STORIES OF THE BADGER STATE.  PREFACE


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STORIES OF THE BADGER STATE
by Reuben Gold Thwaites
New York  Cincinnati  Chicago
American Book Company
Copyright, 1900, by Reuben Gold Thwaites.
Sto. Badger Sta.
W. P. 7
page(s) 3-4


PREFACE

The student of nature lives in a broader and more interesting world than
does he who has not learned the story of the birds, the streams, the
fields, the woods, and the hedgerows. So, too, the student of local history
finds his present interest in town, village, city, or State, growing with
his knowledge of its past.

In recognition of this fact, these true stories, selected from Wisconsin's
history, have been written as a means to the cultivation of civic
patriotism among the youth of our commonwealth. It is not the purpose of
the book to present a continuous account of the development of the State;
for this, the author begs to refer to his larger work, "The Story of
Wisconsin" (in the Story of the States Series). Rather is it desired to
give selections from the interesting and often stirring incidents with
which our history is so richly stored, in the hope that the reader may
acquire a taste for delving more deeply into the annals of the Badger
State.

Wisconsin had belonged, in turn, to Spain, France, and England, before she
became a portion of the United States. Her recorded history begins far back
in the time of French ownership, in 1634. The century and a third of the
French regime was a picturesque period, upon which the memory delights to
dwell; with its many phases, several of the following chapters are
concerned. The English regime was brief, but not without interest. In the
long stretch of years which followed, before Wisconsin became an American
State, many incidents happened which possess for us the flavor of romance.
The formative period between 1848 and 186 1 was replete with striking
events. In the War of Secession, Wisconsin took a gallant and notable part.
Since that great struggle, the State has made giant strides in industry,
commerce, education, and culture; but the present epoch of growth has not
thus far yielded much material for picturesque treatment, perhaps because
we are still too near to the events to see them in proper perspective. An
attempt has been made to present chapters representative of all these
periods, but naturally the earlier times have seemed best adapted to the
purpose in hand.

R. G. T.