Badgerland Journal

Today Dr. Christopher Cantwell of Loyola University Chicago joins us to discuss his project Gathering Places which looks at the history of religious places in Milwaukee. He talks about how the project was started when he was teaching at UW-Milwaukee. In addition, we discuss the significance of the project and what the future holds for this digital archive. Click the link to check out The Gathering Places. If you'd like to know more about Dr. Cantwell's research and projects click here.

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Dr. Michael Oberg of SUNY Geneseo the Author of Professional Indian: The American Odyssey of Eleazer Williams was kind enough to join the podcast and discuss his book. He has spent hours understanding the mind of Williams and has intriguing insights into the complex man. We discuss Williams's faith, his flaws, and his legacy in both Wisconsin and New York. Williams spent his life attempting to get ahead, and in the end, was left with very little. The podcast attempt to understand his motivations, and his importance today.

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Special guests Steve Schaffer and Michael Barera, archivists at the Milwaukee County Historical Society, join us today to discuss the history of breweries in Milwaukee. We discuss everything beer from the early history of breweries, beer gardens, tide houses, and prohibition. Let us know if there are any specific breweries you want us to cover in future podcasts!

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The first large shipping vessel to sail the Great Lakes disappeared in 1679 and was never heard or seen from again. The Griffon was built by explorer Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in order to help expand the fur trade in North America. Its maiden voyage was from New York to what is modern-day Wisconsin. After waiting out a storm, it departed from either Washington or Rock Island off the Door Peninsula, never to be seen again. Theories of what happened to the Griffon have appeared over the past three centuries. While none have been confirmed, there have been numerous claims regarding the final resting place of the Griffon, tune in to learn about the Griffon and the search its disappearance has inspired.

Let us know what you think happened to the Griffon on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, or send an email to [email protected]

Sources:

Freedman, Eric. “Charlevoix Couple Offers Theory on Mysterious 1679 Shipwreck.” The Daily Telegram, March 9, 2022. https://www.lenconnect.com/story/news/state/2022/03/09/charlevoix-couple-theory-1679-shipwreck-le-griffon/9425022002/.

Kohl, Cris, and Joan Forsberg. The Wreck of the Griffon: The Greatest Mystery of the Great Lakes. West Chicago, IL: Seawolf Communications, Inc., 2014.

Kramer, Sarah, Bryce Gray, Lizz Giordano, and Anne Arntson. “The White Whale for Great Lakes Shipwreck Hunters.” Atlas Obscura, June 10, 2021. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/great-lakes-shipwreck-griffon.

Laitner, Bill. “Doubters Abound as Charlevoix Couple Think They Found Great Lakes’ Oldest Shipwreck.” Detroit Free Press, May 11, 2022. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/05/11/great-lakes-shipwreck-griffon-lake-michigan/9665058002/.

“Le Griffon (The Griffin).” Washington Island, 2009. https://washingtonisland.com/le-griffon-the-griffin/.

Miller, Nick. “What Happened to the Lost Ship Le Griffon and Was It Ever Found?” Discovery UK, January 9, 2023. https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/what-happened-to-the-lost-ship-le-griffon-and-was-it-ever-found/.

Have you ever wondered why the Upper Peninsula is not a part of Wisconsin? Did you know that Chicago, Duluth, and St. Paul were all originally part of Wisconsin's intended state borders? Today's episode discusses the formation of Wisconsin's borders and its eventual statehood. Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota were all part of the Northwest Territory of 1787. The charter lay out proposed borders for the future states formed from out of the territory. Initially, Wisconsin's borders were larger than the current state borders. How did this happen? Over the course of many years, each surrounding state began taking land from the proposed Wisconsin borders. Tune in to learn about the various incidents that lead to the creation of Wisconsin borders.

Sources:

“The Creation of Wisconsin Territory.” Wisconsin Historical Society, August 3, 2012. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS394.

Foran, Chris. “How Wisconsin Lost Land to Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota Before It Became a State.” Journal Sentinel, December 10, 2021. https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2021/12/10/wisconsins-original-borders-had-illinois-michigan-minnesota-cities/5275719001/.

“History of Wisconsin.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed May 24, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/place/Wisconsin/History.

“Statehood.” Wisconsin Historical Society, January 25, 2021. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS16414.

Stein, Mark. How The States Got Their Shapes Too: The People Behind the Borderlines. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 2011.

