The Ashland Historical Society Museum’s digital collection is a sampling of photographic collections depicting historic buildings in Ashland, Wisconsin and the Chequamegon Bay ore docks.
Manufacturing Industry and Labor
Consolidated Papers Inc.
Photographs and books documenting the history of the Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company, later Consolidated Papers, Inc., including the Consolidated News employee magazine, published monthly between February 1926 and December 1931.
Eugene Walter Leach Collection
Papers of Walter Eugene Leach (1857-1938), curator of the Racine County Museum. Included are biographical materials on notable Racine residents and Leach’s writings on Racine County history, including chapters of his unpublished manuscript “The Story of Racine County, a History.” There are also records of the Racine Senate, 1844-1851, and the Racine Relief Association, 1883-1898.
Great Lakes Maritime History Project
An overview of Wisconsin’s maritime history. Includes records on individual ships as well as photographs, postcards and pamphlets related to commerce and tourism on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
Kenosha’s Lost Industries – Photographs and Corporate Materials, 1850s-1990s
Industrial scenes, plants, building exteriors and interiors, portraits of corporate owners and boards, advertising and literature about product lines, and images of company activities and events, workers and their families capture the story of the city of Kenosha as a major manufacturing center. Manufacturers represented in the collection include N. R. Allen Sons, American Brass, Bain Wagon Company, Nash Motors, America Motors, MacWhyte, Pirsch, and Simmons.
Kewaunee Memory Project
This collection from the Kewaunee Public Library includes photographs of ships built at the Kewaunee Shipping and Engineering Company (now Kewaunee Fabrications) during the World War II era, from 1941-1946. The photographs are from three albums stored at the Kewaunee Public Library in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.
La Crosse City Board of Trade Reports
Annual reports of the Board of Trade of the City of La Crosse from 1879-1905. Each report highlights various statistical data including school information, financial information and manufacturing information for the city.
La Crosse Plow Company Collection
The La Crosse Plow Company Collection contains a variety of visual materials including repair guides, photographs, 3-dimensional objects, letters, and other similar items. The collection’s materials span the various phases of the La Crosse Plow Company including names such as Sta-Rite, Happy Farmer Tractor Company, and the La Crosse Tractor Company. The bulk of this collection was scanned from materials owned by Randy Reysen, and the other items featured are part of the Murphy Library Special Collections. In total, there are over 100 items included in this collection with the prospect of adding more in the future.
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Photographs from the Milwaukee Area Technical College archives illustrate the range of vocational instruction offered at MATC since its founding in 1912, including nursing, cosmetology, metalworking, mechanics, accounting and electronics.
Milwaukee Historic Trade Cards
Printed color trade cards distributed by Milwaukee businesses. This collection, housed in the Milwaukee Public Library’s Richard E. and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room, provides a snapshot of Milwaukee’s retail and service economy in the late 19th century.
Milwaukee Waterways
This collection illustrates the role Lake Michigan and Milwaukee’s rivers have played in the history of Milwaukee. Photographs of the harbor and ships from around the world show the variety of materials that passed through the Port over time. Other images illustrate the role the rivers played in the commercial development of the city.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
The archives of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College illustrate how vocational education began in the city schools of Green Bay and Marinette in 1912 and eventually expanded to include all Northeast Wisconsin and beyond. This collection was digitized and shared as NWTC prepared to celebrate 110 years of education.
Oshkosh Businesses
Photographs, newspaper articles, postcards, pamphlets and catalogs of businesses that once flourished in Oshkosh, including Deltox Rug Co., Oshkosh Trunk Co., and Stein’s clothing store.
Publications Related to La Crosse
A variety of publications relating to La Crosse and the surrounding region, including souvenir programs and pamphlets, church histories, directories and other published and unpublished documents.
Sheboygan County Historical Documents
Sheboygan County plat maps 1875-1920, local histories, centennial and homecoming souvenir booklets, and catalogs from numerous furniture manufacturers in the city of Sheboygan.
Two Rivers History – Hubert R. Wentorf Photo Collection and Fisher-Hamilton Industries Product Catalogs
Photographs of Two Rivers selected from the collection of Hubert R. Wentorf (circa late 1800s to mid 1950s), and product catalogs from the Fisher-Hamilton Company, a major employer in Two Rivers since 1880 (now known as Thermo-Fisher Scientific).
Wagons of Milwaukee Businesses
An album of 37 photographs of wagons used by Milwaukee-area businesses in the early 20th century.
Wisconsin Sound Archive
The Wisconsin Sound Archive is an ongoing effort to digitize and make the audio heritage from and about the state of Wisconsin available to the public online. Recordings will span the state of Wisconsin and include traditional oral histories or historical reminiscences; captured events, such as speeches and conferences; limited commercial recordings, such as radio and advertising; interviews; environmental recordings, and more.
