Madison

        The 4th grade could definitely use this as they are learning about Wisconsin in Social studies.

 

   Madison History

  •  Madison was built on the isthmus between two lakes.

  • The Ho-Chunk called the Madison area "Taychopera" - meaning "land of the four lakes." The lakes are Mendoa, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa. Lakes Mendota and Monona are actually in Madison, but Waubesa and Kegonsa are south of the city.

  • Over the years, people have disagreed about how these lakes were first named. For example, some people say that Monona meant "beautiful" and the Ho-Chunk called it that because they thought it was the prettiest lake. Other people think the name meant "lake of the morning" because the Indians saw it as they watched the sun rise from the east in the morning.
 

                                                            Madison Today

  •                        The fourth Wisconsin State Capitol building was built from 1906 to 1917. This is the building we still see today. The outside is made of white Vermont granite. The height of the building is 285.9 feet. It is just a few inches shorter than the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The Capitol in Madison is the tallest building in the downtown area.
 
  • At the top of the Capitol there is a gold-leafed bronze statue. This statue, commonly known as "Forward," is officially named "Wisconsin." A picture of our state animal, the badger, is on her helmet. The statue is 15 feet high. Our state motto, adopted in 1851, is "Forward."
    • The Capitol is a meeting place for State of Wisconsin government officials. The State Senate and the State Assembly meet there to make state laws, the State Supreme Court sits there, and the lawmakers, justices and the governor have offices in the building.
    •  The area around the State Capitol is known as the Capitol Square, or simply "The Square." Every year it is the scene of numerous events that are popular with the people of Madison.

         

         Education in Madison     

    •    The  Madison Metropolitan School District is Wisconsin's second largest school district, with about 25,000 students in 45 schools. The district covers approximately 65 square miles, including all or part of the cities of Madison, Fitchburg and Monona, the villages of Maple Bluff and Shorewood Hills, and the towns of Blooming Grove, Burke, Madison, Middleton and Westport. Find out more about individual Schools.
      •  The University of Wisconsin was founded in 1848, and the first class met on February 5, 1849 in North Hall, a building that you can still visit today. The University included 560 acres overlooking Lake Mendota. It is a world-famous, state-supported institution that now has 900 acres with over 350 buildings and more than 40,000 students from around the globe.
        •   Bascom Hall is on top of Bascom Hill and is one of the best-known campus buildings.
          •  A statue of Abraham Lincoln sits in front of Bascom Hall, looking down Bascom Hill toward State Street and the State Capitol.
            •  The Carillon Tower is located at the top of Bascom Hill on Observatory Drive. It has more than 56 bells that ring out in concert on summer Sundays. Some of the bells weigh more than 5,000 pounds.

             

         

Text Box: Parks and Recreation - Madison, Wisconsin: A Tour and a Look Back in Time

Text Box: Madison's History