Wisconsin Newspaper Archives
1833 - 2012

Wisconsin Genealogy in Newspaper Archives

Back in the 1830’s, Wisconsin ventured into an industry still popular today. Before establishing themselves as America’s Dairyland, Wisconsin had created a booming brewing industry. The first brewery opened in 1835, which sparked a surge of breweries throughout the entire state. Many believe that breweries were so popular because of Wisconsin’s high amount of German immigrants that settled in Wisconsin. Then in the 19th century, agriculture became a flourishing industry, which impacted the local history of cities in Wisconsin. Wisconsin contributed one-sixth of America’s wheat and was a sustainable source of capital for many years.

Immigrants from New York and other European countries came to Wisconsin with extensive knowledge in the dairy and cheese making industry. Over the next 30 years, dairy farming quickly surpassed any other industry, largely impacting American History and made Wisconsin the leading contributor of dairy in America. Wisconsin newspapers covered these historical changes in the state and local communities. Were your ancestors in Wisconsin when it became the 30th state in 1848 or around when Madison became the state capitol?

Learn more and uncover your family’s history and lineage, begin your search with our Wisconsin newspaper archives and online database today!