1

The Water is Wide Immigration to Wisconsin:

1840 through 1920

Image ID: 28146, Collection Name: Franz Holzlhuber, 1826-1898: Sketches and Associated Materials, 1856-1860, 1959 For larger image click the following link: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=28146&qstring

2

A Look at Building a New Life in Wisconsin

• In 1919, a view of the stage during a Milwaukee pageant put on to welcome the city’s newest citizens.

• The woman posing as the Statue of Liberty would emigrate to Palestine in 1921. Golda Myerson would become the famous leader Golda Meir.

Image ID: 5348Collection Name: For larger image click the following link: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=5348&qstring

3

The Stories…• “Push and Pull”

Image ID: 41751Collection Name: Harper’s WeeklyFor larger image click the following link: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=41751&qstring

4

Why Immigrate?

PUSH FACTORS:

“The conditions of the homeland

that convince people to leave.”

What might some of these factors be?

PULL FACTORS:

“Those factors that attract people

to settle in another country.”

What might the dreams of the immigrants include?

“German Immigrants Boarding a Ship.”Library of Congress image, For larger image click the following link: http://www.loc.gov/rr/european/imde/germany.html Text quotes from German Americans by Michael V. Uschan, p. 4.

5

Currents of Change:Newcomers Seek Land

“In the 1820s the Indians still owned all of Wisconsin, except for pinpoints of white settlement at Green Bay, Milwaukee, Portage and Prairie du Chien. The arrival of land-hungry pioneers, however, put pressure on the government to secure Indian land

cessions.” --Norman K. Risjord, Wisconsin: The Story of the Badger State.

“The Village of Portage and Fort Winnebago in 1831.”Norman K. Risjord, Wisconsin: The Story of the Badger State. (Original drawing by Juliette Kinzie in her book Wau-Bun, WHi Image ID 6125.)

6

Where Did They Come From?

Graphic from German Americans by Michael V. Uschan., p.16.

7

As the World Watches…

“The opening of public land offices at Green Bay and Mineral Point in 1834 triggered a buying frenzy in Wisconsin lands. First in line, quite often, were pioneers from New York, Ohio and Indiana who had squatted on Indian lands…Congress accommodated these people with a land act of 1836 that allowed them to “preempt” the auction by purchasing their farms at the minimum price of $1.25 an acre.” --Norman K. Risjord, Wisconsin the Story of the Badger State.

“Big Bluestem.”WI DNR EEK! photo.For larger image click the following link: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/veg/plants/bigblue.htm

8

“Wisconsin 1, Map 64, 1899.”Bureau of Ethnology. For larger image click the following link: http://usgwarchives.net/maps/cessions/ilcmap64.htm

Remembering Presettlement History

9

Focus on Three Communities:Fall River, Beaver Dam &

Portage• Fall River established 1846.

Alfred Brayton decides to build a mill to the east of the settlers living by the Military Road.

• Beaver Dam established 1841.Grubbville? Site of a sacred spring.Dam constructed by early settlers createssubstantial lake.

• Portage established 1854.Fort Winnebago built in 1828. Excellent location by the Fox and

Wisconsin Rivers. On December 17, 1852 the name was changed to Portage City. (The State of Wisconsin Blue Book lists the date of incorporation as 1854, but Portage residents celebrated their city’s centennial in 1952!)

“Badger.” U.S. Fish and Wildlife photo. Posted on Netstate Chronicle. For larger image click the following link: http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/wi_symb.htm

10

Plat Map of Fall River, 1890

“Fall River.” C.M. Foote photo from the State Plate Book of Columbia County, Wisconsin, For larger image click the

following link: http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu

11

By Major Groups: Ancestry of Fall River Residents in 2000

German - 45% Irish - 12% Norwegian - 7% English - 5% French - 4% Dutch - 4% Polish - 4% Danish - 2% French Canadian - 2% Italian - 2% Swedish - 2% Swiss - 1% Hungarian - 1% Welsh - 1% Czech - 1% Black or African American - 1% Mexican - 1%

“Spillway of the Fall River Dam.”Hughes Family Photo.Data from ePodunk.For more information click the following link: www.epodunk.com

