuing to the present, with many pictures and maps.

Wisconsin History: major themes, from Robert Nesbit's 1973 book

Wisconsin Heritage Tours highlight the diverse cultures of the state, from the First Nations peoples to the many immigrant groups

Wisconsin History Portal from the Wisconsin Historical Society is a great place to begin exploring Wisconsin people and history through biographical and historyf articles, more Ten major turning points in Wisconsin history, from native peoples to immigration of various European nationalities to industrialization and urbanization, as well as wars

ORDER Schooners (Great Lakes Album Series)

Wisconsin Timeline in US Context: see key dates in Wisconsin history charted next to key dates for the USA and North America, starting with 1000 AD when the Oneota Indians established villages in what became the state of Wisconsin.

Chronological History of Wisconsin: a detailed outline starting with the 1634 arrival of Jean Nicolet, who was exploring for the Northwest Passage. Includes the first permanent settlement by Europeans, at Green Bay, in 1764; U.S. possession in 1783; part of the Northwest Territory in 1787; Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and statehood in 1848. Madison Chosen as the Capital and more about the history of Madison, also home to the main campus of the  University of Wisconsin

ORDER Madison: The Illustrated Sesquicentennial History, Volume 1, 1856-1931

Wisconsin History Timeline & Genealogy: see how a genealogist looks at the usefulness of an area's historical timeline.

Fur Trade Timeline: see explorers, fur traders and settlers  in the larger context of French, British and American eras in Wisconsin.

Old World Wisconsin: explore Wisconsin rural life of the past at this living history museum south of Eagle in Waukesha County. It is one of the Wisconsin Historical Society's 10 historic sites.

Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives: search for ancestors, how they came to Wisconsin, where they lived, more

How "On Wisconsin" finally became Wisconsin's official state song and why Wisconsin is the "Badger State."

History of Milwaukee River Basin: the area  during periods of the Native Americans, European explorers, early development, more Timeline of Milwaukee History: from its founding to today -- follow links to the "bridge war," Socialist era, and much more Milwaukee Historical Facts:  "fast facts" starting with M including mayors, population from 1840, oldest buildings including the Greek Revival Benjamin Church House Beginnings, Dates and Events:  Chapter 16 of The History of Milwaukee, City and County, Volume I, [pdf format] edited by popular historian William George Bruce.

ORDER Cream City Chronicles: Stories of Milwaukee's Past   READ a review of Cream City Chronicles

See the table of contents of The History of Milwaukee, City and County, with links to all of the chapters.
.

ORDER
Milwaukee
Then and Now

READ review
of Milwaukee
Then and Now

ORDER
Milwaukee

ORDER
Art Poster Print:  Milwaukee, City of, 1873
.

ORDER
They Came to Wisconsin (New
Badger History)

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German Immigrants (Immigration to the
United States)

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Swiss in
Wisconsin

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Immigrants in
America - The
German Americans

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Welsh in Wisconsin:
(People of Wisconsin)

Immigrants to Wisconsin   [ Top ]

Immigrants to Wisconsin: from England, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, Poland, Switzerland and more.

Arrival of German Immigrants: in the 1840s, Milwaukee became known as the German Athens due to its rich German culture

Germans in Wisconsin: including why Milwaukee was a German Athens

Germans to New Holstein in Calumet County, immigrants from Schleswig-Holstein

Germans to Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, on Lake Michigan

How German is American? looks at the clubs established by German immigrants, including the Turnverein, and mentions New Berlin, New Glarus, New Holstein, Milwaukee, Plymouth, Watertown, Dodge County. Introduction to exploration of German-American identity.

German, Scandinavian and other immigrants influenced music and art in early Milwaukee.

Immigrants from Bohemia, today the Czech Republic, including two Petura families who settled in Racine

Swiss from Glarus Canton to Wisconsin, including the founders of New Glarus

Swiss immigration to Wisconsin: 1826-1900

Map of Wisconsin counties in 1880 shows the percentage of settlers from Germany with Milwaukee, Sheboygan, and Calumet counties among those in the highest category.

