This ain't a Wild West Show : How a German Farming Community Became Wisconsin's Rodeo City

Abstract

In 1959 the rural Wisconsin farming community of Manawa, Wisconsin, hosted its first rodeo. Although rodeo was not native to this area of Wisconsin, more than 50 years later the event continues to draw crowds and has become a permanent part of the community's identity. Using archival data, newspapers and other primary sources, this study explored why and how this small Wisconsin community came to adopt rodeo as a communal cultural event.