Wisconsin just celebrated 175 years as a state. Here are some key historical facts you should know.
Wisconsin, we're no spring chicken anymore.
While it is nowhere near the oldest state in the United States — that would be Delaware — America's Dairyland is getting up there in age.
Wisconsin celebrated 175 years on Monday. Here are some key historical facts about the state.
When did Wisconsin become an official state?
May 29, 1848.
What number state is Wisconsin?
Wisconsin was the 30th state to become part of the U.S., less than two years after Iowa joined the Union and about two years before California.
What was Wisconsin called before it became a state? What was Wisconsin before 1848?
Wisconsin was part of the Northwest Territory from 1788 to 1800, according to state records. Present-day Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and part of Minnesota were also part of this territory. Wisconsin was then included in the territories of Indiana (1800-1809), Illinois (1809-1818) and Michigan (1818-1836).
Wisconsin became its own territory in 1836 as populations grew in the counties of Crawford, Brown and present-day Mackinac. The Wisconsin Territory consisted of present-day Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and parts of North Dakota and South Dakota but territories continued to split off when land west of the Mississippi River became part of the Iowa Territory.
President Andrew Jackson appointed Henry Dodge as governor of the Wisconsin territory. His responsibilities included conducting a census, holding elections (only white males could vote) and convening a territorial legislature.
James Doty and Nathaniel P. Tallmadge were also appointed governor in the 1840s before Wisconsin became an official state.
More: How Wisconsin lost land to Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota before it became a state
Who first settled in Wisconsin?
Jean Nicolet was the first known European to reach Wisconsin in 1634, according to state records. Prior to that, American Indians lived here for thousands of years until the French arrived. The French explorers came here for fur trade. In 1673, Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette explored the Mississippi River.
In 1795, Jacques Vieau created trading posts at Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. The first steamboat arrived in 1835 in Milwaukee.
Who owned Wisconsin before the U.S.?
The British.
In 1763, Wisconsin became part of British colonial territory after the Treaty of Paris was signed. Twenty years later, a second Treaty of Paris was signed, and Wisconsin became a United States territory. This treaty ended the War of the American Revolution, recognizing U.S. independence of the British.
What is Wisconsin's population?
Today, Wisconsin's population is 5.89 million, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, a 3.6% increase from the 2010 Census. However, that's less than the nationwide population growth of 7.4% and during this same period Minnesota's population grew by 7.6%.
Wisconsin ranks 20th for its population total of the 50 states. The state is just shy of Maryland's total and one spot ahead of Colorado.
When Wisconsin was chartered as a territory in 1836, it had a population of 11,683, increased to 30,749 by 1840 and the 155,277 in 1846, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. The state's population had ballooned to 305,000 by 1850.
What are the most populous counties in Wisconsin right now?
Milwaukee County: 939,489
Dane County: 561,504
Waukesha County: 406,978
Brown County: 268,740
Racine County: 197,727
Population numbers are according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
What are the most populous cities in Wisconsin?
Milwaukee: 577,222
Madison: 269,840
Green Bay: 107,395
Kenosha: 99, 986
Racine: 77,816
Population numbers are according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
Who was Wisconsin's first governor after it became a state?
Gov. Nelson Dewey was the first governor. He served from 1848-52. There have been 45 governors in the history of Wisconsin.
What is the oldest state and what is the newest state in the U.S.?
Delaware is known as "The First State" after it became the first state to ratify the Constitution of the U.S. It became a state Dec. 7, 1787.
Hawaii is still a youngster at just 63 years old. It became a state Aug. 21, 1959.
More: How are Wisconsin's state symbols, like the state bird, chosen? Schoolchildren often play a part.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: When did Wisconsin become a state and who first settled here?
