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Wisconsin State Capitol

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76-855: The Wisconsin State Capitol , located in Madison, Wisconsin , houses both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor . Completed in 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the first territorial legislature convened in 1836 and the third building since Wisconsin was granted statehood in 1848. The Wisconsin State Capitol

152-483: A "suburban-like feel". The area is also a commercial district, and contains Hilldale Shopping Center , an outdoor shopping center containing restaurants and national retail chains. The Capitol Square Area is Madison's central business district . It is home to high-rise apartments, restaurants, and shopping outlets. It contains several museums and is home to the Wisconsin State Capitol building and

228-509: A center for progressive political activity, protests, and demonstrations, and contemporary Madison is considered the most politically liberal city in Wisconsin. The presence of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as well as other educational institutions has a significant impact on the economy , culture , and demographics of Madison. As of 2021, Madison is the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin. Madison's economy features

304-695: A genre painter, Blashfield became a widely admired muralist whose work ornamented the dome of the Manufacturers' and Liberal Arts building at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, in Chicago , several state capitols, and the central dome of the Library of Congress . Edwin Blashfield designed the 1896 two-dollar note . The mural on the obverse features Science presenting Steam and Electricity. Science

380-461: A greater proportion of annual rainfall, but winter still sees significant precipitation. As of the census of 2020 , the population was 269,840. The population density was 3,391 inhabitants per square mile (1,309.3/km ). There were 126,070 housing units at an average density of 1,584 per square mile (611.6/km ). Ethnically, the population was 8.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race,

456-647: A large and growing technology sector, and the Madison area is home to the headquarters of Epic Systems , American Family Insurance , Exact Sciences , Promega , American Girl , Sub-Zero , Lands' End , Spectrum Brands , a regional office for Google , and the University Research Park, as well as many biotechnology and health systems startups. Madison is a popular visitor destination , with tourism generating over $ 1 billion for Dane County's economy in 2018. Before Europeans, humans inhabited

532-439: A large seasonal temperature variance: winter temperatures can be well below freezing, with moderate to occasionally heavy snowfall and temperatures reaching 0 °F or −17.8 °C on 17 mornings annually; high temperatures in summer average in the lower 80s °F (27–28 °C), reaching 90 °F (32.2 °C) on an average 12 afternoons per year, with lower humidity levels than winter but higher than spring. Summer accounts for

608-516: A male householder with no wife present, and 53.3% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 17.5 percent of residents were under the age of 18; 19.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 9.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

684-546: A mural by Edwin Howland Blashfield . Due to the domed shape of the ceiling, the mural was painted in pieces and was assembled similarly to a jigsaw puzzle . It features a woman sitting on a throne of clouds, representing Wisconsin. Wisconsin is surrounded by other women, wrapped in a large American Flag, who are reaching for goods such as tobacco, lead, and fruits. The capitol was constructed of 43 types of stone from six countries and eight states. The exterior stone

760-496: A state in 1848, Madison remained the capital, and the following year it became the site of the University of Wisconsin (now University of Wisconsin–Madison ). The Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad (a predecessor of the Milwaukee Road ) connected to Madison in 1854. Madison incorporated as a city in 1856, with a population of 6,863, leaving the unincorporated remainder as a separate Town of Madison . The original capitol

836-636: A thousand acres (4 km ) of swamp and forest land on the isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, with the intention of building a city in the Four Lakes region. He purchased 1,261 acres for $ 1,500. When the Wisconsin Territory was created in 1836 the territorial legislature convened in Belmont, Wisconsin . One of the legislature's tasks was to select a permanent location for the territory's capital. Doty lobbied aggressively for Madison as

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912-514: Is Bethel white granite from Vermont, making the exterior dome the largest granite dome in the world. The corridor floors, walls and columns are of marble from the states of Tennessee, Missouri, Vermont, Georgia, New York, and Maryland; granite from the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota; and limestone from the states of Minnesota and Illinois. Marble from the countries of France, Italy, Greece, Algeria and Germany, and syenite from Norway are also represented. Other Wisconsin granites are located throughout

