Explore a destination located in Wisconsin, United States
Wisconsin is the 30th state of the United States of America and is located in the north of the midwestern states. Lake Superior lies to its north while Lake Michigan is to the east. Milwaukee and Green Bay are some of the largest cities in the state.[7] Many breweries, museums, and other attractions are located in the southeast region of the state. There are many state parks in the north, with many bodies of water for fishing, boating, and swimming.[9] Tourists typically visit the state in late spring to early fall with warmer temperatures and mild humidity.[6] Wisconsin was initially settled by the French and turned into many agricultural settlements.[3] Green Bay was the state's first permanent settlement.[4] Wisconsin is known for its dairy products and love of football. The state produces the most cheese in the country and has the only community-owned football team, the Green Bay Packers.[8]
Many of Wisconsin's residents are Caucasian, and 90 percent of Wisconsin's population has European ancestry—primarily German heritage. Other large ethnic groups include Irish, Polish, and British. Native Americans make up one percent of the population, but Wisconsin has eleven reservations, more than any other state east of the Mississippi. Most of these reservations are located in the northern region of the state. The majority of Wisconsin's residents live in the south-eastern and central regions of the state.[8]
Milwaukee is the largest city in the state and home to many famous breweries. Madison is the second-largest city and Wisconsin's capital, followed by Green Bay, the first permanent settlement in the area and home to the Green Bay Packers—the only community-owned football team in the country. A significant portion of Wisconsin's population, 71 percent, identifies as Christian. Twenty-five percent are unaffiliated with religion leaving the remaining 4 percent spread across a variety of faiths. There are also several Amish communities in the state.[8]
With many Germans migrating to the area Wisconsin has become well known for its breweries. One of the larger and more famous companies in Wisconsin is the Miller Brewing Company. At one point, Milwaukee held the title of beer capital of the world, but production has declined in the mid 20th century, although it is still a popular area to visit for beer connoisseurs.[8]
Wisconsin has three primary sources that support its economy. The southern portion of the state has optimal agricultural conditions for dairy products and produces the most amount of cheese out of any other state. It also produces large amounts of butter and milk as well as oats, peas, beans, cranberries, beets, potatoes, corn, and hay. The eastern side of the state near Lake Michigan is considered to be Wisconsin's Industrial belt, where many businesses have manufacturing plants, making it one of the larger manufacturing states in the country. Many of the products manufactured are automobiles, furniture, and machinery. Wisconsin's third main economic source is its production of paper and paper products, of which it was one of the nation's leading producers.[8]
There are many museums in the state. One popular attraction is the Harley Davidson Museum. At this location, one can see prototypes and some of the first Harley Davidson bikes ever created. Another popular attraction is the Ice Age Trail. The trail goes across the whole of Wisconsin, starting in the northwest and winds down to the southeast, then back up to the northeast. It is approximately 1,200 miles long. Many state parks coincide with the trail, and occasionally parts of the trail run right through a city. Wisconsin also holds the largest water park in the entire country called the Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park. The park is located in the city of Wisconsin Dells on 70 acres of land and hosts many different attractions for all ages. Throughout the state, there are many bodies of water with an abundant amount of opportunities for fishing, boating, kayaking, and canoeing. There are two national parks in Wisconsin with many trails to hike, bike, and go horseback riding. In the winter, cross, country skiing and snowmobiling are popular sports.[9]
Wisconsin is one of the northern Midwest states, with Michigan to the north and east and Minnesota to the west. Iowa and Illinois border the state to the south. Lake Superior and Lake Michigan both touch the state. There are about 15,000 lakes in Wisconsin. The Mississippi River makes up the border between Iowa and most of Minnesota. Lake Michigan separates most of Michigan and Wisconsin from the east. Most of Wisconsin is forested in the north and has many bodies of water. Southern Wisconsin is generally flat and better for agricultural purposes on the fertile southern prairies of the state. Many rivers run through the south and lead into other states. Much of the present-day landscape comes from glaciers that formed more than 17,000 years ago, shaping many bodies of water and the hilly regions in the north. The highest point in the state is Timms Hill, at 1,951 feet tall. [5]
