| Wisconsin is a state in the United
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| | Belmont was briefly the state capital. By
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| States, and is located in the Great Lakes
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| | the 1840s, the easily accessible deposits
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| region. The capital of the state is
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| | were worked out, and experienced miners
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| Madison, and its current governor is Jim
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| | were drawn to the California Gold Rush.
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| Doyle.
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| | This period of mining before and during
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| Wisconsin, bordered by the states of
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| | the early years of statehood directly led
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| Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois,
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| | to the development of state's nickname,
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| as well as Lakes Michigan and Superior,
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| | the "Badger State". Many miners and their
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| has been part of United States territory
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| | families lived in the mines in which they
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| since the end of the American Revolution;
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| | worked until adequate above-ground
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| the Wisconsin Territory (which included
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| | shelters were built and were thus
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| parts of other current states) was formed
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| | compared to badgers.
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| on July 3, 1836. Wisconsin ratified its
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| | In the 1830-60 period, large numbers of
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| constitution March 13, 1848 and was
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| | Yankees from New England and New York
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| admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848 as
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| | flocked to Wisconsin. The New Yorkers
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| the thirtieth state.
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| | were influential in bringing dairy
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| Wisconsin's economy was originally based
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| | farming to the state. As New York was the
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| on farming (especially dairy), mining,
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| | leading dairy state at the time, migrants
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| and lumbering. In the 20th century
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| | from there brought with them the skills
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| tourism became important, and many people
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| | needed for dairy farming, as well as
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| living on former farms commuted to jobs
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| | butter and cheese production.
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| elsewhere. Large-scale industrialization
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| | Other Yankees settled in towns or cities
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| began in the late 19th century in the
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| | where they set up businesses, factories,
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| southeast of the state, with the city of
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| | mills, banks, schools, libraries,
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| Milwaukee as its major center. In recent
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| | colleges, and voluntary societies. They
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| decades, service industries, especially
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| | created many Congregational, Presbyterian
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| medicine and education, have become
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| | and Methodist churches that still exist.
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| dominant. Wisconsin's landscape, largely
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| | The Yankees created the Republican party
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| shaped by the Wisconsin glaciation of the
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| | in 1854—the first local meeting in the
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| last Ice Age, makes the state popular for
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| | country came in Ripon. They gave strong
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| both tourism and many forms of outdoor
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| | support to the Civil War effort, as well
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| recreation.
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| | as to reforms such as abolition, woman
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| Since its founding, Wisconsin has been
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| | suffrage and, especially,
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| ethnically heterogeneous, with Yankees
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| | prohibition.Even larger numbers of
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| being among the first to arrive from New
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| | Germans arrived, so that the state became
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| York and New England. They dominated the
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| | over one-third German. Most became
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| state's heavy industry, finance, politics
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| | farmers. Others moved to Milwaukee and
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| and education. Large numbers of European
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| | smaller cities setting up breweries and
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| immigrants followed them, including
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| | becoming craftsmen, machinists and
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| Germans, mostly between 1850 and 1900,
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| | skilled workers who were in high demand
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| Scandinavians and smaller groups of
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| | as the state industrialized. The Germans
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| Belgians, Dutch, Swiss, Finns, Irish and
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| | were split along religious lines. Most
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| others; in the twentieth century, large
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| | Germans were Catholic or Lutheran, with
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| numbers of Poles and African-Americans
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| | some Lutherans forming the Wisconsin
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| came, settling mainly in Milwaukee.
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| | Synod and others joining the Missouri
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| Today, 42.6% of the population is of
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| | Synod. The Catholics and Lutherans
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| German ancestry, making Wisconsin one of
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| | created their own network of parochial
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| the most German-American states in the
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| | schools, through grade 8. Smaller numbers
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| United States. Since 1970 the Hmong have
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| | of Germans were Methodists, Jews, or
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| settled in Wisconsin. Numerous ethnic
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| | anticlerical liberals (especially
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| festivals are held throughout Wisconsin
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| | intellectual refugees). Politically they
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| to celebrate its heritage.