988-498: Is a central gathering place on Lake Mendota . Memorial Union Terrace is home to uniquely designed "terrace chairs" with a sunburst design that have become a symbol of the city. The Memorial Union hosts concerts, plays, and comedy and is home to multiple restaurants and ice cream shops serving both the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus and the greater city. Henry Vilas Zoo is a 28-acre (11 ha) public zoo owned by Dane County which receives over 750,000 visitors annually. It

1064-580: Is home to much of the nightlife of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as it is the location of several bars and performance venues ranging from comedy clubs to multiple large theaters, including the Overture Center, which features local ballets and Broadway touring casts. State Street is also home to Freakfest , the annual Halloween party in Madison. A newer event on State Street is the Madison Night Market occurring four nights during

1140-826: Is one of ten remaining free zoos in North America. Edwin Howland Blashfield Edwin Howland Blashfield (December 5, 1848 – October 12, 1936) was an American painter and muralist, most known for painting the murals on the dome of the Library of Congress Main Reading Room in Washington, DC . Blashfield was born in Brooklyn in 1848 to William H. Blashfield and Eliza Dodd. He studied painting at

1216-614: Is seated with two boys. The figures of Steam and Electricity are represented by the children and Commerce and Manufacture are portrayed by the two adults. The reverse of the note features portraits of inventors Robert Fulton and Samuel Morse . He was a member of numerous arts organizations, including the National Academy of Design , the National Society of Mural Painters in which he served as President from 1909 to 1914. American Academy of Arts and Letters , and

1292-630: Is the tallest building in Madison, a distinction that has been preserved by legislation that prohibits buildings taller than the 187 feet (57 m) columns surrounding the dome. The Capitol is located at the southwestern end of the Madison Isthmus in downtown Madison, bordered by streets that make up the Capitol Square. The first capitol was a prefabricated wood-frame council house without heat or water that had been sent hastily to Belmont . Legislators met there for 42 days after Belmont

1368-586: Is within the city as well; it is connected to the Yahara River chain by Wingra Creek. The Yahara flows into the Rock River , which flows into the Mississippi River . Downtown Madison is located on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona. The city's trademark of "Lake, City, Lake" reflects this geography. The city's lowest elevation is the intersection of Regas Road and Corporate Drive on

1444-699: The First Unitarian Society of Madison , makes its home in the historic Unitarian Meeting House, designed by one of its members, Frank Lloyd Wright . The Gates of Heaven Synagogue in James Madison Park is the eighth-oldest-surviving synagogue building in the U.S. Madison is home to the Freedom from Religion Foundation , a non-profit organization that promotes the separation of church and state . There were 53 homicides reported by Madison Police from 2000 to 2009. The highest total

1520-729: The Monona Terrace . The capitol square holds several public events for the city of Madison including the Dane County Farmers' Market , Concerts on the Square , Taste of Madison and Art Fair on the Square . The area's nightlife is served by several bars and live music venues. State Street , which links the University of Wisconsin campus with the Capitol Square, is lined with restaurants, espresso cafes, and shops. Only pedestrians, buses, emergency vehicles, delivery vehicles, and bikes are allowed on State Street. State Street

1596-847: The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts after initial coursework in engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . He moved to Europe in 1867 to study with Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat in Paris and remained abroad until 1881, traveling, painting, and exhibiting his work in salon shows. His academic background in painting and extensive travels in Italy to study fresco painting melded in work marked by delicacy and beauty of coloring. Following his early success as

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1672-913: The United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin , and government-adjacent nonprofit organizations and lobbying groups such as CatholicVote.org , the Center for Media and Democracy , Freedom From Religion Foundation , League of Wisconsin Municipalities , and MacIver Institute . Other non-governmental business and research associations and organizations are also based in Madison, including Advanced Media Workflow Association , International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association , Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco , Soil Science Society of America , and Tavern League of Wisconsin . Madison also contains

