The student of nature lives in a broader and more interesting world than
does he who has not learned the story of the birds, the streams, the
fields, the woods, and the hedgerows. So, too, the student of local
history finds his present interest in town, village, city, or State,
growing with his knowledge of its past.
In recognition of this fact, these true stories, selected from
Wisconsin's history, have been written as a means to the cultivation of
civic patriotism among the youth of our commonwealth. It is not the
purpose of the book to present a continuous account of the development
of the State; for this, the author begs to refer to his larger work,
"The Story of Wisconsin" (in the Story of the States Series). Rather is
it desired to give selections from the interesting and often stirring
incidents with which our history is so richly stored, in the hope that
the reader may acquire a taste for delving more deeply into the annals
of the Badger State.
Wisconsin had belonged, in turn, to Spain, France, and England, before
she became a portion of the United States. Her recorded history begins
far back in the time of French ownership, in 1634. The century and a
third of the French regime was a picturesque period, upon which the
memory delights to dwell; with its many phases, several of the following
chapters are concerned. The English regime was brief, but not without
interest. In the long stretch of years which followed, before Wisconsin
became an American State, many incidents happened which possess for us
the flavor of romance. The formative period between 1848 and 1861 was
replete with striking events. In the War of Secession, Wisconsin took a
gallant and notable part. Since that great struggle, the State has made
giant strides in industry, commerce, education, and culture; but the
present epoch of growth has not thus far yielded much material for
picturesque treatment, perhaps because we are still too near to the
events to see them in proper perspective. An attempt has been made to
present chapters representative of all these periods, but naturally the
earlier times have seemed best adapted to the purpose in hand.