Nelson Dewey

Nelson Dewey

THE STORY: Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin’s first governor, should have a statue in Southwest Wisconsin—and he does. He had a lot of political and business success throughout his life, and was known all around as a “friend of the poor” and for his generosity. Dewey was born and raised in New England and studied law at […]

Governor Dodge and the Wisconsin Territory

Governor Dodge and the Wisconsin Territory

THE STORY: Before there were craft breweries in every zip code, even before the wild bratwurst was domesticated, Wisconsin was a land of plenty—which is what lured the Chippewa, the Winnebago, and European voyageurs and fur traders. After a few armed misunderstandings with the French and the Indians, Wisconsin ended up as part of the […]

“Fighting Bob” Robert La Follette

“Fighting Bob” Robert La Follette

THE STORY: “Fighting Bob” Robert La Follette is one of the most influential names in Wisconsin political history. As a Republican and then Progressive, “Fighting Bob” served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Governor of Wisconsin, a U.S. Senator, and also ran for President in 1924. Born in the Town of Primrose […]