1748-693: The University of Wisconsin–Madison , a research institution that employs over 25,000 faculty and staff. It is the official state university of Wisconsin and the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System . Madison is home to a large biotech and health information technology scene. Notable companies headquartered in Madison in this field include Epic Systems , Panvera (now part of Invitrogen) , Exact Sciences , and Promega . Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals , Thermo Fischer Scientific, pipette manufacturer Gilson, Catalent , and Fortrea have operations in

1824-491: The villages of Maple Bluff and Shorewood Hills . Madison shares borders with its largest suburb, Sun Prairie , and three other suburbs, Middleton , McFarland , and Fitchburg . Other suburbs include the city of Verona and the villages of Cottage Grove , DeForest , and Waunakee as well as Mount Horeb , Oregon , Stoughton , and Cross Plains . According to the United States Census Bureau ,

1900-487: The 1960s and 1970s, the Madison counterculture was centered in the neighborhood of Mifflin and Bassett streets, referred to as "Miffland". The area contained many three-story apartments where students and counterculture youth lived, painted murals, and operated the co-operative grocery store, the Mifflin Street Co-op. Residents of the neighborhood often came into conflict with authorities, particularly during

1976-555: The 1970s, were uncovered. The exterior granite was cleaned and repaired by workers who rappelled down from the dome. The renovation plan also included integrating modern technology into the original architecture. Electrical, mechanical (such as plumbing and heating), and communications systems were upgraded; asbestos was removed, and air conditioning was added. The capitol basement floor was lowered two feet to provide additional usable office space. Legislative offices were rebuilt as two-room suites (originally legislators did not have offices in

2052-705: The Arts , and Wisconsin Historical Museum . Madison is home to an extensive network of parks, the most parks and playgrounds per capita of any of the 100 largest U.S. cities, and is considered a bicycle-friendly community . Madison is also home to nine National Historic Landmarks , including several buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright , such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Jacobs I House . Residents of Madison are known as Madisonians . Madison has long been

2128-1044: The Madison metro area as well as Rock County (Janesville–Beloit metropolitan area) and Sauk County (Baraboo micropolitan area). The population of this region as of the 2020 census was 910,246. Madison is the episcopal see for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison . InterVarsity Christian Fellowship /USA has its headquarters in Madison. The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod has three churches in Madison: Eastside Lutheran Church, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, and Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod has fifteen churches in Madison, including Grace Lutheran Church, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, and Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. Most American Christian movements are represented in

2204-802: The National Institute of Arts and Letters. Blashfield served from 1920 to 1926 as President of the National Academy of Design . Among his many honors, Blashfield was awarded a Gold Medal by the National Academy of Design in 1934, an honorary membership in the American Institute of Architects , and an honorary doctorate of fine arts by New York University in 1926. He served on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 1912 to 1916. His circle of friends included sculptor Daniel Chester French , painters John Singer Sargent and Maxfield Parrish , and architect Cass Gilbert . His style

2280-653: The Supreme Court, features a pediment by Bitter entitled Law ; the south has Adolph Alexander Weinman 's Virtues and Traits of Character , for the wing containing the State Senate. Bitter's other pediment, the west, is Agriculture , while Attilio Piccirilli 's Wisdom and Learning of the World adorns the north pediment. The carving of all these sculptures is attributed to the Piccirilli Brothers . Naturally occurring fossils are found throughout

2356-503: The Waterfront Festival (June), La Fete de Marquette (July), Orton Park Festival (August), and Willy Street Fair (September). The Willy Street neighborhood is a hub for Madison's bohemian culture. Houses lining the street are often painted colorfully, and the area has several murals. Madison, along with the rest of the state, has a humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfa ), characterized by variable weather patterns and

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2432-729: The administration of the Republican mayor Bill Dyke . Dyke was viewed by students as a direct antagonist in efforts to protest the Vietnam War because of his efforts to suppress local protests. The annual Mifflin Street Block Party became a focal point for protest, although by the late 1970s it had become a mainstream community party. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, thousands of students and other citizens took part in anti-Vietnam War marches and demonstrations , with more violent incidents drawing national attention to

