From an Island Gazette Article By Linda Mack. It is going to be an exciting year for the Madeline Island Museum! The stockade fence was removed in September, 2023. Now that the stockade fence has been removed, there is an opportunity to make the museum’s exterior space more welcoming. The Friends of the Madeline Island Museum will be helping to engage the community in that process. On Saturday, September 30 a new historic marker describing the Ojibwe migration story was dedicated at the museum. This year the Wisconsin Historical Society will be developing a second historic marker to cover other aspects of the island’s history. Feel free to share your ideas by clicking here to fill out a form which will go to Janet Seymour, WHS Director of Outreach.

On Monday August 27, Sid Levitsky, Paul DeMain, Leslie Mack and I visited the archives at the visitor center near Ashland. It is #14 in the Wisconsin Historical Society's statewide network of Area Research Centers, and preserves the records of eight northern Wisconsin counties, including Ashland and Bayfield Counties. The materials are extensive and include court records, city directories, area newspapers and genealogical records. We were, of course, most interested in materials relating to Madeline Island and within the brief time we were there discovered some exciting materials…

The Wisconsin Historical Society has determined it is necessary to remove the existing stockade fence at the Madeline Island Museum. Several factors contributed to this decision…

Click to listen to the audio file…

Click image to see pictures from the 2023 Annual Meeting held at the Madeline Island Historical Preservation Association site just up the street from the museum. There were 34 people present at the Friends 2023 Annual Meeting, not counting the MIHPA board members who were hosting us. This was our 2nd Annual Meeting. We had much to report on our successes and priorities for the future. We LOVED being with the MIHPA group and seeing the excellent work they have done preserving Island properties of historic importance and positioning them on the beautiful land they have. We enjoyed the hospitality of MIHPA and all agreed that we are eager to collaborate with each other. Our membership has doubled in the past three months from  34 to 77 households and 55 to 131 individuals.

From one of our Informal History Discussion events: Island history buffs will love this talk about life on Sand Island from the 1930’s on… Click to view the videos.

Over 100 people RSVP’d for the Capser Tribute! What a great beginning for an annual tradition! Attendees were fascinated with the history in Rick St. Germaine’s stories about “The Historic Relocation of the Ojibwe from Madeline Island”. Click Read More to see the presentation slides and event pictures…. Go to our YouTube Channel to view the videos of the presentation.

Participants, both panel and audience challenged each other’s knowledge of Madeline Island History of the 1960’s. And members of the audience showed up for the event at the museum in their best 60’s attire. Click image to see pictures of the event…

Mimi is spot on! Click to view the short video…

August 27, 2022 the Friends of the Madeline Island Museum (Friends) opened their first annual meeting with a walking tour. Following the walking tour, board members enjoyed refreshments at the museum before attending to business at the first Annual Meeting. Click for more information, photos and video…

Click for more information and photos…

Jeannie Teisberg, founding member, created mugs to thank each Founding Board Member of the Friends of the Madeline Island Museum and challenged them to find the “chewed-off-by-beaver” artifact in the Museum.