Recollection Wisconsin

Sharing our Stories. Exploring our Past.

Discover photos, maps, books, artifacts, oral histories and more from dozens of Wisconsin libraries, archives, historical societies and museums. Find state and local history resources as well as materials from across the country and around the world.

Recollection Wisconsin content highlights include:

  • Maps

    Maps of every county and most communities in the state, as well as a wide range of national and international maps.

  • Protest movements

    Civil rights marches for fair housing in Milwaukee, student-led protests against the Vietnam War and other grassroots activism.

  • Dairy industry

    Dairy farms, cheese factories and creameries -- plus historic recipes for using all that cheese.

  • Breweries

    From Miller and Pabst to dozens of smaller brewers, the history of beer and brewing in Wisconsin reflects the state’s German heritage.

  • Logging

    Logging and the lumber industry shaped Wisconsin’s landscape for over a century. The lumberjack remains a vivid character in Wisconsin folklore.

  • Main Street

    Images of Main Streets reveal changes in everyday life across the decades, including transformations in architecture, advertising, transportation and clothing.