12

Bird’s Eye View of Portage: 1868

“Bird”s Eye View of Portage, 1868.” ePodunk Place photo, for larger image click the following link: http//www.epodunk.com

13

By Major Groups: Ancestry of

Portage Residents in 2000

German - 40%Irish - 12%English - 9%Norwegian - 8%Polish - 6%Black or African American - 4%French - 3%Dutch - 2%Scottish - 2%Mexican - 2%Italian - 2%Other Hispanic or Latino - 2%Swedish - 1%Scotch-Irish - 1%Welsh - 1%Czech - 1%Swiss - 1%Danish - 1%French Canadian - 1%Scandinavian - 1%American Indian tribes, specified - 1%

“Aerial Photo of Portage.”Wikipedia photo. For larger image click the following link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage,_WisconsinData from ePodunk, for more click the following link:www.epodunk.com

14

Bird’s-Eye View of Beaver Dam, 1867

“Bird’s-Eye View of Beaver Dam, 1867.” ePodunk photo, for larger image click the following link: http://www.epodunk.com.

15

By Major Groups: Ancestry of Beaver Dam Residents in 2000

German - 47%Irish - 10%Polish - 7%English - 5%French - 4%Norwegian - 4%Mexican - 4%Dutch - 3%Swiss - 1%Swedish - 1%Italian - 1%Czech - 1%Scottish - 1%Hungarian - 1%Welsh - 1%Scotch-Irish - 1%Other Hispanic/ Latino - 1%

“BDACT Building.”Beaver Dam Area Community Theater photo.For larger image click the following link: www.bdact.orgData from ePodunk, for more click the following link: www.epodunk.com

16

The Immigration Puzzle

Graphic from They Came to Wisconsin by Julia Pferdehirt, p. 29.

17

What Would German Immigrants Hope to Find in Wisconsin?

Image ID: 37967Collection Name: Name FileFor larger image click the following link: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=37967&qstring

18

German Immigrants Found Hope in Wisconsin“The government of Wisconsin

played an active role in attracting German immigrants to the state. 

In 1852, Wisconsin established a Commission of Immigration with a resident commissioner in New York whose duty it was to distribute pamphlets extolling Wisconsin's attributes.  Disbanded in 1855, it was re-established in 1867 during the second great wave of German immigration. 

But the greatest motivation for German settlers was the firsthand accounts of friends and family members who attested to the quality of their new lives in the state, where land was relatively easy to come by and the German community had firmly established itself.”

“A Lovely Invitation Card.”Copyright unknown. If you have information please contact Oscar Chamberlain, History Department, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.

German settlers were most comfortable in communities that had German

language newspapers, social clubs, schools and churches.

19

People Living in Ireland Faced Overwhelming Complications in their Homeland.

Image ID: 44792Collection Name: For larger image click the following link: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=44792&qstring

“Irish Immigrants in Search of a Better Future.”Issue: 285 in 2004Copyright: Socialist ReviewFor larger image click the following link: www.Pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/sr285/croft.htm

20

“The House is So Empty and Sad…”“Kilkelly Ireland, eighteen and sixty. My Dear and Loving son John:

Your good friend the schoolmaster Pat McNamara, so good as to write these words down.

Your brothers have all gone to find work in England. The house is so empty and sad.

The crop of potatoes is sorely affected, a third to a half of them bad.

And your sister Bridget and Patrick O’Donnell are goin’ to be married in June.

Your mother says not to work on the railroad, and be sure to come on home soon.”

“Kilkelly, Ireland” by Peter & Steve Jones. Written after finding letters to their grandfather from their great-grandfather in Ireland. http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5897

Graphic from They Came to Wisconsin by Julia Pferdehirt, p. 17.