Stein, Mark. How The States Got Their Shapes. New York: Smithsonian Books/Collins, 2009.

In this episode, we have a special guest, Dant'e Cottingham, a community organizer for EXPO (Ex-incarcerated People Organizing) Wisconsin. We will discuss a bit about the prison history in Wisconsin however it will not be our normal format. The majority of the podcast is dedicated to more current issues as Dant'e talks about his own experience with incarceration in addition to the organizations he now works with to help people before and after incarceration. We also discuss proposed reforms to the Wisconsin constitution that were just voted on in the previous election. Listen in to learn more about prisons in Wisconsin.

Check out EXPO Wisconsin's Website Here

Sign the Unlock the Vote Petition Here

Samuel Stritch was born in Nashville Tennessee in 1887. He was an influential figure in the Catholic history of the Midwest, including serving as the Archbishop of Milwaukee. Our guest, Fr. Steven Avella, joins us today to discuss the life of Stritch, his passion for education, and his reaction to major events in U.S. history, such as the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War.

J.R.R. Tolkien is the author of popular works such as The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. He has a huge fan base that spans the world and while he never set foot in the United States, a large chunk of his manuscript collection resides at Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Our guest is Dr. Bill Fliss who is the archivist in charge of the Tolkien Collection. We discuss how the collection came to be at Marquette, Tolkien fans, Tolkien exhibits, and an oral history started by Bill. Tune in to this awesome interview to learn more

If you would like to participate in the Tolkien Fandom Oral History Collection click here

Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 decided to run for a third term as president after being disappointed in his hand-picked successor William Howard Taft's administration. After losing the Republican nomination, Roosevelt ran as a third-party candidate, and the campaign became extremely heated. Toward the end of the campaign, he visited Milwaukee Wisconsin where he was shot from five feet away. Tune in to find out about the attempted assassination of President Teddy Roosevelt.

Make sure to let us know what you think of third party candidates on Facebook, Instagram, or send an email [email protected]

Sources:

“Bull Moose Party.” Ohio History Central. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Bull_Moose_Party.

“Glass Used by Teddy Roosevelt after Assassination Attempt.” Wisconsin Historical Society. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2773.

“John Flammang Schrank.” Theodore Roosevelt Center. Dickinson State University. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Law-and-Justice/John-Flammang-Schrank.aspx.

Klein, Christopher. “When Teddy Roosevelt Was Shot in 1912, a Speech May Have Saved His Life.” History, July 21, 2019. https://www.history.com/news/shot-in-the-chest-100-years-ago-teddy-roosevelt-kept-on-talking.

Robbins, Dean. “Shot in the Chest, Theodore Roosevelt Kept Talking in Milwaukee.” Wisconsin Life, October 14, 2016. https://wisconsinlife.org/story/shot-in-the-chest-theodore-roosevelt-kept-talking-in-milwaukee/.

“Theodore Roosevelt Shot in Milwaukee .” History. A&E Television Networ, May 6, 2022. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/theodore-roosevelt-shot-in-milwaukee.

“William McKinley Assassination: Topics in Chronicling America.” Library of Congress. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-william-mckinley-assassination#:~:text=Chronicling%20America%3A%20Historic%20American%20Newspapers,Exposition%20in%20Buffalo%2C%20New%20York.

Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; Racine Journal, Racine, WI. August 13, 1921"; viewed online at https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Newspaper/BA14014 on Febuary 20,2023

January 1854 in Washington D.C. a senator from Illinois introduced a bill to congress. Slavery had become a hotly contested issue within the United States and this bill seeks to resolve the issue of free versus slave states. Little did the man who introduced the bill know that once passed this bill will lead to the downfall of a major political party, and the birth of a new one. Tune into our latest episode about how Wisconsin played a role in the creation of the  Republican party.

 Make sure to let us know what you think of new political parties on Facebook, Instagram, or send an email [email protected]

Sources:

“Alvan E. Bovay.” Ripon Historical Society, July 20, 2020. https://riponhistory.org/alvan-e-bovay/.

“Home.” Birthplace of the Republican Party, December 13, 2021. https://ripon1854.com/.

“Horace Greeley.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., January 30, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Horace-Greeley.

“Republican Party Founded .” History. A&E Television Networks, January 8, 2023. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/republican-party-founded.