Wisconsin Trivia & Tidbits - Page 6

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

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped create Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners (pop. 7,765) by building roads and bridges and planting thousands of trees and shrubs.

first appeared: 10/23/2005

Rookie racecar driver Danica Patrick finished fourth in the Indianapolis 500 in May, the best showing ever by a female driver. Born in 1982 in Beloit (pop. 35,775) and raised in Roscoe, Ill. (pop. 6,244), she now lives in Phoenix, Ariz.

first appeared: 10/9/2005

The world’s most expensive spice, Kashmir saffron, sells for about $60 a quarter ounce and is among the 250 spices sold worldwide by Penzeys Spices, a family-owned mail-order and retail business headquartered in Brookfield (pop. 38,649).

first appeared: 9/25/2005

Ephraim (pop. 353) was founded in 1853 by Andreas Iverson as a Moravian religious colony. The village’s biblical name means "doubly fruitful," and the Moravian church, a Protestant denomination, was the first church established in Door County.

first appeared: 9/18/2005

Built in 1880, Wind Point Lighthouse on Lake Michigan originally was outfitted with a kerosene-fired light. In 1924, the lighthouse became the second Great Lakes beacon to be electrified. Today, lighthouse buildings serve as municipal offices for Wind Point (pop. 1,853).

first appeared: 9/11/2005

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s home Taliesen, in Spring Green (pop. 1,444), is located in the valley settled by his maternal family—the Lloyd-Jones. The house’s name comes from a Welch word meaning "shining brow."

first appeared: 9/11/2005

A pair of 17th-century explorers have a blog site, thanks to the Wisconsin Historical Society, whose staff posts excerpts from Father Jacques Marquette’s journal and an interview given by Louis Joliet after their 1673 voyage down the Mississippi River. Log on to www.wisconsinhistory.org/diary/marquette_1673.asp to read their words.

first appeared: 8/28/2005

Summerfest on Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee attracts 1 million festival goers each year. Hundreds of performers star on 13 stages at the 11-day event, which begins the last Thursday in June.

first appeared: 8/14/2005

On the shores of Lake Michigan, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc (pop. 34,053) commemorates the region’s maritime history, including the building of car ferries, luxury yachts, and 28 submarines during World War II.

first appeared: 7/31/2005

Glidden, near the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Ashland County, became the state’s "Black Bear Capital" after hunters shot a world-record 7-foot, 10-inch black bear in 1963. The bear still is displayed in a glass case downtown, and the high school sports teams named themselves the Black Bears after the goliath trophy.

first appeared: 7/17/2005

Orson Welles, born in 1915 in Kenosha, launched his film career with 1941’s Citizen Kane, based on the life of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. Only 26 years old at the time, Welles co-wrote, starred in, directed and produced the movie.

first appeared: 6/19/2005

In 1867, Charles Knapp of Waterloo (pop. 3,259) patented the first machine for making a wooden drawer joint. Resembling a peg in a half circle, the Knapp joint saved labor involved in cutting dovetail joints and was used by many furniture makers until 1900, when a machine was invented to simulate handmade dovetails.

first appeared: 6/5/2005

Built in 1856, the Mineral Point (pop. 2,617) depot is the state’s oldest surviving railroad depot. The restored building reopened last year as a railroad history museum.

first appeared: 5/22/2005

Founded in 1916 by 40 women, the Women’s International Bowling Congress, headquartered in Greendale (pop. 14,405), is among the world’s oldest women’s sports membership organizations and currently has 1.2 million members.

first appeared: 5/8/2005

Leinenkugel’s beer has been brewed in Chippewa Falls (pop. 12,925) since 1867. In addition to its year-round offerings, the company produces seasonal products—Berry Weiss, Oktoberfest and Big Butt Doppelbock.

first appeared: 4/24/2005

Sport fishing supports more than 26,000 jobs in Wisconsin and annually generates $75 million in state tax revenue.

first appeared: 4/10/2005

The Wisconsin State Herbarium was established in 1849 when Increase A. Lapham of Milwaukee donated 1,000 to 1,500 plant specimens to the newly founded University of Wisconsin. Today, the facility holds 1 million dried and labeled specimens.

first appeared: 3/27/2005

Goats dine on the sod roof of Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay (pop. 886).

first appeared: 3/13/2005

The 20-by-20-foot Hauge Log Church in Perry (pop. 670) was built by Norwegian Lutheran settlers in 1852.

first appeared: 2/27/2005

The state’s oldest marathon, the Paavo Nurmi Marathon from Upson (pop. 50) to Hurley (pop. 1,818) was first run in 1969. Named for Finland’s greatest runner, the name reflects the area’s Finnish heritage.

first appeared: 2/13/2005

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