Wisconsin has a mild climate most of the year, with warm summers and harsh winters. Typically visitors come to the state between May to October. The weather is generally warmer and less wet during this time than in early spring. During the summer, temperatures average around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with cooler days in the high sixties and warmer days in the low eighties, rarely surpassing the nineties. During the winter, there is an abundance of snow generally in the north and around the great lakes. Temperatures have been recorded to drop as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The state averages 40 inches of snow during the year throughout the southern region of the state, while the north receives as much as 160 inches of snow. Generally, during the spring, temperatures average in the high fifties and sixties and can be somewhat wet. In early spring, such as march and early April, there is typically more rain, but June has been recorded as the wettest month with an average of 5 inches of rain. Most attractions are visited during the summer months in the state.[6]
Wisconsin is full of wildlife and plants. The state animal is the badger, and the state bird is the robin. The region's most commonly seen animal is the white-tailed deer, common in most northern and eastern states.[7] Other animals that can be seen in the area include northern pike, mallard, Canada goose, timber rattlesnake, coyote, American beaver, red-tailed hawk, song sparrow, snapping turtle largemouth bass, and brook trout. The state flower is the wood violet, common to the area, and the state tree is the sugar maple. Other trees and foliage in the area include boxelder, eastern white pine, northern white cedar, northern maidenhair fern, large flower bellwort, New England aster, Canada Mayflower, Solomon's plume, wild carrot, dames rocket, and the common yarrow.[1]
Wisconsin has been populated with ancient inhabitants for thousands of years—evidence suggests possibly as early as 8000 BCE. Their decedents became the Oneota. They formed several tribes and became known as the Chippewa, Menominee, Oneida, Potawatomi, and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago). The Native American's first interactions with Europeans began as early as 1634 when explorer Jean Nicolet entered the Wisconsin region and began to open fur trade with the tribes naming the small area "La Baye." The original intent was to find the northwest passage to China, but he ended up in different regions of North America.[2]
Until 1669 Wisconsin was only used for trading furs, and little was explored in the area. In 1669, Father Claude Allouez founded a mission in the area. Many of the locals were part of the Winnebago Tribe. In 1673, other missionaries, whose names were Marquette and Jolliet, traveled the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers and opened a water route to the Mississippi. They called the Region Meskousing, which means "this stream of red stone," now known as Wisconsin. This new discovery allowed for more fur trade and expansion in the area. Ten years later, under the direction of Nicolas Perrot, the first fort was built at La Baye and promoted missionaries and trappers to settle in the area. Tensions were high with native Americans in Wisconsin. They destroyed the fort La Baye, but the French reconstructed it to continue fur trade in the area. For decades the French held the site, and the settlement continued to grow.[3]
In 1763, the British would take control and occupy La Baye during the French and Indian war. The British renamed the area Green Bay and promoted more fur trading and settlement, eventually expanding to other settlements. In 1783, the United States Of America acquired some territories from the British, including the Wisconsin region. French and British settlers continued to live in the area even as opposed Americans encroached on their trading business. It wasn't until the war of 1812 that The United States of America gained total control of the Green bay area.[3]
In the 1820s, fur trading began to decline in the area, and the residents started turning to agriculture and mining. Wisconsin got its nickname, the "Badger State," because many of its new residents carved out temporary dwellings in the rock near mines, instead of building an actual home. The southeastern region was rich with lead and other precious ores leading people to colonize more heavily. These homes were often only occupied during the winter. Other residents began to clear the heavily forested land. With new opportunities for agriculture, many immigrants began to colonize the area, especially the Irish and Germans. The population continued to settle in the southeastern region of the state.[4]
As new arrivals came to the area, tension began to increase with the Native Americans again. These continued to escalate, leading to the Black Hawk War in 1832. The United States government came to Wisconsin and the surrounding region and killed the warring Indians. After the war ended, Wisconsin continued to receive a steady flow of new residents to the area. In 1836, it became its own territory, including parts of Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Illinois. On May 29, 1814, Wisconsin became the 30th state to join America, and Madison City was made the state capital.[4]
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