2508-504: The area in and around Madison for about 12,000 years. The Ho-Chunk called the region Teejop (pronounced Day-JOPE [J as in Jump]) meaning "land of the four lakes" (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa). Numerous effigy mounds , constructed for ceremonial and burial purposes over 1,000 years earlier, dotted the rich prairies around the lakes. Madison's modern origins begin in 1829, when former federal judge James Duane Doty purchased over

2584-528: The area include American Girl , Lands' End , Shopbop , Colony Brands , and John Deere . Supported by naturally fertile soil, Madison's infrastructure supports food production, processing, and distribution. Major employers include Hormel Foods , Del Monte , and Frito-Lay . The meat producer Oscar Mayer was a Madison fixture for decades, and was a family business for many years before being sold to Kraft Foods . Its Madison headquarters and manufacturing facility were shuttered in 2017. The Memorial Union

2660-501: The area's high level of education; 48.2% of Madison's population over the age of 25 holds at least a bachelor's degree. The University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UW Health), and Wisconsin state government remain the largest employers in the city, while Epic Systems is the largest private sector employer. The Madison metropolitan area is home to multiple financial services companies, including

2736-465: The base of the large one, but the plans were changed and the domes were replaced by four sculptural groups by Karl Bitter . These groups (again, in Greek clothing) symbolized Faith , Strength , Prosperity and Abundance and Knowledge . Each of the four wings of the building is fronted by a pediment whose figures relate to the principal activities that were to occur within. Thus the east wing, housing

2812-422: The capitol ranged in size from 10,000 to over 100,000 people and lasted for several months. On October 31, 2022, the city of Madison annexed the majority of the remaining Town of Madison . Madison is located in the center of Dane County in south-central Wisconsin, 77 miles (124 km) west of Milwaukee and 122 miles (196 km) northwest of Chicago . Madison completely surrounds the city of Monona , and

2888-463: The capitol, only their desks in the Senate and Assembly chambers). Modern office furniture was designed to look like the original oak furniture. Architect Post planned an elaborate sculpture program for the building. Initially the commission for the statue of Wisconsin on the top of the dome was promised to Helen Farnsworth Mears but when Daniel Chester French agreed to produce the finial figure,

2964-655: The capitol: Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Dane County . The population was 269,840 as of the 2020 census , making it the second-most populous city in Wisconsin, after Milwaukee , and the 77th-most populous in the United States. The Madison metropolitan area had a population of 680,796. The city is located on an isthmus and lands surrounding five lakes— Lake Mendota , Lake Monona , Lake Wingra , Lake Kegonsa and Lake Waubesa . Madison

3040-498: The city and UW campus. These include: These protests were the subject of the 1979 documentary The War at Home . David Maraniss 's 2004 book, They Marched into Sunlight , incorporated the 1967 Dow protests into a larger Vietnam War narrative. Tom Bates wrote the book Rads on the subject ( ISBN   0-06-092428-4 ). Bates wrote that Dyke's attempt to suppress the annual Mifflin Street Block Party "would take three days, require hundreds of officers on overtime pay, and engulf

3116-600: The city has a total area of 94.03 square miles (243.54 km ), of which 76.79 square miles (198.89 km ) is land and 17.24 square miles (44.65 km ) is water. The city is sometimes described as The City of Four Lakes , comprising the four successive lakes of the Yahara River : Lake Mendota ("Fourth Lake"), Lake Monona ("Third Lake"), Lake Waubesa ("Second Lake") and Lake Kegonsa ("First Lake"), although Waubesa and Kegonsa are not actually in Madison, but just south of it. A fifth smaller lake, Lake Wingra ,

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3192-484: The city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female. The Madison metropolitan area , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget , is the area consisting of Columbia , Dane, Green , and Iowa counties anchored by the city of Madison. As of the 2020 census, the metro area had a population of 680,796. The Madison– Janesville – Beloit combined statistical area consists of the four counties in

