OSHKOSH, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society has announced the listing of the Baumann Block in Oshkosh on the State Register of Historic Places. The commercial building was added to the State Register on May 24, 2024. State Historic Preservation Officer Daina Penkiunas presented a certificate to Megan Beer Pemberton.
The Baumann Block is notable as an intact example of a Queen Anne style commercial building and as the home of the Star Theater, one of the last remaining movie houses in south Oshkosh. The two-story, brick-veneered building was built for Charles Baumann in 1894 with two storefronts at 1124 and 1128 Oregon Street, and apartments above. Baumann and his wife, Amanda, initially operated a grocery and a butcher shop in the building.
In 1910, they converted the north half of the first floor into the Star Theater, a small neighborhood movie house that played second-run films after they left the large downtown theaters, low-budget westerns, and film serials. The interior of the theater was damaged by fire in 1926 and renovated the same year. The Star Theater closed in 1955 and a series of businesses have occupied the building since that time. The Baumann Block was restored to its original appearance in 1994. The ticket booth for the Star Theater remains as do double doors to the seating area, and the projection booth.
3,000-year-old canoe in its original resting place at the bottom of Lake Mendota following excavation work.
Photo credit: Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society, in partnership with Native Nations in Wisconsin, is excited to share new details from the active archaeological site where two submerged dugout canoes, approximately 1,200 and 3,000 years old, were previously identified. The site drew international attention after divers successfully recovered the dugout canoes in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and today the site remains a source of intrigue for historians and residents as the significance of the discovery expands.
“It is an honor for our team to work alongside the Native Nations to document, research and share these incredible stories from history,” said Dr. Amy Rosebrough, State Archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “What we thought at first was an isolated discovery in Lake Mendota has evolved into a significant archaeological site with much to tell us about the people who lived and thrived in this area over thousands of years and also provides new evidence for major environmental shifts over time.”
New Findings
Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeologist Tamara Thomsen, who is also a member of the Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, explored the depths of Lake Mendota for years before she first happened upon a partially obscured dugout canoe in June 2021, setting the stage for groundbreaking recovery efforts later that November and again in September 2022. While follow-up diving expeditions suggested the presence of additional dugout canoes, Society archaeologists needed time to consult with Tribal partners, analyze findings and document the potentially vulnerable site before publicly releasing details.
Today, researchers have identified at least ten unique canoes—and potentially up to 11 canoes, pending further analysis of wood fragments—in the grouping, including the two previously recovered canoes. Archaeologists hypothesize that the canoes may have been intentionally cached in the water to prevent freezing and warping in the winter months and were later buried by natural forces over time. The Lake Mendota canoes are concentrated along roughly 800 feet of what was likely an ancient shoreline that became submerged over time as a result of environmental shifts in the region. Thomsen recovered a small physical sample from each canoe for carbon dating, wood type analysis, and further research.
“Seeing these canoes with one’s own eyes is a powerful experience, and they serve as a physical representation of what we know from extensive oral traditions that Native scholars have passed down over generations,” said Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation Bill Quackenbush, who focuses on heritage preservation and also specializes in using ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology to research ancestral sites. “We are excited to learn all we can from this site using the technology and tools available to us, and to continue to share the enduring stories and ingenuity of our ancestors.”
Ongoing Research Leads to New Insights
The Wisconsin Historical Society is working in collaboration with Native Nations to research the underwater area adjacent to the canoe cache, as the discovery of the additional canoes reinforces the presence of a submerged habitation site of the Native Nations that have called the area home for millennia. Wood type analysis conducted by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory revealed that the trees used to craft the canoes changed over the years, signaling environmental shifts that impacted forest composition. Elm, Ash, White Oak, Cottonwood, and Red Oak were all used to construct the dugouts, shedding light on which tree species were available as building material at different points in time. The hard woods of the Late Archaic and Woodland periods—Elm, Ash, Cottonwood and White Oak—are challenging for woodworking and their use for dugout canoes also demonstrates the advanced skills and craftmanship of early canoe makers.
Radiocarbon dating results indicated the oldest canoe in the Lake Mendota cache is approximately 4,500 years old—making it the oldest dugout canoe now recorded in the Great Lakes—dating back to around 2500 BC and constructed of Elm. The four oldest of the canoes date back to the Late Archaic period, two of the canoes date to the Middle Woodland period, and up to four canoes date to the Late Woodland period. The most recent canoe is around 800 years old, from the Oneota period, constructed of Red Oak and dating back to around 1250 AD.
