MADISON HISTORY
Pre and Early History of Southern Wisconsin
About 13,000 years ago the last glacier retreated from the four lakes region of Wisconsin, leaving behind the rolling landscapes and plentiful lakes that grace the state today. The word "Wisconsin" actually originates from a Native American term meaning "gathering of the waters." Thousands of effigy mounds once surrounded the lakes, built between 300 and 1,300 AD by the Paleo-Indian "mound builders" occupying the area. Native Americans held the territory until 1825, when they sold their rights to all lands east of the Mississippi.
Madison: From Vision to Reality
A prospector named Col. Ebenezer Brigham came through Wisconsin in 1828 and became the first white settler in the Four Lakes area. In May 1829 James Duane Doty, a territorial judge and land speculator, traveled through the isthmus between lakes Monona and Mendota. He liked the site so much that he bought 1,200 acres for $1,500 and platted a grid of streets. Seven years later he took his paper city to the territorial legislature meeting in Belmont, Wisconsin and convinced them to move the permanent state capital there. Madison, named for the fourth President of the U.S. (who had died earlier that year in1836), did not yet exist beyond Doty's map. In April of 1837 Rosaline and Eben Peck moved to Madison with their ten-month-old son Victor, becoming Madison's first family. The Pecks intended to use their home as a boarding house for the men coming to construct the capitol.
Wisconsin’s State Capitol Building
Construction of the first Madison Capitol building, at a cost of $60,000, began in June of 1837, the temporary seat of government prior to this had been in Belmont. In 1857 it was decided that expansions were needed due to the growing needs of the State. In fact, Governor Coles Bashford threatened to move to another community unless the Capitol could be enlarged and improved. This work, impeded by the loss of men and money to the Civil War, was continued until 1869 when the dome was finally completed. In 1882 north and south wings were added to house additional state organizations, yet by 1903 the Capitol was again overcrowded and plans for the construction of a new and larger building had just started when in 1904 a fire destroyed a large part of the interior. Planning continued and in 1906 construction began. Due to financial limitations and the necessity of housing the government during construction, the Capitol was built wing by wing until its completion in 1917. This is the structure that still stands today, crowned by a majestic granite dome atop which rests the gilded bronze statue, "Wisconsin," symbolizing the State motto "Forward." This is the only dome in the nation made of granite and is the second-highest in the U.S., just 17 inches shorter than the building it is modeled after, the nation's capitol in Washington, D.C.
The University of Wisconsin - Madison
As early as 1835 the Territorial Legislature created the University of Wisconsin, but there were no funds, no faculty, and no buildings. In 1851, however, the first building, North Hall, was erected on College Hill, known today as Bascom Hill. In 1854 the first class of two members was graduated. In 1863 women were allowed to enter the University with limited course options. John Bascom became president of the University in 1874 and immediately improved the budget, buildings, equipment, faculty, and the conditions for women. The first college in the University of Wisconsin was the College of Mathematics, and the first session was held in February 1849. By 1855 there were 15 colleges, and in 1894 the addition of a gymnasium gave new life to the physical and social habits of the students. After 1890 intercollegiate sports came in with a rush and within three or four years football, rowing, and field and track contests became distinctive college games.
Robert Marion LaFollette
In 1900 Robert Marion LaFollette was elected Governor of Wisconsin, the first actually born in the state. "Fighting Bob" was known for his head-on approach for gathering information and getting things done, as well as his entertaining impressions of his political opponents. His wife, Belle Case LaFollette, was often regarded as more radical than her husband, supporting a plethora of social reforms. When they were married December 31, 1881, Belle had the word "obey" eliminated from their wedding ceremony, a radical move for the times. She worked as a teacher in Spring Green and Baraboo, and shortly after the birth of their daughter, Fola, Belle enrolled in the UW law school, the only female in a class of 19, becoming the first woman to earn a law degree from UW-Madison. "Fighting Bob" was elected Wisconsin's Governor three times and United States Senator four times. When he died in 1925 during his fourth term voters elected his son, Robert LaFollette, Jr., to his father's U.S. Senate seat, which the younger LaFollette held for 22 years, continuing to work on reforms.
A History of Political Involvement
Many of the LaFollettes' philosophies are still carried on today in the "Wisconsin Idea," a set of reforms dating back to the early 1900s - many of which served as models for the nation. A mix of concern for social welfare, an appreciation for small business, belief in equal opportunity and support of individual freedoms combine to form the Wisconsin Idea. The city boasts a history of strong voter turnouts, with viewpoints ranging from very conservative to very liberal, and hosts a diehard devotion to grassroots participation in politics. In fact, during the Vietnam War, UW-Madison ranked as one of the most turbulent campuses in the nation. Sit-ins, pickets, riots, and mock burials amounted to almost daily demonstrations and protests. In 1967 the National Guard responded to a demonstration against Dow Chemical, producer of Agent Orange, to attempt to keep the peace between UW students and authorities. In 1970 a bomb went off outside Sterling Hall, the army research center on the UW campus, accidentally killing a researcher. Student life has gradually mellowed and become more focused on academics and athletics, though students and residents alike are still politically active.
The "Mad City" Today
Madison is a city where education and knowledge are highly valued, a haven for the exchange of information and ideas. In the heart of Dane County, surrounded by rolling hills, grasslands and forests and cradled by four beautiful glacial lakes, most of Madison's residents throughout history have been devoted to careful stewardship of the land. Indeed, this devotion to the preservation of both the land and the city's history is evident in such carefully protected and maintained areas as the UW-Arboretum, the nearby Aldo Leopold Nature Center, and the city's many parks and historic districts. The "Mad City," a nickname earned by the lively local spirit, is a truly dynamic and diverse Wisconsin community, combining small-town charm with big-city opportunities. With a population of over 200,000, an international flair resides within the many ethnic restaurants, cultural arts and entertainment, and University programs. As residents will proudly proclaim, Madison really is "78 miles surrounded by reality."
Madison Area Facts and Information:
