Wisconsin Facts - WJMC 96.1 FM

Milwaukee Officials Arrest Jeffrey Dahmer

Carl Cooley — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:15:56 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, Milwaukee officials confirmed that parts of and/or all of 11 bodies were recovered from an apartment belonging to a man named Jeffrey Dahmer on July 23, 1991. Dahmer was arrested a day before, on July 22, before being found guilty in 1992 of the murder of 15 young men and boys. His horrendous crimes would send him to Columbia Correctional Institute, where he would be killed by a fellow inmate on Nov. 28, 1994.

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The Great Heat Wave of 1936

Carl Cooley — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:18:04 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, one of the hottest heat waves Wisconsin has ever endured happened on July 13, 1936. At multiple points during the week from the 7th to the 14th, temperatures exceeded 100 degrees every day in Northeast Wisconsin. Resulting in the deaths of approximately 5,000 nationally and over 400 in the state of Wisconsin alone. Some of the deaths that occurred in the state weren’t from heat exhaustion or stroke, but from drowning, in an effort to relieve themselves from the intense heat. While the air temperature was around 100 degrees, meteorologists speculate that the “feels-like” temperature could have reached 120 degrees across the state.

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Circus World Museum Opens

Carl Cooley — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:17:47 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, the Circus World Museum opened in Baraboo on July 1, 1959. Located on the 33-acre site that used to be the winter quarters for the Ringling Brothers Circus. It includes eight of the ten original Ringling buildings from the grounds, and it holds one of the largest collections of circus materials in the world.

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The Great Marshfield Fire of 1887

Carl Cooley — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:03:19 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, a fatal spark from the Central Wisconsin Railway traincar firebox nearly burned down the booming Marshfield town on June 27, 1887. The day’s windy conditions and a few small but important mistakes in quelling the fire caused it to expand exponentially. Large lumber piles by the mills caught fire, causing over $3 million in damage, but luckily, no lives were lost on the tragic day for the town. Despite the immense damage, the rebuilding process started happening almost as soon as the fire had started, showing the resilience of the sprawling community.

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First Large Group of German Immigrant Arrive in Milwaukee

Carl Cooley — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:58:48 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, nearly 800 German immigrants arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 15, 1839. By the 1850s, the German population reached 38,000 and would jump to 184,000 by the 1880s. The Wisconsin census in 2000 recorded that around 42.6% of residents declared German ancestry.

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The Circus Day Tornado

Carl Cooley — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:21:40 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, the 9th deadliest tornado in US history, and the most dangerous to ever occur in Wisconsin, touched down on June 12, 1899. Known as the “Circus Day” tornado, the cyclone ripped through New Richmond, WI, right after a circus had come to town. Categorized as an F5 tornado, 117 people were killed, 200 were injured, and 300 buildings were destroyed by the storm.

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The Madison Free Library Opens

Carl Cooley — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:43:52 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, the second public library in the state opened in Madison on May 31, 1875. Known as the Madison Free Library, it inherited much of its collection from the Madison Institute. The opening of the library helped pave the way for the city’s first public library.

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Wisconsin is accepted into the Union

Carl Cooley — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:40:57 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, President James Polk signed the bill accepting Wisconsin’s constitution, admitting Wisconsin into the Union on May 29, 1848. As the population in the state rose to over 130,000, statehood seemed inevitable. The people of the territory voted against statehood four times due to fear of a strong central government. But in 1848, citizens of Wisconsin finally voted for acceptance into the Union after seeing the prosperity the federal programs brought to the state.

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Ringling Brothers Perform First Circus Show

Carl Cooley — Mon, 18 May 2026 17:39:32 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, the Ringling Brothers gave their first circus show performance in Baraboo, Wisconsin, on May 19, 1884. Six years later, the brothers, Al, Otto, Alf T., Charles, and John expanded their circus to boast two full-sized elephants and railroad car travel.

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Joseph Schlitz was born in Germany

Carl Cooley — Fri, 15 May 2026 05:52:43 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, well-known Milwaukee brewer Joseph Schlitz was born in Mainz, Germany, on May 15, 1831. He immigrated to Milwaukee in 1855 before working at a brewery operated by August Krug. Schlitz would later take over the brewery when Krug passed, and it would reorganize as Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. in 1874.

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