Jean Nicolet

Jean Nicolet

THE STORY: Way back in history—before Marquette and Joliet’s expeditions and before the French Fur Trade ever existed in Wisconsin—there was a man named Jean Nicolet. Nicolet was THE first European to explore what would become Wisconsin. Jean Nicolet, who was born in France in 1598, immigrated to Canada in 1618 to live among the […]

The Black Hawk War

The Black Hawk War

THE STORY: Out west they have Geronimo, Cochise, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Here in the Midwest, we have Black Hawk. One of the most legendary Sauk war chiefs in history, he led the last battles in Wisconsin’s history during the Black Hawk War. In 1829, the government ordered the Sauk and Fox tribes in […]

The French Fur Trade

The French Fur Trade

THE STORY: The badger may be Wisconsin’s state animal, but no other animal played as an important role in our state’s past as the beaver. For over two hundred years, Wisconsin’s economy revolved around beavers. After the French arrived in Wisconsin in the early 1600s, beaver pelts became equal to gold. Because beaver fur is […]