The Council of University of Wisconsin Libraries and the Wisconsin Historical Society have teamed up to create this excellent online collection of letters, speeches, and other writings from a diverse set of people who settled throughout Wisconsin during the 19th century. The documents featured here are available as scanned images (when possible) and as transcriptions in the instances where the original script may be difficult to read. Some of the documents deal with the emigration experience, such as that of Ingeborg Alvstad, while others, such as those of John Plumbe, deal with the promotion of small towns on the frontier. Along with browsing through the documents, visitors can search through different sets of documents on the site, either through simple searching techniques, or boolean and proximity searches. For the casual browser or for those seeking to learn more about Wisconsin's pioneer history, this site provides a good introduction to the lives and experiences of these 19th century travelers.
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