BADGERS

Wisconsin is known as the Badger State, although the nickname is not an official one. The badger state came from the lead mining industry in the 1800's. The miners dug tunnels into the hillsides and lived in them during the winters.

While the badger has been closely associated with Wisconsin since the days of miners, it was not declared the official state animal until 1957. A very popular figure in the state, the badger has been incorporated in the coat of arms, state seal, the flag, State Capitol architecture and, even more well-known, "Bucky Badger" has been the UW-Madison mascot since 1949.

DOMESTIC ANIMAL

In 1971, the DAIRY COW was added to the list of state symbols, becoming Wisconsin's official "domestic animal." This action was a logical one, as Wisconsin promotes itself as America's Dairyland. However, because of the number of different purebred cows in the state, each year the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is required to establish an annual rotation among the state's breeds.  "Moo Man!"

DANCE

The POLKA became the state dance in 1993. The bill was introduced at the request of a second grade class from Charles Lindbergh Elementary School in Madison. In their effort to make the polka a state symbol, the class documented the polka heritage in Wisconsin and provided evidence that the polka is deeply ingrained in Wisconsin's cultural traditions. Make sure you see our "POLKA" page.

MOTTO

The motto, "Forward", was introduced in the 1851 revision of the state seal and coat of arms. According to tradition, Governor Dewey and Edward Ryan (later chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court) sat down on the steps of a Wall Street bank, designed a new seal and chose "Forward" on the spot. It is officially recognized in Section 1.07 of the statutes.

FISH

The MUSKELLUNGE became the state fish in 1955, with the trout a distant second. Go to the "Kill It" Page on this site to see some of what the Wisconsin harvest in this area looks like!

 

TREE

The favorite state tree, the SUGAR MAPLE, was first selected by a vote of Wisconsin school children in 1893. In 1949, efforts by advocates to rename the white pine our state tree failed and Wisconsin officially declared the sugar maple our state tree.

 

BIRD

In 1926-1927, Wisconsin school children voted to select the ROBIN as our state bird. It became the official state bird in 1949.

 

OTHER STATE BIRD

The MOSQUITO gets bigger in Wisconsin the farther North you go.  It may not be the official "other bird" but just ask a Cheesehead.  For many years we assumed the bloodless corpses were a result of Romanian immigrants from the Transylvania regions, but even they were more merciful.

 

BEVERAGE

Recognizing Wisconsin's position as the nation's leading milk-producing state this and last century, and the contribution of milk to the state's economy, MILK became the official state beverage in 1987.

 

GRAIN

As CORN is a large cash crop in Wisconsin, and has many uses, including livestock feed for the state's agricultural industry, corn became the state grain in 1989.