Wisconsin Trivia & Tidbits

Looking for Wisconsin trivia? Try our list Wisconsin little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

During the nation's Bicentennial in 1976, Cuba City (pop. 2,156) made presidential shields and held a Parade of Presidents. The shields today are displayed on Main Street, along with flags, and the city bills itself as the "City of Presidents." Each red, white and blue shield displays a president's name, silhouette, term in office and birth state.

first appeared: 10/18/2009

Since 1913, Chili John's Restaurant in Green Bay has been serving its legendary chili, made from a recipe created by founder John Isaac, a Lithuanian immigrant.

first appeared: 10/4/2009

Briggs & Stratton Corp., headquartered in Milwaukee, is the world's largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Inventor Stephen F. Briggs and investor Harold M. Stratton formed a partnership in 1908 that led to the company. Its products are as diverse as electric refrigerators and coin-operated paper-towel dispensing machines.

first appeared: 9/20/2009

The world's largest grower and processor of horseradish is Silver Spring Foods Inc. in Eau Claire (pop. 61,704). A third and fourth generation own and operate the company, begun in 1929 by Ellis Huntsinger.

first appeared: 9/6/2009

Built by hand in 1869, Tiffany Bridge is believed to be the nation's only surviving five-arch stone railroad bridge. The 388-foot bridge spans Turtle Creek in Rock County.

first appeared: 8/23/2009

Arena Cheese in Arena (pop. 1,444) invented Colby Jack cheese and is one of the state's nearly 140 licensed cheese factories.

first appeared: 8/9/2009

One of the nation's largest used bookstores is located in a former manure storage tank and barns at the farm of Leonore and Lloyd Dickmann in Markesan (pop. 1,396). The Dickmanns' book compound, called Castle Arkdale and Happy Tales Bookshop, houses a million or so books.

first appeared: 7/26/2009

—Frontier photographer Edward S. Curtis left a lasting mark on the history of photography in his 20-volume life's work, The North American Indian. His work includes images of American Indians as they lived before contact with Anglo cultures. Curtis was born in 1868 near Whitewater (pop. 13,437).

first appeared: 7/12/2009

—The Lafayette County (pop. 16,137) courthouse in Darlington (pop. 2,418) has the distinction of being funded by one man. Matt Murphy, of Benton (pop. 469), who died in 1903, bequeathed 70 percent of his estate for the building of a courthouse. The $136,556 structure was completed in 1907.

first appeared: 6/28/2009

—Dale Wasserman (1914-2008), the playwright for two 1960s Broadway hits, Man of La Mancha and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, was born in Rhinelander (pop. 7,735). Orphaned before age 10, Wasserman had little formal education and spent his early years as a hobo.

first appeared: 6/14/2009

—Open since 1948, Slinger Super Speedway in Slinger (pop. 3,901) is known as the "world's fastest quarter-mile oval." Some of the best-known names in motor sports have raced at the track, including Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace.

first appeared: 5/31/2009

—The state's top performer in publicly traded companies in 2008 was National Presto Industries of Eau Claire (pop. 61,704). A $1,000 investment in National Presto shares at the beginning of 2008 would have grown to $1,587.38 by the end of the year.

first appeared: 5/17/2009

—The wooden footbridge spanning the Yellow River in Gilman (pop. 474) is billed as the state's only functional swinging bridge.

first appeared: 5/3/2009

–A search for a vegetarian hamburger for their menu at the Historic Trempealeau Hotel in Trempealeau (pop. 1,618) led owners Jim and Linda Jenkins to create the Walnut Burger, which includes walnuts and cheese and proved so popular that they now market the frozen patties online and in retail stores throughout the Midwest.

first appeared: 4/19/2009

—Broaster, headquartered in Beloit (pop. 35,775), is famous for its Broaster chicken, named for the cooking method that combines pressure cooking and deep frying, invented in 1954 by L.A.M. Phelan. The company sells its Broasters and food products, including marinades and breadings, worldwide.

first appeared: 4/5/2009

—Volunteers built the 44-foot-long Springwater Volunteer Bridge over Pine River in Waushara County (pop. 23,154) when the old bridge was deemed unsafe. Completed in 1997, the covered bridge and an adjacent park have become popular gathering spots.

first appeared: 3/22/2009

—The state’s oldest independent bookstore is Conkey’s Bookstore in Appleton (pop. 70,087), open since 1896.

first appeared: 3/8/2009

—Students at Pittsville (pop. 866) High School can take a cranberry science class, believed to be the only such class in the nation. Students also conduct tours of area cranberry marshes each fall.

first appeared: 2/22/2009

—J.R. Hildebrandt of Nekoosa (pop. 2,590) traveled 150 miles in eight days in a giant pumpkin down the Wisconsin River in October to raise money for the Tri-City Children’s Dream Foundation. Hildebrandt finished the trip in a smaller pumpkin after the first one became waterlogged.

first appeared: 2/8/2009

—Since 1972, Don Gorske, 54, of Fond du Lac (pop. 42,203), has eaten 23,000 Big Macs from McDonald’s, and he has the burger receipts to prove it. In 36 years, Gorske has missed his daily Big Mac only eight times.

first appeared: 1/11/2009

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.