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| | tended toward the Democratic party, but
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| During the period of the Civil War,
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| | 30-40% voted Republican. Whenever the
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| Wisconsin was a Republican and pro-Union
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| | Republicans seemed to support
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| stronghold. Ethno-religious issues in the
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| | prohibition, they shifted somewhat toward
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| late 19th century caused a brief split in
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| | the Democrats. When nativist Republicans
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| the Republican coalition. Through the
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| | led by governor William Hoard passed the
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| first half of the 20th century,
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| | Bennett Law in 1889 that would shut down
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| Wisconin's politics were dominated by
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| | German language schools, both Catholic
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| Robert La Follette and his sons,
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| | and Lutheran, they revolted and helped
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| originally of the Republican Party, but
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| | elect the Democrats in 1890. In World War
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| later of their own Progressive Party.
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| | I, German culture came under heavy attack
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| Since 1945, the state has maintained a
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| | in Wisconsin. Senator LaFollette became
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| close balance between Republicans and
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| | their protector and Germans strongly
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| Democrats. Republican Senator Joe
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| | supported his wing of the Republican
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| McCarthy was a major national figure in
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| | party after that.
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| the early 1950s. Recent leading
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| | Scandinavians comprised the third largest
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| Republicans include former Governor Tommy
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| | ethnic block, with Norwegians, Danes,
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| Thompson and Congressman F. James
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| | Swedes, and Finns becoming farmers and
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| Sensenbrenner, Jr.; prominent Democrats
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| | lumberjacks in the western and northern
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| include governor Jim Doyle, Senators Herb
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| | districts. A large Danish settlement in
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| Kohl and Russ Feingold, and Congressman
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| | Racine gave the only large urban
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| Dave Obey.
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| | presence. The great majority were
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| In 1634, Frenchman Jean Nicolet became
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| | Lutheran, of various synods. The
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| Wisconsin's first European explorer,
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| | Scandinavians supported prohibition and
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| landing at Red Banks, near modern-day
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| | voted Republican; in the early 20th
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| Green Bay in search of a passage to the
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| | century they were the backbone of the
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| Orient. The French controlled the area
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| | LaFollette movement. Irish Catholics came
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| until it was ceded to the British in
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| | to Milwaukee and Madison and smaller
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| 1763.
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| | cities as railroad workers. They quickly
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| Wisconsin was part of the original U.S.
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| | became prominent in local government and
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| Northwest Territory from 1788 to 1800. It
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| | in the Democratic party. They wrestled
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| was then governed as part of Indiana
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| | with the German Catholics for control of
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| Territory (1800-1809), Illinois Territory
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| | the Catholic church in the state.
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| (1809-1818), and Michigan Territory
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| | Name
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| (1818-1836). Settlement began when the
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| | "Wisconsin" is thought to be an English
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| first two public land offices opened in
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| | version of a French adaptation of an
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| 1834. Wisconsin Territory was organized
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| | Indian word. It may come from the Ojibwe
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| on July 3, 1836, and it became the 30th
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| | word Miskwasiniing, meaning "Red-stone
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| state on May 29, 1848.
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| | place," which was probably the name given
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| The state mineral is galena, otherwise
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| | to the Wisconsin River, and was recorded
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| known as lead sulfide, which reflects
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| | as Ouisconsin by the French and changed
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| Wisconsin's early mining history. Many
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| | to its current form by the English. The
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| town names such as Mineral Point recall a
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| | modern Ojibwe name, however, is
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| period in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s,
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| | Wiishkoonsing or Wazhashkoonsing, meaning
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| when Wisconsin was an important mining
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| | "muskrat-lodge place" or "little muskrat
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| state. When Indian treaties opened up
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| | place." Other theories are that the name
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| southwest Wisconsin to settlement,
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| | comes from words meaning "Gathering of
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| thousands of miners — many of them
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| | the Waters" or "Great Rock." Wisconsin
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| immigrants from Cornwall, England —
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| | originally was applied to the Wisconsin
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| flocked to the "lead rush" in
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| | River, and later to the area as a whole
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| southeastern areas. Wisconsin produced
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| | when Wisconsin became a territory.
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| more than half of the nation's lead;
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