Historic German and Norwegian Settlement: Ethnicity and Agriculture in the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Abstract

The Lower Wisconsin Scenic Riverway is home to many of Wisconsin's geological, cultural, and historic treasures. Deemed an important historical asset, the Wisconsin government took measures to protect this area of the Wisconsin River and the surrounding scenery in 1989, in attempts to preserve the area's diverse resources for future generations. European immigration and American-born migration and settlement have heavily influenced this region of Wisconsin, an impact that is still felt within the region today. As a group, we plan to assess the immigration of German and Norwegian peoples to the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. We will discuss their origins, settlement locations within the region, and finally, focus on the evolution of the two groups' agricultural practices throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Additionally, we hope to explore a relationship between ethnicity and type of agricultural development and production within the counties, and certain ethnic settlements, along the Lower Wisconsin Riverway.