3268-490: The city was 71.0% White , 9.5% Asian , 7.4% Black or African American , 0.5% Native American , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 3.8% from other races , and 7.8% from two or more races. The 2020 census population of the city included 548 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 9,909 people in university student housing. According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020,

3344-434: The city was 78.9 percent white, 7.3 percent black, 0.4 percent American Indian, 7.4 percent Asian, 2.9 percent other races, and 3.1 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.8 percent of the population. There were 102,516 households, of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had

3420-464: The city, including mainline denominations, evangelical, charismatic and fully independent churches, including an LDS stake . The city also has multiple Sikh Gurdwaras, Hindu temples, three mosques and several synagogues , a community center serving the Baháʼí Faith , a Quaker Meeting House , and a Unity Church congregation. The nation's third largest congregation of Unitarian Universalists ,

3496-829: The city. The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is an important regional teaching hospital and regional trauma center, with strengths in transplant medicine, oncology, digestive disorders, and endocrinology. Other Madison hospitals include St. Mary's Hospital , Meriter Hospital , and the VA Medical Center . Information technology companies in Madison include Broadjam , Zendesk , Full Compass Systems , Raven Software , EatStreet , and TDS Telecom . Madison's community hackerspaces/makerspaces are Sector67, which serves inventors and entrepreneurs, and The Bodgery, which serves hobbyists, artists, and tinkerers. Start up incubators and connectors include StartingBlock, gener8tor and University Research Park. Epic Systems

3572-431: The commission was switched to him. This work, often referred to as the "Golden Lady", consists of an allegorical figure reminiscent of Athena , dressed in Greek garb, and wearing a helmet topped by a badger, the Wisconsin state totem. In the left hand it holds a globe with an eagle perched on top. Across its chest is a large W, for Wisconsin. Post's original concept for the building required four small domes to be placed at

3648-477: The construction of the new building was extended over several years and emphasized building one wing at a time. The Capitol is 284 feet, 5 inches tall from the ground floor to the top of the Wisconsin statue on the dome. The Wisconsin statue on the dome was sculpted in 1920 by Daniel Chester French of New York. Its left hand holds a globe surmounted by an eagle and her right arm is outstretched to symbolize

3724-507: The east side, at 836.9 ft (255.1 m). The highest elevation is located along Pleasant View Road on the far west side of the city, atop a portion of a terminal moraine of the Green Bay Lobe of the Wisconsin glaciation , at 1,190 ft (360 m). Local identity varies throughout Madison, with over 120 officially recognized neighborhood associations, such as the east side Williamson-Marquette Neighborhood. Historically,

3800-534: The headquarters of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), American Family Insurance , CUNA Mutual Group , and National Guardian Life . The Onion satirical newspaper, as well as the pizza chains Glass Nickel Pizza Company and Rocky Rococo , originated in Madison. As Madison is the state capital of Wisconsin, it is home to the primary offices of most state agencies. It also has multiple federal-level bureaus, such as

3876-403: The median income for a household in the city was $ 67,565, and the median income for a family was $ 96,502. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 56,618 versus $ 48,760 for female workers. The per capita income for the city was $ 39,595. About 6.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. Of

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3952-524: The near east side of Madison. Willy (Williamson) Street contains locally owned shops, restaurants, and entertainment establishments, as well as art galleries, and the Willy Street Co-op . The houses in the Marquette neighborhood fall into two separate historic districts, Third Lake Ridge Historic District and Marquette Bungalow Historic District. The area is also the location of festivals like

4028-403: The new capital, offering buffalo robes to the freezing legislators and choice lots in Madison at discount prices to undecided voters. He had James Slaughter plat two cities in the area, Madison and "The City of Four Lakes", near present-day Middleton . Doty named his city Madison for James Madison , the fourth President of the U.S. who had died on June 28, 1836, and he named the streets for

4104-417: The north and south. In 1903, however, a commission began researching replacement of the structure. On the night of February 26, 1904, a gas jet ignited a newly varnished ceiling in the third capitol building. Although the building had an advanced fire-fighting system, the nearby University of Wisconsin–Madison 's reservoir, which supplied the capitol, was empty, allowing the fire to spread substantially before

