Ada James (1876-1952) was a leading social reformer, humanitarian, and pacifist from Richland Center, Wisconsin and daughter of state senator David G. James. The Ada James Papers document the grass roots organizing and politics that were required to promote and guarantee the passage of women’s suffrage in Wisconsin and beyond.
This growing selection of local history materials includes images of former Appleton mayors with descriptions of key events during their terms, the publications Appleton, Wis., Illustrated (1892) and Pioneers of Outagamie County (1895), city and telephone directories for the Appleton area from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and other items pertaining to city and town life, the library, schools and tourism.
This collection documents the public life of Clement J. Zablocki, who represented Milwaukee’s south side in Congress from January 1949 until his death in December 1983.
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materials on notable Racine residents and Leach’s writings on Racine County history, including chapters of his unpublished manuscript “The Story of Racine County, a History.”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.
The Freedom Flotilla, also known as the Mariel Boatlift, occurred in 1980 after President Carter opened the doors to the United States for hundreds of thousands of Cuban refugees, of which nearly 15,000 would eventually arrive at the resettlement camp at Fort McCoy in western Wisconsin. This collection contains photographs taken by journalists reporting on the “Cuban Odyssey,” most of whom worked for the La Crosse Tribune, bringing together nearly 250 images of individuals and events directly involved with the Freedom Flotilla.
This collection includes letters written to Helen Brace Emerson from her cousin, suffragist and president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union Frances Willard, between the late 1860s and Willard’s death in 1898. Correspondence from other writers provide details about Willard’s final days.
Legal, administrative, educational and political documents, including correspondence and news clippings, describing events and people involved during the Menominee Termination and Restoration era, 1961-1973.
Records, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, ephemera and artifacts documenting a popular movement that most Americans would rather forget – a so-called “reform” movement driven by xenophobia and bigotry. Although largely gone from the state by the late 1920s, the Klan persisted in northwestern Wisconsin, including Chippewa, Clark, and Pierce counties, through the 1940s.
The Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau conducts objective audits and evaluations of state agency operations. This collection contains the reports produced by the financial audits and program evaluations.
The Legislative Council prepares reports on proposed administrative rules, informational publications for Legislators and the public, and committee materials for suggested legislation, including materials on state-tribal relations.
