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Just the Facts! Wisconsin State Information

Mar 28, 2004

For three years straight (2000, 2001 & 2002) Wisconsin ranked among the Top 10 Favorite Destinations in the USA. It tied with Nashville, New England and the Pacific Northwest, and ranked above Myrtle Beach.

Those of us who live here could have told you that Wisconsin is a place worth visiting. Follow along and learn more about our state.

This state was named after the Wisconsin River. In the Chippewa language "Ouisconsin" is an Indian word meaning "grassy place." People who live in Wisconsin or who come from Wisconsin are called Wisconsinites.

The Facts

Admitted to Union: May 29, 1848, the 30th State.
Capital : Madison

Wisconsin State Symbols :

State Flag: (see picture)
State Bird: American Robin
State Animal: Badger
State Wildlife Animal: White-tailed Deer
State Domesticated Animal: Dairy Cow
State Flower: Wood Violet
State Tree: Sugar Maple
State Insect: Honey Bee
State Fish: Muskellunge - aka - musky, muskie
State Fossil: Trilobite
State Soil: Antigo Silt Loam
State Rock: Red Granite
State Mineral: Galena
State Symbol of Peace: Mourning Dove
State Dance: Polka
State Seal: Great Seal
State Motto: Forward - Quoted from Guide to US States:

In 1851, Governor Dewey had asked UW Chancellor John Lathrop to design a new state seal. It is alleged that the motto was selected during a chance meeting between Governor Dewey and Edward Ryan when the governor went to New York City to have the new seal engraved. Ryan objected to the Latin motto "Excelsior," which Lathrop proposed. According to tradition, Dewey and Ryan sat on the steps of a Wall Street bank and designed a new seal, choosing "Forward" as the motto.
State Song: On Wisconsin
State Grain: Corn
State Dog: American Water Spaniel
State Beverage: Milk
Nicknames:
The Badger State: In the 1830s, the lead miners lived, not in houses, but in temporary caves cut into the hillsides. These caves were disparagingly described as badger dens and the miners who lived in them as badgers. Eventually, the nickname was applied to all of the people of Wisconsin and, finally, to the state itself. The badger was adopted as Wisconsin's state animal in 1957.
The Dairy State: Wisconsin is often known as "The Dairy State" because of the large production of dairy products, particularly cheese and butter, in the state.

Wisconsin Flag	Wisconsin State Seal	Wisconsin License Plate	Timms Hill	Mississippi River Sunset
St.Croix Dalles	Cave Point Park, Door County	Colby Cheese Historical Marker

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3. Apr 1, 2004 1:27 AM
Almost 30 years ago, Judy and I were in Wisconsin, maybe a little north of the center of the state, and decided we couldn't leave the state without stopping at a cheese store. We got to sample some t ...

-- posted by Dan_Ellsworth

2. Mar 30, 2004 8:28 AM
In response to message posted by H2O:

But do Green Bay Packer fans ever truely give up on their team anymore than Cub's fans give up ...

-- posted by phoehne

1. Mar 29, 2004 8:27 AM
Green Bay is the Toilet Paper Capital of the World.

And for decades the local football team was "in the crapper!"

The Fox River is one of the few rivers in the nation that flows north. ...

-- posted by H2O

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