Large version of 1890 map shows Milwaukee County and Sheboygan County in darkest brown, thus with the highest concentration of European- born German speakers at that time

History book online:  Milwaukee Illustrated: its trade, commerce, manufacturing interests, and advantages as a residence city. See pp 6-7 for settlers before 1837 including the city's founders and also Benjamin Church

Picturing Milwaukee Neighborhoods: illustrated essay on the city's historic development and ethnic roots

Historic Irish Third Ward of Milwaukee

Milwaukee Neighborhoods Today:  the distinctive parts of town and and more on the city's neighborhoods

Map of Milwaukee Neighborhoods with links to photos

Eastside and Westside Milwaukee maps, indexed with historic and major buildings

Registered Historic Places in Milwaukee County, including the Benjamin Church House, plus Benjamin Church House photographs and also many different historic scenes of the city from the Milwaukee Public Library collection

ORDER
Wisconsin Then and
Now: The Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Rephotography Project

ORDER
Germans in
Wisconsin

ORDER
Wisconsin Office of
Emigration 1852-1855
and Its Impact on German Immigration
to the State

ORDER
Illuminating
the Particular: Photographs of
Milwaukee's Polish
South Side

ORDER
German-American
Urban Culture:
Writers & Theaters
in Early Milwaukee

ORDER
The University of Wisconsin: A
Pictorial History

ORDER
Wisconsin
Simply Beautiful
.

ORDER
Profiles of Wisconsin
(History, Statistics, and
Demographics for Wisconsin)

ORDER
It Happened
in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin's
German
Element

ORDER
In Search of Your German Roots. The Complete Guide
to Tracing Ancestors in Germanic Areas
of Europe

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Wisconsin

ORDER
MILWAUKEE
BOOKS

The German
Immigrant Press
in Milwaukee

Immigrant
Milwaukee
1836-1860:
Accommodation
and Community
in a Frontier City

ORDER
Genealogist's Guide
to Discovering Your Germanic Ancestors

ORDER
West Milwaukee (Images of America)

ORDER
Irish Milwaukee
(Images
of America)

VISIT OUR
GENEALOGY
SHOP
Books, Family
Tree Software
& More

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South Milwaukee (Images of America)

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Walking Tours
of Wisconsin's
Historic Towns

ORDER
Map Guide to the
U.S. Federal
Censuses,
1790-1920

ORDER
Tracking Down
Your Ancestors

ORDER
Your Guide to the Federal Census: For Genealogists, Researchers, and Family Historians

ORDER
The Unpuzzling Your
Past Workbook:
Essential Forms and
Letters for All Genealogists

Wisconsin Genealogy   [ Top ]

Wisconsin State Genealogical Society

Genealogical and History Societies listed for regions of Wisconsin. Others not listed include:
·  New Holstein Historical Society
·  Milwaukee County HIstorical Society
·  Milwaukee County Genealogical Society
·  Sheboygan County Historical Research Center including genealogy resources

Wisconsin Historical Society:  Genealogy resources including  to biography index, articles online and Vital Records database to search.

Wisconsin History Dictionary with many brief biographies and location descriptions including Milwaukee's three key  founders --  Juneau, Kilbourn and Walker -- and the influential Milwaukeean William George Bruce, author, publisher, historian and public servant.

Wisconsin Magzine of History and ways to search the magazine's archives for ancestors

Political Graveyard for Wisconsin, showing where politicians are buried plus bio info, including William George Bruce

Library Catalog of the University of Wisconsin includes Wisconsin Historical Society holdings or search WHS Archives for people, places

University of Wisconsin Collection has many resources to search about students, alumni

Books We Own - Wisconsin with look-up volunteers in selected volumes

Wisconsin Ancestors: offers family group sheets, obituaries, news articles for all of Washington and Ozaukee counties plus some for Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Marathon, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Sheboygan, Waukesha and Wood Counties. Search here for ancestors.

