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.