21

It Becomes Imperative for Many to Leave Poland Behind

“A Polish Woman” & “On Ellis Island: Polish Women Going from a Barge to the Immigration Building.”eHistory photos, “Multimedia Histories, Americans in the Raw.”www.eHistory.osu.edu/

“Polish Immigrants were the Second Largest Ethnic Group in 1880s [in Milwaukee].Milwaukee County Historical Society photo.www.themakingof Milwaukee.com/classroom/

22

The Pull of the City &The Pull of the Land

Image ID: 37888Collection Name: Place FileFor larger image click the following link: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=37888&qstring

Copyright: Milwaukee Public TelevisionWebsite: http://www.themakingofmilwaukee.com/classroom/photo_large.cfm?cat=11&p=588

Featured in: Sue Krolikowski’s and Navaz Bhavnaagri’s article “Home-Community Visits during an Era of Reform (1870-1920) Website: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v2n1/bhavnagri.html

23

Norwegian Immigrants Look to America

“Peasants from Norway on the Roof Awaiting Deportation.”eHiistory photo.www.eHistory.osu.edu/

“Rosemaled Norwegian Immigrant Trunk.”Museum Object: 2000.77.1For more information and to view larger image click the following link:http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/artifacts/archives/002140.asp

24

Finding a New Way of Life

“People in Norway Were Forced to Farm on Rocky, Hilly Land.”Photo from They Came to Wisconsin by Julia Pferdehirt, p. 10

”Norwegian American Farmers.”The Promise of America, Norwegian Emigrant Museum photo.http://www.nb.no/emigrasjon/emigration/

25

What About the “English” Immigrant or the

“Yankee?”

“A cartoon in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper argues for immigration restriction. Showing a lonely figure (reminiscent of the national symbol Uncle Sam) surrounded by a range of ethnic and racial stereotypes, the cartoon's caption read: “A Possible Curiosity of the Twentieth Century:

‘The Last Yankee’ Matthew Somerville Morgan, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, September 8, 1888.”

“The Last Yankee.”American Social History Project, CUNY." “The World They Came To” text & graphic.http://www.ashp.cuny.edu/video/heaven/fworldto.html

26

How Would You Convince Someone to Come to Fall River?

“Two Immigrant Kids (photo by Augustus F. Sherman).”Photo from Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman, p. 3.

“View of Main Street, Fall River, Wis.”Childs, Chicago, vintage Hughes Family postcard.

27

America Books, Letters, Reports from Those Who Returned to Their Homeland…

“Norwegian America Book.” & “A Warning Against Emigrating.”The Promise of America, Norwegian Emigrant Museum text and graphics.http://www.nb.no/emigrasjon/emigration/

A warning against emigrating in "Illustrert Folkeblad" (The Illustrated People's Newspaper) May 14, 1856.

Ole: Where are you going? Peer: I am going to America. Ole: Go back home to your bowl of porridge, Peer. In America you will find hard work but little food, as you can see by looking at me. I come straight from there now. Peer: Yes, it can't be easy to live there. When you left, you were about the same size as I am, and now you don't seem to me to be very bulky. I think I will turn back, Ole."

28

Beaver Dam Beckons the New Resident

Graphic from Beaver Dam Vintage Postcards by Roger Noll, p. 9

29

Portage Also Has Appeal!

“Young Irishmen Ready for Politics.” eHistory photo, “Multimedia Histories, Americans in the Raw.”www.eHistory.osu/edu/

30

And the Immigration Story Continues…

•New Residents Are Welcome: Beaver Dam versus Portage!

•Each community will be represented by a Seventh Grade Social Studies class.

•Fourth Grade “immigrants” will vote for where they want to settle.

•“Immigrants” will be from either Germany, Ireland, Poland, Norway or Great Britain.

Do You Know This Famous Immigrant and the Country He Came From?

Library of Congress American Memory Collection photo.http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/introduction.html

31

Celebration!You, Whoever You Are You, whoever you are!...

All you continentals of Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, indifferent of place!All you on the numberless islands of the archipelagoes of the sea!All you of centuries hence when you listen to me!All you each and everywhere whom I specify not, but include just the same!Health to you! good will to you all, from me and America sent!Each of us is inevitable,Each of us is limitless—each of us with his or her right upon the earth,Each of us allow'd the eternal purports of the earth,Each of us here as divinely as any is here.

Walt Whitman

 

Poem as presented on the Library of Congress Immigration home page. Graphic from a WPA poster by Richard Hall (Federal Dance Theatre Presents Salut au Monde)http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/introduction.html