Quackenbush furthered the research with his ground penetrating radar (GPR) expertise, which is a non-invasive technology frequently used by Native Nations on land to identify ancestral burial sites. Quackenbush was joined by Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Larry Plucinski, and members of the Wisconsin Historical Society archaeology team, to conduct an experimental GPR study on the frozen lake in the winter of 2022 and early 2023. Quackenbush is working to interpret lakebed anomalies that were discovered, and additional GPR studies are planned for the future as ice conditions allow.
Another non-invasive study is being planned in partnership with the Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist and the University of Iowa, utilizing a sonar boat to further research and map the area. Both Plucinski and Quackenbush are collaborators in this effort that is slated to take place later this year.
“We have a lot to learn from the Mendota canoe site, and the research happening today allows us to better understand and share the stories of the people who lived here and had a thriving culture here since time immemorial,” said Plucinski.
The Society will not attempt to recover any additional canoes from the site due to their fragile condition after weathering long-term exposure to natural elements, and later, manmade conditions such as water pollution and boating wakes. The decision was made in collaboration with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers after archaeologists determined that the additional canoes are not physically intact enough to withstand recovery by divers and then the process necessary to preserve the canoes.
Maritime archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society are extensively documenting the site and the canoes still submerged in Lake Mendota, including recording underwater videos and capturing photos of the canoes in situ. Click here to access the gallery with images and video, including documentary-style interviews with archaeologists and historians working on the project.
Looking Forward
While research continues at the Lake Mendota canoe site, the two recovered canoes remain in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s secure storage at the State Archive Preservation Facility in Madison while undergoing a preservation process that uses Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) to stabilize the wood. The treatment takes several years to complete; it began in February 2024 and is expected to conclude in 2026. Once the PEG application is complete, the canoes will be transported to Texas A&M University to undergo a freeze-drying process that leaves the canoes in a stable, solid structure suitable for public display.
The preserved Lake Mendota canoes and the stories of their makers will be shared in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s future Wisconsin History Center when it opens in 2027. The canoes will be part of an immersive, interactive core gallery exploring human connection with land and water throughout history. The preserved historic canoes will help the Wisconsin Historical Society and Native Nations to share these stories in partnership at the future history center.
Click here to view the media gallery with downloadable photos and videos.
State and federal laws protect this location. Divers may not remove artifacts, objects or structures when visiting this site. Removing, defacing, displacing, or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime.
From left, Lawrence Plucinski, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; 27-year-old Lucas Quackenbush and his father, Bill Quackenbush, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, help clean the 3,000-year-old dugout canoe recovered from Lake Mendota.
Photo taken Sept. 23, 2022 at the State Archive Preservation Facility in Madison, Wisconsin, one day after the historic dugout canoe was recovered from Madison’s Lake Mendota. Photo by Dean Witter – Wisconsin Historical Society
Madison, WI—The Wisconsin Historical Society will acquire the Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wis., after working with the Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc., to secure $3.07 million from community donors to ensure the long-term future of the beloved regional theatre. The 700-seat theatre was built in 1915 by Al Ringling, co-founder with his brothers of the world-renowned Ringling Brothers Circus, and designed in the opulent style of grand French opera houses. Ringling built the theatre for the Baraboo community in a show of appreciation for the town that the Ringling Brothers called home and the original site of the Ringling Bros. Circus winter quarters. Through the years, the theatre has hosted national touring companies, vaudeville, motion pictures, and more, bringing performing arts and culture to Baraboo and the greater South-Central Wisconsin region.
“The Al. Ringling Theatre is one of the first examples of opulent design applied to the moving picture theatre in this country and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1976,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth & Hartley Barker Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “It is an architectural masterpiece that puts Wisconsin within the broader context of the history of the United States. Acquiring the Al. to operate with the rest of the Society’s historic sites is a natural tie to our mission of connecting people to history by sharing stories and serving communities throughout our great state. We are grateful for the incredible support from the people of Baraboo—a place that is rich with history and a community where the Society has strong roots already with Circus World.”
Discussions for a change in ownership began in July 2022. The Society completed a feasibility study in February 2023 and outlined a potential model in which the theatre would become an extension of Circus World operations, which is one of 12 historic sites in the Society’s portfolio. The plan required $3.07 million in private support for facility improvements, transition costs, and an operating endowment. That fundraising goal was met earlier this month and the endowment funds will be held by the Community Foundation of South Central Wisconsin.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Baraboo community members who stepped up to ensure the legacy of Al Ringling’s gift to this town can live for generations to come,” said Charlene Flygt, president of Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc.
The Society’s Board of Curators voted to approve the theater acquisition on March 15, 2024. Programming is expected to ramp up slowly to ensure a sustainable transition and a technical director will be hired to oversee onsite operations.
