Wisconsin in the 1800's

The French, the German and the Yankees from New England were all early settlers to the territory of Wisconsin. In fact, just down the dirt road from the house where I now live there is a hand hewn log cabin that replaced the dugout which early settlers to the big woods lived. The Norwegians, the Swedish and the Swiss also arrived eager to escape famine and overcrowding in their diverse homelands. My ancestors came from Germany in the late 1800's and settled in eastern Wisconsin along Lake Michigan. Once the land was cleared of timber and rocks farms were scratched out of the furtile soil and to this day Wisconsin is known far and wide for her barns.