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Top 10 facts: Wisconsin 2


Known as America’s Dairyland or the Badger State, the Midwestern state Wisconsin is rich in history, culture and lakes. Here are ten interesting facts about Wisconsin that you may not have known.


1


First US kindergarten: The first kindergarten classes in the US were held in Watertown in 1856 at the home of a German couple.


3


Birthplace of the ice cream sundae: The first-ever ice cream sundae was served in Two Rivers, Wisconsin in 1881.


All-American girl: True to her all-American identity, the famous Barbie hails from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.


4


Malibu of the Midwest: Freshwater surfers know Sheboygan as the ‘Malibu of the Midwest’, with visitors traveling across the globe to try their hand at surfing and watch the pros.


6


America’s Dairyland: Wisconsin is the #1 producer of cheese in the US, and the only state with a master cheesemaker programme requiring 10 years of experience and three years of study.


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Land of 15,000 lakes: Although Minnesota is called the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’, Wisconsin has more than 15,000. Created during the previous Ice Age roughly 12,000 years ago, when glaciers scraped across the land, practically all the natural lakes in Wisconsin have resulted from glaciers.


9 10 82 Fall 2025 | ochmagazine.com


The Badger State: Wisconsin’s state symbol, the badger, doesn’t refer to the animal but instead to the 1820s lead miners who travelled for work and dug tunnels to sleep in and keep warm, much like a badger.


Ginseng production: Wisconsin is responsible for 100% of ginseng grown in the US, and for 10% of the world supply.


The Hebior Mammoth: The largest woolly mammoth ever excavated was found in Kenosha County in 1994, known as the Hebior Mammoth, with its skeleton on display at the Milwaukee Public Museum.


Name origin: The state’s name comes from the Wisconsin River, originally called Meskousing by Algonquian-speaking tribes. Over time, the word evolved into Ouisconsin, Wiskonsan and finally into its current spelling and pronunciation, Wisconsin.


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