Wisconsin Vital Records searchable online database, with ability to purchase actual historic records through the WHS

Wisconsin Vital Records: details on the status of  the state's birth, marriage and death records

Area Research Centers, housing the historic records created in each area of Wisconsin, including naturalization papers, typically housed on University of Wisconsin campuses

Family History Centers: search for 24 LDS centers in Wisconsin, where you can use books, computer tools and order microfilms, books.

Genealogy Services: Wisconsin Vital Records from state's DHFS, with time periods for birth, death, marriage records. Note: no divorce records before 1907 housed in Madison

Wisconsin Local History Network: resources including documents and histories online and an extensive surname locator

Census Records for Wisconsin: search by county or census year for the partial records

Census Transcription for Wisconsin: for 1840 through 1930, partial

FamilySearch: free search of the 1880 Census, plus individual genealogical records

Cyndi's List for Wisconsin: large listing that is a useful starting place for genealogy research in the state and in its many localities

Wisconsin Resources at GenealogySpot.com

Genealogy Wisconsin: varied resources

Migrations Wisconsin: see family migrations in and out of Wisconsin by county including Calumet, Milwaukee, Racine, Sheboygan

Wisconsin GenForum: a place to post queries about ancestors in Wisconsin

GenForums List for Wisconsin Counties, that includes these and more:
·  Calumet County
·  Manitowoc County
·  Milwaukee County
·  Racine County
·  Sheboygan County
·  Wood County

GenForums by Surname staring with Aa

Rootsweb Archives search engine

Rootsweb Resources for Wisconsin and a listing of Wisconsin resources including a surname search engine for Roots-L

Rootsweb Discussion Lists - 30,000+ that includes:
·  Wisconsin Lists by county or
·  Specialty Lists:   Wisconsin Cemeteries,
   Wisconsin Lookups and more

Germans in Wisconsin discussion list from Rootsweb

WIGenWeb: genealogy resources transcribed and posted by volunteers, free to use

WIGenWeb county projects: the list includes county coordinators, links to counties including:
·  Calumet County
·  Manitowoc County
·  Milwaukee County
·  Racine County
·  Sheboygan County
·  Wood County

SE Wisconsin Genealogy: many links to helpful resources

Wisconsin Genealogy:  resources listed by Kindred Trails, many with links to services only available for a fee

Wisconsin Genealogy on Geneasearch, including a large list of look-up volunteers, biographies, more

WIRoots: a guide to genealogy resources county by county, with historical maps

Wisconsin Historical Society Press covers history, culture:  browse the full booklist

Milwaukee Genealogy   [ Top ]

Links to the Past for Milwaukee:  a major source for genealogy and history with a wealth of resources such as early  census indexes and the 1848-1849 City Directory

Milwaukee County GenWeb with surname lists, look ups, links, more

Wisconsin GenWeb - Milwaukee County
with indexes for early Milwaukee histories, early census records, obits, more

GenForum for Milwaukee County

Milwaukee Genealogical Society

Genealogy Guide to the resources of the Metropolitan Milwaukee area

Milwaukee County Historical Society and the building that houses the MCHS and details on the county's area historical societies

Famous people with burials at Milwaukee's renowned  Forest Home Cemetery

Milwaukee Founding Families:  Pabst, Cudahy, Miller, Brumbder and more families who built industries and shaped the city [large pdf] and history articles from Larry Widen

MCHS Research Library

Milwaukee History Sources: from  libraries and city archives to books on Milwaukee

Milwaukee History & Genealogy: a family history resource

Milwaukee County Cemeteries

Other Genealogy Resources   [ Top ]

Brick Wall Genealogy Solutions: guide to the best advice on overcoming family research dead ends, with articles, lessons and more

Family Research Tips & Tools including an index to our growing series of Finding Family for Free segments

FamilySearch.org: 1880 Census, more

Genealogy Resources: links to many of the most helpful online resources for family history research, many available free, and including a section on getting started in genealogy

Relative Musings:  our blog on genealogy and family history research, including the growing number of Finding Family for Free entries
.

