The name Wisconsin is generally believed to come from the Ojibwe language meaning "Gathering of Waters". The state nickname is the "Badger State" and probably originated from the early 19th century lead miners in southwestern Wisconsin, known as the badgers. One story goes that they got their nicknames from burrowing into the ground mining lead, but another version says that they actually lived in abandoned mine shafts much like the badger in his den. Wisconsin's State Animal is also the Badger and the State Flower is the Wood Violet.
Jean Nicolet, a French explorer looking for fur pelts and the Northwest Passage, landed at what is now Green Bay in 1634. He was greeted by friendly members of the Chippewa (Ojibwe), Menominee, Oneida, Potawatomi and Winnebago Indian Tribes. Eventually trade was established between France and the Native Americans. France relinquished their American territory, including Wisconsin, to Great Britain in 1763 as part of the Treaty of Paris. Great Britain ceded their claim to Wisconsin to the United States in 1783, an in 1787, by the Northwest Ordinance, Wisconsin became part of the vast territory north and west of the Ohio River. From this Northwest Territory would come the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. On July 3, 1836 the Wisconsin territory was created, comprised of current day Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and part of the Dakotas. Henry Dodge was the first governor and the capital was at Belmont. Madison was chosen as the permanent capital in October of that same year. Wisconsin became the 30th state in the United States on May 29, 1848 with Nelson Dewey as the first Governor.
Wisconsin ranks 26th in total area among the 50 states with 56,154 square miles of total land area or 34,760,751 total acres. This includes 15,057 lakes totaling 982,155 acres or 1439 square miles, State Forests totaling 471,329 acres, and 60,570 acres of State Parks. Wisconsin is 320 miles long and 295 miles wide. It has 1,265 towns, 395 villages, 190 cities and 72 counties. The population, by the 1990 census, was 4,891,769 with nearly 25% of the residents living in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin's Geology is largely due to ancient glaciers that carved and molded much of the landscape. The kettle Moraine area features such distinctive glacial features as drumlins, eskers, till plains, moraines and marshes. Most of the state consists of gently rolling plains with Northern Wisconsin being heavily forested with second-growth hardwoods and evergreens. There are also sandstone and limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. The state is bordered on the north by Upper Michigan and Lake Superior and on the south by the state of Illinois. Lake Michigan is the eastern border while the Mississippi River forms much of the western border along with Iowa and Minnesota.
Wisconsin has an average annual temperature of 43 degrees F. with a more normal range of 0 degrees F. to 80 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 30 inches and the average snowfall is 45 inches, however the record annual snowfall exceeds 130 inches. What better place could there be to create the world's first ice cream sundae?
Agriculture, Tourism and Industry are the major components of the Wisconsin economy. Agriculture is mainly comprised of cheese and dairy products, cattle and hog production, vegetables, cranberries, fruits and ginseng. Wisconsin produces more ginseng and milk than any other state. Auto manufacturing, electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, food processing, machinery and paper products are the major components of industry.
Jean Nicolet, a French explorer looking for fur pelts and the Northwest Passage, landed at what is now Green Bay in 1634. He was greeted by friendly members of the Chippewa (Ojibwe), Menominee, Oneida, Potawatomi and Winnebago Indian Tribes. Eventually trade was established between France and the Native Americans. France relinquished their American territory, including Wisconsin, to Great Britain in 1763 as part of the Treaty of Paris. Great Britain ceded their claim to Wisconsin to the United States in 1783, an in 1787, by the Northwest Ordinance, Wisconsin became part of the vast territory north and west of the Ohio River. From this Northwest Territory would come the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. On July 3, 1836 the Wisconsin territory was created, comprised of current day Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and part of the Dakotas. Henry Dodge was the first governor and the capital was at Belmont. Madison was chosen as the permanent capital in October of that same year. Wisconsin became the 30th state in the United States on May 29, 1848 with Nelson Dewey as the first Governor.
Wisconsin ranks 26th in total area among the 50 states with 56,154 square miles of total land area or 34,760,751 total acres. This includes 15,057 lakes totaling 982,155 acres or 1439 square miles, State Forests totaling 471,329 acres, and 60,570 acres of State Parks. Wisconsin is 320 miles long and 295 miles wide. It has 1,265 towns, 395 villages, 190 cities and 72 counties. The population, by the 1990 census, was 4,891,769 with nearly 25% of the residents living in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin's Geology is largely due to ancient glaciers that carved and molded much of the landscape. The kettle Moraine area features such distinctive glacial features as drumlins, eskers, till plains, moraines and marshes. Most of the state consists of gently rolling plains with Northern Wisconsin being heavily forested with second-growth hardwoods and evergreens. There are also sandstone and limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. The state is bordered on the north by Upper Michigan and Lake Superior and on the south by the state of Illinois. Lake Michigan is the eastern border while the Mississippi River forms much of the western border along with Iowa and Minnesota.
Wisconsin has an average annual temperature of 43 degrees F. with a more normal range of 0 degrees F. to 80 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 30 inches and the average snowfall is 45 inches, however the record annual snowfall exceeds 130 inches. What better place could there be to create the world's first ice cream sundae?
Agriculture, Tourism and Industry are the major components of the Wisconsin economy. Agriculture is mainly comprised of cheese and dairy products, cattle and hog production, vegetables, cranberries, fruits and ginseng. Wisconsin produces more ginseng and milk than any other state. Auto manufacturing, electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, food processing, machinery and paper products are the major components of industry.