Wisconsin Historical Society

Happy 90th Birthday, Jerry Apps! 🎉 July 25, 2024 is official “Jerry Apps Day” in Madison, Wisconsin. Did you know this extraordinary author was born and raised on a farm in Wild Rose, Wisconsin? Jerold (Jerry) Williard Apps was born July 25, 1934. The Wisconsin author and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor emeritus celebrates a remarkable 90th birthday this year, ringing in two monumental achievements; Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway issued a Mayoral Proclamation announcing July 25, 2024 as “Jerry Apps Day” in the city of Madison, honoring his life’s dedication to “preserving the rich agricultural and rural heritage of Wisconsin,” his many literary and educational achievements, “environmental stewardship, and the promotion of sustainable living.” Additionally, Governor Tony Evers, awarded Apps a State of Wisconsin Birthday Certificate to commemorate his accolades. Evers mentions his Regional Emmy Award, UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Distinguished Service Award, induction into our state’s 4-H hall of fame and more. Apps has written of over 50 nonfiction, fiction and children’s books that whimsy topics from Wisconsin’s natural landscapes, barns, schools and factories to tales of the Circus and beyond. He has dozens of works published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, including titles such as, “More Than Words: A Memoir of a Writing Life,” “Old Farm: A History,” “Barns of Wisconsin” and more. Apps’ farming background helped him foster a unique relationship with Wisconsin land and lore. Apps’ respect and caring disposition towards Wisconsin’s state history does not go unnoticed. Jerry and his wife, Ruth, have three children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandsons. In celebration of Jerry's birthday, all of his books published by WHS Press are 25% off this week! Use promo code 90BIRTHDAY online: https://wihist.org/469z1J9. Meet Apps, and other WHS Press authors, here: https://wihist.org/4ffpd4k Leave your happy birthday messages for Jerry Apps in the comments. 🎁 📸: Wisconsin Historical Society Press

Congratulations to the following places for recently being added to the National Register of Historic Places! 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗵, 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙙 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘄𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻, 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 Learn more: https://wihist.org/3SjaqMb The National Register is the official list of historic properties in America deemed worthy of preservation and is maintained by the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Wisconsin Historical Society administers the program within Wisconsin.

Treat your kids to a FREE historic experience this year! Children receive free admission to Old World Wisconsin this summer on select dates. Explore the Crossroads Village together and make family-friendly memories neither of you will ever forget! 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 July 31 – August 4 August 7 – August 11 Learn more: https://wihist.org/3zKKxym

Looking to spend a beautiful summer day on Geneva Lake? O the Places We Go has all the tips for an unforgettable visit to Black Point Estate and Gardens, the gilded age summer retreat of Chicago Beer Baron Conrad Seipp. Start the day with a scenic boat cruise followed by a tour of the lakeside estate built in 1888. Plan your visit: https://bit.ly/46h5vBi

Did you know the largest experimental aviation event in the world is the EAA Fly-In at Oshkosh? EAA - The Spirit of Aviation 2024 happens July 22-28! The event started 71 years ago. The first one was held in September 1953 as a small part of the Milwaukee Air Pageant. The event then moved to Rockford Municipal Airport in 1959. In late 1969, the EAA board approved the move to Oshkosh. EAA AirVenture Oskhosh attracts 10,000 airplanes each year and more than 650,000 aviation enthusiasts attended the event in 2022. In 2019, people from 93 countries outside the U.S. attended. 📸: circa 1984 | Travel Wisconsin | WHI Image ID 151434

Happy 40th Birthday, Culver's Restaurants! 🎉 On July 18, 1984, the very first Culver's opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Why Sauk City? Sauk City was the hometown of Culver's founders Craig and Lea Culver along with Craig’s parents, George and Ruth. That means this American restaurant chain has been serving guests ButterBurgers® and frozen custard for four decades. As of April 2024, there are 965 Culver's locations in 26 states. Leave your happy birthday messages for Culver's in the comments. 🎁 📸: Founders, Lea and Craig Culver and George and Ruth | Culver's

2024 is the first time in history that the Republican National Convention (RNC) is being held in Wisconsin. Here is a look back at a handful of historical objects and images from the party’s earlier presidential conventions. Credentialed Wisconsin Historical Society staff will be on site at the 2024 Republican and Democratic National Conventions to thoughtfully collect and document history as it happens and preserve it for future generations. To explore more items from the Society’s political history collections, visit: https://wihist.org/466nfPA 📸: Wisconsin delegation at RNC in San Francisco, 1956 | WHI Image ID 97460 📸: RNC in Chicago, 1952 | Wisconsin State Journal | WHI Image ID 76808 📸: RNC in Chicago, 1920 | WHI Image ID 56908 📸: RNC in Chicago, 1880 | WHI Image ID 56997 📸: Guest ticket to RNC in St. Louis, 1896 | WHI Image ID 56064 📸: Guest ticket to RNC in Chicago, 1888 | WHI Image ID 56065

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡! for the Wisconsin Historical Society's 18th annual Local History & Historic Preservation Conference! This year, we are excited to be featuring dynamic speakers, interactive workshops and engaging breakout sessions. Join colleagues on October 16-18th at the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley in Appleton as we exchange ideas and share our vision for the future of local history and historic preservation in Wisconsin and beyond. Under the theme of “History in Action for Thriving Communities,” our keynote speakers share perspectives on how local historians and historic preservationists can activate public history to connect with and improve communities. Register TODAY: https://wihist.org/3Wl7P6R

The smell of a summer breeze, sunlight peeking through the trees, the hum of diligent birds and bees... this Good Old Fashioned Summer, treat your family to a nostalgic journey through the streets, forests and trails of Old World Wisconsin. Old World Wisconsin open Wednesdays – Sundays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Purchase your tickets: https://wihist.org/3zBjvJG

Looking for a new book to read this summer? Check out this Madison Magazine article that includes one of our press books.