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Juliette Kinzie
Frontier Storyteller
 | | by Kathe Crowley Conn |
In 1830, a young woman named Juliette Magill Kinzie moved from her fancy home in Connecticut to a rustic log cabin in what would later be called Wisconsin. Juliette lived there with her husband, John, who worked as an Indian agent at Fort Winnebago, one of Wisconsin's earliest settlements. While living at the fort, Juliette came to know the Indian communities that called the land home, as well as the non-Indian settlers who were moving in. She later wrote a best-selling book about her experiences, Wau-Bun: The 'Early Day' in the Northwest, an important first-person account of life on the frontier.
This new biography in the Badger Biographies Series turns the lens on the writer herself, detailing her life as she detailed the lives of those she encountered in the 1830s and 1840s. Juliette Kinzie: Frontier Storyteller details war, hunger, and the rapidly changing times Juliette witnessed on the Midwestern frontier, following the pioneering woman through her own changes from socialite to pioneer to famous writer and even to the work of her granddaughter, Juliette Gordon Low, who founded the Girl Scouts of America in 1912.
Available this spring from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press!
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An Interview with Susan Caya-Slusser, Director of the Villa Louis Historic Site in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
|  This month we learn about Villa Louis, one of the eleven historic sites operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
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Tell us about Villa Louis' place in history.
Villa Louis is the estate of the Dousman family. The family called this property home for 70 years beginning with the family patriarch Hercules Dousman. A clerk in the fur trade, Dousman becomes an investor, and amasses a large fortune through his various enterprises as a fur trader, lumberman, land speculator and frontier entrepreneur and builds the first family home in 1844. His son, H. Louis Dousman would replace the first home in 1870 with the stylish Villa Louis that stands today.
As a historic house museum, Villa Louis is unique in the fact that nearly 90% of the collection is original to the family and includes not only objects, but hundreds of photographs and extensive archival material. The documentation provided by the Dousman heirs served as the basis for a documentary restoration that began in 1994. With more than $2 million dollars provided by a mix of private- and public-sector funding sources, the restoration is now complete. Today the Villa Louis is the finest example of a British Arts and Crafts interior in a rural setting in the United States.
What's happening now at the Villa?
We are pleased to once again offer Christmas programming! Villa Louis Victorian Home for the Holidays begins November 28 and ends December 7. These special tours will get you into the holiday spirit. Tours include a visit to the Dousman parlor for a Christmas recital on the restored 1879 Steinway Centennial D piano. The tours end in the kitchen where the Dousman cook has been busy perfecting her holiday menu. Guests will enjoy sweet treats and hot cider by the warmth of the wood stove!
What's the best thing about your job
From school tours, to cooking on a wood stove, diving into the archives, and managing the collection... I get to do a little bit of everything with my job, and it is something different everyday! Villa Louis is more than just a Victorian mansion with many layers of history with a Fur Trade Museum and it also being battlefield during the War of 1812! These different layers of history allow me to plan a range of exciting special events each season, both indoors and out. Villa Louis' location on the banks of the Mississippi River allows for a unique setting of beauty in all seasons, especially during our biggest event of the year, Villa Louis Carriage Classic which takes us back to the brief heyday of the Dousman Artesian Stock Farm!
Visit Villa Louis's website for more information.
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The Wisconsin Historical Society Educator Update curates news from the Wisconsin Historical Society and beyond for the community of educators in Wisconsin.
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Yours in Education
A Month of Celebrations!
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Mawlid are 
just a few of the many reasons people gather together to celebrate in the month of December. Asking students to share their family traditions can open a range of possibilities for study, from immigration history to contemporary cultural celebrations. Many of the historic sites and 
the Museum on the Square are celebrating as well, with special events and exhibits that look to Wisconsin's past for inspiration.
Like Us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter
Like our Facebook page to see highlights and tips for educators. Or follow us on Twitter (@WHSEducation) to see the latest quips and bits!
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Wisconsin Historical Museum
Kurt Griesemer, Director of Education
'tis the Season: Winterful Wisco  nsin Generally Wisconsin residents have the right attitude about winter. Not only do we know how to survive the cold and snow, we also embrace the season with outdoor activities such as skating, sledding, skiing and more. See historic winter weather wear, snow throwers, sleds, sleighs and a wide variety of winter sporting gear, and learn how we have embraced life in a frozen state.
The exhibit opens Friday, November 28, and runs through Saturday, January 10. Visit our website for more information. Museum Store Annual Holiday Sale  | | 2014 Capitol Ornament |
Say "Happy Holidays" from Wisconsin, and support the museum by shopping at the Wisconsin Historical Museum Store's 12th Annual Holiday Sale!
Grab a cup of hot cocoa and get great deals on Real Wisconsin t-shirts, historic images, and much more! Plus, Society members can get up to 20% off on all regular priced merchandise!
Check out our Events calendar for more information.
Boy and Girl Scout Badge Workshops
Look to the Wisconsin Historical Museum to help your scouts attain their badges in government, play times of the past, celebrating community, and more. Contact Jenny Kalvaitis at 608.264.6557 for more details.
Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...
Wisconsin winter weather quite often makes for interesting travel conditions. The Museum on the Square offers a 50% discount to school groups visiting during the months of January and February. Still can't make the drive? Let the Museum Education Team come to you with our new school outreach program! Based on themes from the 4th grade textbook Wisconsin, Our State, Our Story, our educators have put together teaching collection traveling kits including the fur trade, archaeology, and more! Contact Jenny Kalvaitis at 608.264.6557 for more details.
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New at Old World Wisconsin
An Old World Wisconsin Christmas
Spread the joy to your students, their families and your friends. Keep your promise to enjoy the holiday season and, at the same time, start a new tradition. Start your day right by signing up for our Old World Holiday Breakfast or get a combination ticket to the breakfast and all day celebration. 
Stroll the 1870s Crossroads Village and discover the origins of many of our favorite holiday customs at Old World Wisconsin. Walk house to house, shop to shop, meet Santa as Thomas Nast envisioned him, join in singing carols to enjoy a slower Christmas as it was in the past. Taste samples of historic treats or, if there's enough snow, stop by in our neighboring field to take a sleigh ride (or a wagon ride if there's no snow).
Join us throughout the month of December to experience all our holiday delights. Times for breakfast vary so be sure to check out our website.
Now taking 2015 Tour Registrations!
Are you interested in bringing your school group to Old World Wisconsin? Field trips and tours are available for schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, homeschoolers, and day campers. Download our Group Tour Request form today to reserve your favorite time slots!
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Taking History on the Road
Discover Your Story
As the Wisconsin Historical Society embarks on the "Wisconsin History Tour: Sharing Wisconsin's Stories One Community at a Time," we have hopes to spend time and share stories of the past with communities throughout the state. The "Tour" represents a major, multi-year outreach effort. For a month-long stay at a time, the Society will bring a handcrafted exhibit to 11 communities in order to share pieces of collections we have gathered since our founding in 1846-ranging from a Civil War soldier's letter home, to early 20th Century photographs of Door County, to maps dating back to 1513, to the Racine story of malted milk, to maritime stories of shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. The statewide trek is taking a short break for the month of December, but will be back in January with a new slate of places to visit and exhibits to see in 2015. For more information on the Wisconsin History Tour, please visit our website. |
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Thank you for reading our newsletter.
Sincerely,
Kurt Griesemer
Director of Education
Wisconsin Historical Society |
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