Madeline Island Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Madeline Island Museum |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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Madeline Island Museum
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 Madeline Island Museum
Location in Wisconsin
Madeline Island Museum
Location in the United States
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| Location | Eagle, Wisconsin, United States |
| Established | 1976 |
| Governing body | Wisconsin Historical Society |
The Madeline Island Museum is a fun place to explore history! It's located in the town of La Pointe, Wisconsin on Madeline Island. This island is part of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. The museum first opened its doors on June 15, 1958.
The museum is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. It sits on what used to be a trading post for the American Fur Company. In fact, the main museum building was once a warehouse for this company! You can reach Madeline Island Museum by boat or by taking the Madeline Island Ferry.
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Discovering Madeline Island's Past
Madeline Island is special because it's the only one of the Apostle Islands not included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. This means it's the only island in the group where towns and businesses can be built. The historic community of La Pointe was started by French fur traders way back in 1693.
Why Madeline Island Was Chosen
Later, in the 1800s, the American Fur Company set up a trading post here. Madeline Island was also an ancient settlement for Native American tribes. It was a center for early missionaries too. Because of its rich history, Madeline Island was the perfect spot for a museum about Wisconsin's past.
How the Museum Began
Two people who loved spending summers on the island, Leo and Bella Capser, had an idea in 1955. They wanted to create the Madeline Island Museum. Many other island residents helped them gather a huge collection of local artifacts. These were items from the island's history.
To hold all these treasures, a special wooden building was made. It was built using pieces from several old island buildings. This included parts of a former La Pointe jail and the American Fur Company's trading post. The museum officially opened on June 15, 1958. Ten years later, the museum was given to the Wisconsin Historical Society. They have been running it ever since.
What You Can See at the Museum
Today, the Madeline Island Museum has many cool exhibits. These exhibits show different parts of Madeline Island's history. You can learn about the Native American tribes who lived there. There are also displays about the fur trade, which was very important long ago.
Exploring the Exhibits
You can also discover stories about the early missionaries who visited Madeline Island. Plus, there's a section on the region's maritime history, which means stories about boats and the lake. These exhibits are in two main buildings. One is the original museum building from the 1950s. The other is the Capser Center, which was built in the 1990s.
In 2004, about twelve thousand people visited the museum each year. It's a great place to step back in time and learn about the past!
