The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

57176

Title

The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This historical volume compiles diverse essays on Wisconsin's early literary heritage, colonial legal history, and frontier life. Edited by Milo Quaife, it features rare poetry, the Zenger Trial narrative, and vivid pioneer recollections, offering a rich glimpse into the state's cultural and political evolution.

Summary up to 500 words

The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1 (1917-1918), edited by Milo Quaife, offers a rich tapestry of the state's early development through a collection of historical fragments and scholarly essays. The volume opens with Oscar Wegelin's discovery of Wisconsin's earliest poets, revealing rare 1840s verse by E.H. Smith, George Van Waters, and Adolf Schults that predate previously known works. Wegelin details Smith's narrative of the Black Hawk War, Van Waters' educational poetry, and Schults' German-language lyrics, highlighting the cultural diversity of early settlers. Louise P. Kellogg contributes a scholarly defense of the spelling 'Jolliet,' arguing that contemporary French usage and the explorer's own signatures support the double-'l' form over the single-'l' variant common in English histories. John T. Lee describes the Wisconsin Historical Society's acquisition of the first edition of the Zenger Trial narrative, a rare 1736 imprint that established the principle of press freedom in colonial America. Lucius G. Fisher provides extensive pioneer recollections, recounting his harrowing 1837 journey from Vermont to Chicago and Milwaukee during a severe financial panic. Fisher describes the primitive conditions of the era, including log cabins, Indian encampments, and treks by canoe and foot through wilderness landscapes. The text further explores early settlements, the Black Hawk War, and the lives of notable figures such as Daniel Webster and Horace White. Together, these pieces chronicle the dramatic transition from wilderness to settlement, emphasizing the resilience and adaptability of early inhabitants as they navigated economic crises and frontier challenges.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57176.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg57176.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-07 14:45 UTC

Categories

• History