4180-419: The north wing, burned to the ground. Numerous records, books, and historical artifacts were lost, including the mount of Old Abe , a Civil War mascot. However, through the efforts of university students, much of the state law library was saved. The fire occurred just after the state legislature had voted to cancel the capitol's fire insurance policy. Construction of the present capitol, the fourth building and

4256-475: The north, east, and south sides were blue collar while the west side was white collar , and to a certain extent this remains true. Students dominate on the University of Wisconsin campus and to the east into downtown, while to its south and in Shorewood Hills on its west, faculty have been a major presence since those neighborhoods were originally developed. The turning point in Madison's development

4332-423: The other 38 signers of the U.S. Constitution . Although the city existed only on paper, the territorial legislature voted on November 28, 1836, in favor of Madison as its capital, largely because of its location halfway between the new and growing cities around Milwaukee in the east and the long-established strategic post of Prairie du Chien in the west, and between the highly populated lead mining regions in

4408-432: The population age 25 and over, 95.9% were high school graduates or higher and 58.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher. As of the census of 2010, there were 233,209 people, 102,516 households, and 47,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,037 inhabitants per square mile (1,172.6/km ). There were 108,843 housing units at an average density of 1,417 per square mile (547.1/km ). The racial makeup of

4484-405: The public hallways on the ground, first, and second floors. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001. A 1990 state law prevents any building within one mile of the capitol from being taller than the base of the columns surrounding and supporting its dome. From 1988 to 2002, the capitol underwent a renovation and restoration project costing $ 158.8 million. The project

4560-447: The sides of Park Street tend to have smaller houses or condos, and a higher density of houses. The Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood neighbors downtown Madison. It is located around Monroe Street, a commercial area which has local shops, coffee houses, dining and galleries. It is home to a neighborhood jazz fest and Wingra Park, where people can rent paddle boats and canoes at the boathouse on Lake Wingra . The Marquette neighborhood sits on

4636-423: The site of the present capitol, it was a small but typical frontier capitol that cost $ 60,000 to build . Growing government needs forced the state to construct a new capitol on the same site. This structure, with a similar U.S. Capitol-inspired dome, was designed by Madison architects August Kutzbock and Samuel Donnel and built between 1857 and 1869. During 1882, it was expanded at a cost of $ 900,000, with two wings to

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4712-418: The southwest and Wisconsin's oldest city, Green Bay , in the northeast. The cornerstone for the Wisconsin capitol was laid in 1837, and the legislature first met there in 1838. On October 9, 1839, Kintzing Prichett registered the plat of Madison at the registrar's office of the then-territorial Dane County . Madison was incorporated as a village in 1846, with a population of 626. When Wisconsin became

4788-434: The state motto, "Forward". It wears a helmet with the state animal, the badger, on top. It is made of hollow bronze covered with gold leaf. Wisconsin is 15 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs three tons. The statue is commonly misidentified as Lady Forward or Miss Forward , which is the name of another statue on the capitol grounds. The capitol ceiling, visible from the center of the building, features Resources of Wisconsin ,

4864-578: The student community from the nearby Southeast Dorms to Langdon Street's fraternity row. Tear gas hung like heavy fog across the Isthmus." In the fracas, student activist Paul Soglin , then a city alderman , was arrested twice and taken to jail . Soglin was later elected mayor of Madison, serving several times. In early 2011, Madison was the site for large protests against a bill proposed by Governor Scott Walker that abolished almost all collective bargaining for public worker unions. The protests at

4940-408: The switch to alternative city water supplies could be made. Madison firefighters could not handle the blaze on their own, so additional men and equipment had to be brought from Milwaukee . The effectiveness of the reinforcements was initially hampered by very cold temperatures; by the time they reached Madison, their equipment had frozen and needed to be thawed. As a result, the entire structure, except

5016-456: The third in Madison, began in late 1906 and was completed in 1917 at a cost of $ 7.25 million. The architect was George B. Post & Sons from New York. He made the Capitol look the same on every side so that none of the businesses on the Square felt like they were on the back side. Because of financial limitations and the need for immediate office space to house state government employees,

