Wisconsin natives and newcomers alike will celebrate 175 years of statehood on May 29, 2023. Along with its 175 years of being a state comes 175 years of state history and centuries of stories and traditions, prior to its foundation as a state in 1848.
The celebration of Wisconsin’s 175th statehood anniversary carries a bigger message: the past of our state, and what’s yet to come.
The state of Wisconsin was first made a territory under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and became an official state 61 years later in 1848, becoming the 30th state in the Union. This series of events regarding the foundation and early history of Wisconsin is a commonly taught section in elementary-aged classrooms across Wisconsin.
Tony Manzo, a fourth grade teacher at Sandhill Elementary School, explains the significance of the mile marker, the importance of continuing to teach the state’s history, and what came before the past 175 years Wisconsin has spent as a state.
“Kids need to understand the history of why their ancestors came here, and why we even became a country,” Manzo says. “It’s important for them to understand Wisconsin’s place in our country and in our world. By learning about this history, we are helping them understand their place in the world.”
Manzo believes the 175th anniversary stands as a symbol of where we’ve been and where we’re headed.
“By learning history, you learn about how others have experienced things in the past. For good and for bad. It’s really important for them to understand the world around them and life outside of their little bubble,” Manzo says. However, Manzo explains there are important pieces of the state’s history being partially left out of the discussion when it comes to learning about the state’s 175-year reputation.
“We need to be better at teaching Indigenous and Native history. I think that Native history is really important and we can always do better at teaching that,” Manzo says.
Nancy Hagen, a former teacher and the current co-president of the Wisconsin Historical Society, shares her passion for teaching and sharing stories of the past and how they fit into the bigger picture of Wisconsin’s history. Similar to Manzo, Hagen agrees that the teaching of both Wisconsin and Stoughton history is important for young students to learn.
“The founding father of Stoughton—Luke Stough- ton—came to the Wisconsin territory and then bought 800 acres up here [where Stoughton currently resides] in 1847, a year before Wisconsin became a state,” Hagen says.
Stoughton’s history is very similar to many other Midwest pioneer towns; these towns provided the state with a sufficient population, eligible for statehood, which at the time was set at 60,000. The development of Stoughton helped the state flourish and provided the area with a large manufacturing market. During the early days of statehood, Stoughton held a large population compared to other towns in Dane County, second only to Madison.
A large component of the development of Stoughton, and Wisconsin, were the first businesses that attracted settlers to the area. Along with the highly coveted railroad, Mandt Wagons, one of Stoughton’s first large-scale businesses, helped with the town’s development.
“Mandt was a Norwegian immigrant when he came here as a young boy. At age 19, he started his business. At the height of his career, they employed 400, only to go out of business due to the invention of the automobile,” Hagen says.
Stoughton’s significance in the history of Wisconsin would be much smaller without the cultural and population boom immigration played in the town’s development.
“They were craving for settlers. When the railroads came in 1853, that’s when all these Europeans came. The Norwegians, like most immigrants, came for land. After the Civil War, they opened up the borders, and that’s when the masses of immigrants came,” Hagen says.
Manzo and Hagen hope Wisconsinites will take this milestone in statehood not just to appreciate the state’s long past, but also look forward to make history we are proud to remember.