The state of Wisconsin has a proud and colorful history. One of its richest and most romantic chapters is its maritime history, staged on the waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, on hundreds of smaller lakes and a whole network of rivers. Much of that fascinating story has been captured in photography and art and this material brings to the public eye some of its highlights.

The Great Wisconsin Pineries Scandal: Infamy, Horrors and Vices of Wisconsin's Vile Dens, 1889

The Ku Klux Klan in Wisconsin in the 1920's / Gordon H. Lee, 1968.

Ny Norsk-Dansk Amerikansk Kogebog

A Norwegian/Danish American ethnic cookbook

Taylor Brothers Photographs (Adams County, Wisc.)

The photographic images in this collection were taken by the Taylor Brothers photographic studio of Adams County, Wisconsin, circa 1910-1930. In 2001, Murphy Library, UW-La Crosse received the collection as a donation from a private estate. There were 665 glass plate photographic negatives in the donation. Most of the negatives have multiple images on them so there are actually 934 separate photographs. The physical condition of the glass plates was generally high resulting in crisp images with striking detail and clarity.