“The Society is committed to preserving and celebrating the origins of America’s circus history, and to ensuring that the Al. remains a vibrant home to the local and regional performing arts, and community organizations that call the Al. home,” said Circus World Director Scott O’Donnell.
As the Society works toward realizing the 10-year future vision for continued growth at Circus World, the acquisition of the Al. Ringling Theatre underscores its commitment to the Baraboo community and surrounding region. Circus performances will continue to take place under the big top on Circus World grounds, while the theatre will host regional performing arts programming as well as private events and community programs including Concerts on the Square, Baraboo Theatre Guild and high school productions, dance recitals, Downtown Baraboo Inc. holiday events, and more.
“This is the outcome that we wanted to see to secure the long-term future of the Al. It’s a win for Baraboo, a win for the regional arts community, and a win for historic preservation in Wisconsin,” said Paul Wolter, Vice President of the Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc. “The theatre will now benefit from the Society’s resources, operating infrastructure, and expertise.”
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society announced in November that Josh Leventhal has been named the new director of the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Leventhal takes the helm from director Kate Thompson and is charged with continuing the Press’s 168-year-long dedication to connecting people with the past by publishing the best in Wisconsin history and culture.
“We are delighted to announce that Josh Leventhal has come on board to lead the Society Press and help move us forward through this pivotal and exciting time in our organization’s history,” said Angela Titus, assistant deputy director and chief program officer for the Wisconsin Historical Society. Leventhal will direct the ways that Press books bring the past—and unique Wisconsin stories—to general, academic, and educational audiences of all ages throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the nation. He will continue to build the Press’s reputation for producing award-winning publications with enduring historical and cultural value as part of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s mission to collect, preserve, and share the state’s history.
Josh Leventhal
“I am truly thrilled and honored to be joining the Wisconsin Historical Society Press as its director,” Leventhal said. “The Press has such a deep and well-respected tradition of publishing informative and engaging books about Wisconsin and the larger region. It is an exciting time to be coming on board as the Press expands the stories and voices it shares to present a full picture of Wisconsin’s history, peoples, and culture.”
Prior to coming to WHS Press, Leventhal served for seven years as director of the Minnesota Historical Society Press and for two years as an acquisitions editor there. He has more than 30 years of experience in publishing, working as an editor of nonfiction books at a variety of presses in New York, Portland (Ore.), and the Twin Cities.
Kate Thompson, who served as Press director from 2018 to 2023, is returning to her role as Acquisitions Editor at the Press, a role she held for 15 years. “We are so grateful to be retaining Kate’s talents within the Press as we grow our children and young adult list, and in anticipation of the new history center opening in 2026,” said Titus. “She has done a phenomenal job and laid a great foundation for Josh. This move allows her to return to her first love, acquiring books that share Wisconsin’s distinctive stories.”
Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to announce its traveling History Makers Tour kicked off in October in conjunction with the public launch of the History Maker Space on Capitol Square in Madison. Together, the transition space and statewide tour position the Society to continue serving Wisconsin students and communities in the time leading up to the completion of a new state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot history center in late 2026. The statewide tour was made possible by generous support from Culver’s and a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
“The History Makers Tour and History Maker Space both play a critical role in continuing to serve young learners and history lovers while we are building a new history center,” said Angela Titus, assistant deputy director and chief program officer for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “We are excited to try out new programs and bring our state’s stories into local communities over the next three years.”
Starting with the south-central region of Wisconsin, the History Makers Tour will travel to all areas of the state before concluding in the northeast region in early 2027. The Society will work with local history organizations, libraries, cultural venues and other partners to bring history directly to communities through pop-up exhibits, artifact displays, author talks, special events and more. The History Makers Tour makes its first stops in the cities of Beaver Dam, Jefferson, Monticello, New Glarus and Sun Prairie.
“Wisconsin has a rich and deep history,” explained Craig Culver, co-founder of Culver’s. “It is a pleasure to support these efforts which will celebrate and share that history in so many different ways and in such a variety of areas of the state. I love Wisconsin and am very proud to be a Cheesehead.”
For Madison residents and visitors, the new History Maker Space (pictured below) also has now opened and is located on the main level of the US Bank Plaza on Capitol Square. The space houses pop-up exhibits, special events, history center sneak peeks and a refreshed retail shop, along with an interactive education space for school groups. The temporary location allows the Society to continue hosting school field trips and pilot new public programming during construction of the new history center. The Society began welcoming school groups to the expanded education space in September.