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ORDER
Irish in Wisconsin
(People of Wisconsin)

ORDER
Norwegians
in Wisconsin
(Ethnic Series)

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Danes in Wisconsin:
(Expanded Edition)

ORDER
Journey from Cornwall
A novel of immigrants
from Cornwall to
SW Wisconsin

ORDER
Sheboygan County (Wisconsin)
(Images of America

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Sheboygan County:
150 Years of Progress

ORDER
Finding Your German Ancestors : A
Beginner's Guide

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German-American
Names

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The Family Tree Problem Solver: Proven Methods for Scaling the Inevitable Brick Wall

ORDER
500 Brickwall
Solutions to
Genealogy Problems

ORDER
Shorewood Wisconsin (Images of America)

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(Images of America)

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Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage

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First Steps in Genealogy: A Beginner's Guide
to Researching Your
Family History
.

ORDER
Latinos in
Milwaukee (Images
of America)

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Jewish Milwaukee
(Images of America)
.

ORDER
Black Milwaukee: The
Making of an Industrial
Proletariat, 1915-45.

ORDER
The Researcher's
Guide to American
Genealogy 3rd Ed.
.

ORDER
Mapping
Wisconsin History:
Teacher's Guide

ORDER
Wisconsin's Past
and Present: A
Historical Atlas

ORDER
Great Lakes Region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin

ORDER
Rand McNally
2006 Milwaukee

ORDER
HISTORIC BOOK:
many biographies
History of
Milwaukee
City and County
(Volume III)

Maps of Wisconsin   [ Top ]

1830 Map showing the "Northwest Territory attached to Michigan; much became Wisconsin.

1854 - Routes to Wisconsin: see roles of the Erie Canal, Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Ohio River, more

1895 Wisconsin Atlas: state and county maps plus index to towns, cities

Historical Maps of Wisconsin: digital maps

Wisconsin History Reference Maps including
· Military Forts & Roads in 1805-1862
· Cities and Villages in 1848
· Wheat Yield per acre in 1870
· Head of Sheep per county in 1870
· Brewery Concentrations in 1860-1880
· Furniture Manufacturing in 1870

WorldAtlas Map Collection for Wisconsin: historic maps. outline maps, plus facts about Wisconsin, famous people, more

Maps of Wisconsin showing the north, central and southern regions of the state, and more

Wisconsin Map with links to county information

Wisconsin Counties Map from the U.S. Census Bureau, and Wisconsin Counties Map and individual county maps [in pdf format], from WisDOT

Maps of Milwaukee   [ Top ]

Territorial Milwaukee Map: showing original Juneautown, Kilbourntown, Walker's Point

Harry Baird's Plan for Milwaukee east of the Milwaukee River showing street names, some never used, and his 1835 Map

1878 Map of Milwaukee: click for a larger image and then zoom in to specific areas of the city in detail - has important buildings from city hall to schools to breweries.

Version of 1878 Map with sketches of city founders and the court house.

Milwaukee 1904 Map: with many old street names shown

Milwaukee County 1906 Map: topographic map showing extent of development

Collection of Milwaukee Maps: 12 maps from 1883 to 2000. Choose "view descriptive record" for medium-sized version and text

Map of Milwaukee Neighborhoods from 1885 to 1998 with links to photos

Milwaukee River Basin Map: showing the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnikinnic Rivers that come together at Milwaukee as well as the neighboring counties

Milwaukee Map - Downtown: detailed road map and major public buildings, rivers

See our Milwaukee History and Genealogy page for more maps

ORDER
The Atlas of
Ethnic Diversity
in Wisconsin

ORDER
Cultural Map of Wisconsin:
A Cartographic
Portrait  of the State

ORDER
Map Guide to
American Migration
Routes, 1735-1815

ORDER
The Milwaukee
Neighborhood Map
(Maps & Atlases)

ORDER
Milwaukee Bike
Map and Southeast
Wisconsin

ORDER
Sheboygan Falls
(Images of America)

ORDER
Wisconsin
(Hello USA)
.

ORDER
Indian Names on
Wisconsin's Map
.

ORDER
Wisconsin Lighthouses:
A Photographic &
Historical Guide
.

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