The Story of Wisconsin In 100 Landmarks

America turns 250. 

Let's go find the candles.

Looking for a history lesson that doesn't feel like homework? You've found it. At 250history.com, the Semiquincentennial Series brings each state's distinctive landmarks to center stage to tell their fast and fun story. 

We've wandered through big cities, tiny towns, muddy trails, and neon-lit highways-uncovering 5,000 historic gems along the way.

The Semiquincentennial isn't just a mouthful-it's a reminder that history is alive, sometimes weird, and always waiting to be rediscovered.

Whether you're traveling by road, by printed page, or by imagination; whether you are a lifelong native or visiting for a week, we invite you to explore 100 Wisconsin landmarks that illuminate the one-of-a-kind story of the Badger State.

Winnebago War... jewel box banks... fishing camps... logging camps... summer camps... iron horses... homemade planes... cranberries... mimetic architecture... motorcycles... the CCC... pond hockey... splash dams... the golden age of motoring... snowmobiles... ginseng... World's Fairs... fire towers... waterparks... road racing... theaters of nature... fur trading... utopias... trolley parks... lead fever... round barns... supper clubs... atmospheric theaters... Googie architecture... This book will have you telling stories like a native in no time.

The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that make Wisconsin uniquely Wisconsin. Who were Wisconsin's original badgers?" Solved. Where was America's first kindergarten? A mystery no more. What Wisconsin county has the most lighthouses in America? Identified. Where can you find a "Machine To Live In? Revealed. Why did early Wisconsin builders construct a mound in the shape of a man? No one knows.

It is a story only Wisconsin can call its own. A story told in 100 landmarks. Almost all the selections within are open to the public, or a t least visible from public spaces. So, fire up the GPS and see the story of the Badger State standing in plain sight on Wisconsin streets!