“As the new school year kicks off, we are excited to welcome students into a dynamic education space, where young learners will become history makers themselves as they design their own exhibits and dig into the many hands-on history experiences we have waiting for them,” said Titus.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Grant Number MA-253159-OMS-23) and by Culver’s restaurants (visit www.culvers.com).
Wausau, WI – The Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to announce the Marathon County Historical Society (MCHS) has received the Reuben Gold Thwaites Trophy in the 2023 Board of Curators Awards. The annual awards program recognizes exceptional work from across the state aligned with the Society’s mission and the Thwaites Trophy is presented each year to a local history organization for continued excellence and overall service to its community over a period of at least five years. The MCHS will hold onto the honor for one year before the trophy moves to the next winner in 2024.
“On behalf of the Society and Board of Curators, congratulations to the Marathon County Historical Society for their exemplary service to the community,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “For 125 years, the Wisconsin Historical Society’s affiliation program, the first of its kind in the country, has served to connect local, regional, and state organizations to share our state’s stories and connect people to the past.”
The trophy, named for the Wisconsin Historical Society’s second director who launched the organization’s affiliation program more than a century ago, was last awarded to the MCHS in 1958 and 1989. The prestigious award recognizes the impact of their services and the important role MCHS has played in preserving and sharing the unique history of the area.
The MCHS was founded in 1952 and today still carries out its mission to collect, preserve, and share materials related to the history of Marathon County to help people learn about Northwest Wisconsin and explore their own historical connections. The organization operates two historic structures, the Yawkey House Museum and Woodson History Center, in Wausau.
Over the last several years, MCHS staff members have led an ambitious schedule averaging 220 programs, events, lectures, and walking tours annually. Through public programming and attendance at the Woodson History Center, they serve an average of 16,381 people per year with programs designed to reach various age groups at locations throughout the county. The organization’s Little Red School House program serves between 1,500-1,700 students each year and made sure fourth grade students had access to education outreach kits for teachers to use in their classrooms during the pandemic. The MCHS also launched two new online lecture series, History Chats and History Speaks on the Air, during the pandemic reaching 10,000 viewers in 2020 and 2021.
The Marathon County Historical Society’s thoughtful and innovative approach to reaching new audiences, designing exhibits and programs that serve a wide variety of Marathon County residents, and adapting core programs and services during the pandemic demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to community education and outreach. The MCHS also demonstrates careful stewardship of collections and an ongoing commitment to the care and preservation of the historic structures managed by the Society.
Marinette County, WI. – The Wisconsin Historical Society, in partnership with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, announced the listing of Anaem Omot in the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 2023.
Anaem Omot is a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) of the Menominee Nation. This is a place associated with the cultural practices and beliefs of a living community that are deeply rooted in the community’s history and are important in maintaining the cultural identity of that community. This TCP is directly associated with the Menominee people and the place of religious, cultural, and sacred practices stretching back from time immemorial to present day. This landscape has a spiritual and traditional importance to the Menominee people and is integral in the maintenance of their cultural identity. Anaem Omot contains sites important for understanding the significance of the Menominee Tribe and their continued use. Anaem Omot embodies the history of Native Americans that live and continue to use the area, and is an example of their cultural endurance and continuity.
The Menominee Tribe is indigenous to the state of Wisconsin, and they have an extraordinary history with their creation beginning at the mouth of the Menominee River. Their five clans that originated here include the ancestral Bear, Eagle, Wolf, Moose, and Crane. Anaem Omot is the formal name for the ancestral home of the Menominee Tribe located in close proximity to their reservation. As the site of religious, cultural, and sacred practices, the stories and traditions emanating from this place are integral elements in the continuation of the Menominee heritage and way of life.
Anaem Omot retains exceptional integrity. As the cultural landscape of the Menominee Nation, it is important to recognize and preserve their cultural identity and community’s history.
“The listing of Anaem Omot in the National Register of Historic Places showcases the close work of Wisconsin’s State Historic Preservation Office and our tribal partners,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “This designation recognizes a cultural site of incredible significance as the ancestral home of the Menominee people.”
“We are so very thankful to the National Park Service for including this site on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Gena Kakkak, Menominee Tribe Chairwoman. “Our ancestors can now rest better in their places of burial. Our original spiritual and ceremonial grounds are recognized and our children can continue to learn and find their heritage in our places of origin.”
The National Register is the official list of historic properties in America deemed worthy of preservation and is maintained by the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Wisconsin Historical Society administers the program within Wisconsin. It includes sites, buildings, structures, objects and districts that are significant in national, state or local history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or culture.