5092-502: The west side of Madison, was built and used as a training camp, a military hospital, and a prison camp for captured Confederate soldiers. After the war ended, the Camp Randall site was absorbed into the University of Wisconsin and Camp Randall Stadium was built there in 1917. In 2004 the last vestige of active military training on the site was removed when the stadium renovation replaced a firing range used for ROTC training. In

5168-462: The year. The Park Street Area, located in the south of Madison, contains multiple official neighborhoods, including Burr Oaks and Greenbush. It has been described as the "racially and economically diverse area of Madison". This is especially the case between the Beltline and Wingra Creek. Park Street is home to ethnic restaurants and specialty grocery stores, as well as retail. Residential areas to

5244-407: Was 10 in 2008. Police reported 28 murders from 2010 to 2015, with the highest year being 7 murders in 2011. Madison's economy is marked by the sectors of government, education, information technology and healthcare , and is supplemented by agribusiness , food and precision manufacturing in the greater Madison region. Many businesses are attracted to Madison's skill base, taking advantage of

5320-542: Was based in Madison from 1979 to 2005, when it moved to a larger campus in the nearby Madison suburb of Verona . Other firms include Nordic, Forward Health , and Forte Research Systems. The Madison metropolitan area is home to the headquarters or manufacturing of three notable bicycle brands: Trek , Mongoose , and Pacific Cycle . The area is home to the luxury appliance companies Sub-Zero & Wolf Appliance and Spectrum Brands (formerly Rayovac ). Other advanced manufacturing and consumer goods companies headquartered in

5396-696: Was designated the capital of Wisconsin Territory. The session chose Madison as the site of the capitol, and Burlington, Iowa , as the site of further legislative sessions until Madison could be ready. The council house and an associated lodging house still stand and are operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society as the First Capitol Historic Site . The second capitol was constructed in 1837 in Madison of stone cut from Maple Bluff and oak cut locally. Located on

5472-545: Was founded in 1836 and is named after American Founding Father and President James Madison . As the state capital, Madison is home to government chambers including the Wisconsin State Capitol building. The University of Wisconsin–Madison , the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System , is located in the city. Other cultural institutions include the Henry Vilas Zoo , Madison Museum of Contemporary Art , Olbrich Botanical Gardens , Overture Center for

5548-573: Was influenced by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes , Jean-Paul Laurens , and Paul Baudry . He married Evangeline Wilbour in 1881 and together they wrote Italian Cities (1900) and translated Vasari 's Lives of the Painters (4 vols., 1897). Wilbour died in 1918 and Blashfield married Grace Hall in 1928. He became president of the Society of Mural Painters , and of the Society of American Artists . Blashfield died in 1936 at his summer home on Cape Cod and

5624-641: Was performed wing by wing, the same as the original construction of the capitol. The purpose of the project was to convert the capitol into a modern working building, while restoring and preserving its original 1917 appearance. Remodeling projects of the 1960s and 70s had introduced features out of character with the architecture of the building, such as dropped ceilings, movable partitions and fluorescent light fixtures, and many original decorative stencils were painted over. The restoration project returned public spaces to their original appearance. Original decorative stencils were repaired. Stairs, which had been sealed during

5700-599: Was replaced in 1863 and the second capitol burned in 1904. The current capitol was built between 1906 and 1917. During the Civil War , Madison served as a center of the Union Army in Wisconsin. The intersection of Milwaukee, East Washington, Winnebago, and North Streets is known as Union Corners because a tavern there was the last stop for Union soldiers before heading to fight the Confederates. Camp Randall , on

5776-468: Was the university's 1954 decision to develop its experimental farm on the western edge of town; since then, the city has grown substantially along suburban lines. The Hilldale area comprises the Hill Farms neighborhood, Sunset Village Neighborhood, and part of the suburb of Shorewood Hills . The area has long winding streets, and according to a planning document issued by the neighborhood association,

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