Pop-up exhibits, future history center sneak peeks, a new retail storefront and more coming in 2023
Madison, WI – The Wisconsin Historical Society is excited to share that temporary space has been secured to continue offering public and school group programming during the design and construction phase for the new Wisconsin history center. The dynamic temporary space will be conveniently located in the main level of the US Bank Plaza at 1 S. Pinckney Street, across the Capitol Square from the former Wisconsin Historical Museum, which closed its exhibits late last year. The Wisconsin Historical Society will begin hosting school groups at the new space in March, followed by a full programming launch this fall that will include pop-up exhibits, author talks, history center sneak peeks, a new retail shop and more.
“We have exciting plans in the works to stay connected to communities across the state as we prepare for the new history center, and this pop-up space on the Capitol Square is particularly ideal for continuing to serve school groups,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth & Hartley Barker Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “This venue allows us to continue engaging with people from all corners of Wisconsin while we build a new, modern facility where history is accessible, relevant and shared through powerful storytelling.”
Funding for the temporary space has been provided in part by Urban Land Interests, the site’s property management and development firm. The Wisconsin Historical Foundation is seeking additional community partners to raise funds for multi-year programming to be offered in the Madison space as well as pop-up experiences planned for other regions of the state.
“We are excited to partner with the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historical Foundation to provide a temporary space to continue serving school groups and communities statewide while Wisconsin’s new history center is designed and built,” said Brad Binkowski, co-founder of Urban Land Interests.
Exhibitions at the former Wisconsin Historical Museum were closed in November 2022 due to rapidly deteriorating building conditions and to allow for the careful process of transferring artifacts into secure storage at the State Archive Preservation Facility in Madison.
Demolition of the existing building and construction of the new history center are expected to begin in 2024 and be completed in late 2026. The Society announced the selection of industry-leading exhibit designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates, international engineering and planning firm SmithGroup, and the award-winning Continuum Architects + Planners for the project. The future history center will more than double the exhibition space of the current museum with more than 200,000 visitors expected annually.
The Wisconsin Historical Museum’s existing retail store remains open until it moves to the new temporary space this fall. The Wisconsin Historical Society will continue to host the museum’s popular lineup of walking tours and school-age day camps this summer.
Baraboo, WI – The Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $499,999 Save America’s Treasures grant by the National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
The funding will be used for the restoration and preservation of the Ringling Bros. Circus’ 1901 Animal House, a National Historic Landmark building on the grounds of Circus World in Baraboo. Circus World, one of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s 12 historic sites and museums, is located on the former site of the Ringling Bros. Circus headquarters and wintering grounds.
“Circus World is an international leader in celebrating the timeless heritage of travelling circuses, the circus arts, and the vibrant stories of the people and animals who made ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ possible,” said Scott O’Donnell, director of Circus World. “This significant Save America’s Treasures grant will allow us to continue sharing this dynamic circus history with the public by transforming the amazing historic buildings on our site into spaces of exploration and education.”
This announcement follows last year’s Save Americas Treasures grant of $499,999 for the restoration of the 1901 Ringling Bros. Office on the site. Work on that National Historic Landmark building began in the summer of 2022.
“We are grateful for this significant and impactful Save America’s Treasures funding, as Circus World is indeed one of America’s treasures,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “It allows the Society to move forward with a vision to revitalize these historically important structures and turn Circus World into a year-round attraction for generations to come.”
Historically, animals were a central element in American circuses, and when the show was not on the road, the animals were housed in structures designed to meet their specific needs. The Animal House, a heated brick structure, provided 4,536 square feet of additional winter quartering space for the Ringlings’ animal troupe, which included monkeys, giraffes, birds, ostriches, antelope, zebras and rhinos.
“The Animal House was a critical piece of the Ringling Bros. Circus empire, but without swift action to stabilize and repair the building, this piece of circus history would be lost,” said O’Donnell. “This grant funding helps cover repairs needed to preserve a rare American treasure so that future generations can experience Wisconsin’s unique circus legacy.”
This project is supported through the Save America’s Treasures grants program, provided by the Historic Preservation Fund, as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. The grant program was established in 1998 and is a national effort to protect “America’s threatened cultural treasures, including historic structures, collections, works of art, maps, and journals that document and illuminate the history and culture of the United States.” The grants are awarded with funding to be matched by state and/or private entities.
The Wisconsin Historical Society maintains seven historic buildings at Circus World, which will remain open throughout the work. The buildings will be restored to the 1915 era, which is within the period of significance for the National Historic Landmark district.
“The revitalization and restoration of Ringlingville is in full motion and we cannot wait to share this exciting future with the public,” said O’Donnell. “The future has never been brighter at Circus World.”
