VOLUME 39 NUMBER 3 SPRING, 1956 I 1. A little community of log cabins in southwestern Dunn County, known as Weston, boasted a traveling library station in 1897. Farm houses, post offices, country stores, and a school room bartered space for tra­ veling book collections that relieved some of the tedi- ON THE COVER ousness of farm making. Here, too, the schoolteacher ^'prettied-up*' her cabined schoolroom with paper-chain drapes at the windows, and one day lined-up her pupils to face a mysterious camera. This picture reveals the newness of the north country, an outpost of Wisconsin's white pine industry. The WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY is published by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 State Street, Madison 6, Wisconsin. Distributed to members as part of their dues (Annual Membership, $4.00; Contributing, $10; Business and Professional, $25; Life, $100: Sustaining, $100 or more annually; Patron, $1,000 or more annually.) Yearly subscription, $4.00; single numbers, $1.00. As of July 1, 1955, introductory offer for NEW members. Annual dues $1.00, Magazine subscription $3.00. Communications should be addressed to the editor. The Society does not assume responsibility for statements made by contributors. Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Madison, Wisconsin, under the act of August 24, 1912. Copyright 1956 by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Paid for in part by the Maria L. and Simeon Mills Editorial Fund and by the George B. Burrows Fund. PERMISSION—Wisconsin newspapers may reprint any article appearing in the Wisconsin Magazine of History provided the story carries the following credit line: Reprinted from the State Historical Society's Wisconsin Magazine of History for [insert the season and year which appear on the Magazine]. PHOTO CREDITS—Lorenz Hall supplied by Brust and Brust, architects; Clammer in His Boat by Mrs. F. Bickel, McGregor, Iowa; Hiram Moore on One of His Harvester Combines from F. Hal Higgins' Collection. VOLUME 39 NUMBER 3 PUBLISHED BY THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN SPRING. 1956 Editor: CLIFFORD L. LORD Managing Editor: LILLIAN KRUECER CONTENTS Wisconsin State Department of Public Welfare. .WILBUR J. SCHMIDT 151 Peter Lawrence Scanlan, M.D., 1862-1956 GEORGE C. SELLERY 158 The Library Career of Lutie Eugenia Stearns EARL TANNENBAUM 159 Street Cars and Politics in Milwaukee, 1896-1901. .FORREST MCDONALD 166 The Renovation of Saint Raphael Cathedral FR. E. J. BAUHS 171 The Origin and Early Development of the Wisconsin Idea VERNON CARSTENSEN 181 Pearling in Wisconsin M. J. DYRUD 189 The Poles of Upper North Wisconsin FR. LADISLAS J. SIEKANTEC, O.F.M. 195 FEATURES Meet the Authors 150 Pandora's Box 199 Smoke Rings 155 Sincerely Yours 200 Circuit Rider 178 Readers' Choice 213 The Collector 193 Accessions 224 meet the authors WILBUR J. SCTTMIDT, Wisconsin-born, re­ its Division of Business Management and ceived a B.A. in commerce from the Uni­ in 1955, the Department's Director. Among versity of Wisconsin in 1934. Since 1935, professional groups he is on the member­ except for the period 1942-45 when he was ship roll of the American Public Welfare an officer in the United States Navy, he has Association, National Association of Social been with the State Department of Public Workers, and the Wisconsin Society of Welfare. In 1950 he became Director of Certified Accountants. EARL TANNENBAUM is assistant librarian versity of Chicago and taught at Louisiana at Wisconsin State College, Whitewater. State and Indiana Universities, He com­ Born in Wisconsin, he grew to adulthood pleted his course work for the Ph.D. at the in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac. In 1936 he latter, where he also took his M.A. in li­ was graduated from the University of Wis­ brary science. He is affiliated with the Ameri­ consin. After service in World War II, he can Library Association and the American received his M.A. in English from the Uni- Association of University Professors. Texas-born FORREST MCDONALD was edu­ tary of the American History Research cated at the University of Texas, where he Center. The author of forthcoming books received his Ph.D. degree in 1955. A Re­ on the economic interpretation of the Con­ search Training Fellow of the Social stitution and the history of the electric Science Research Council, 1950-53, he utilities of Wisconsin, he has recently be­ joined the staff of the State Historical So­ gun research on a biography of Chicago ciety in June, 1953, and is executive secre- utility magnate Samuel InsuU. FR. E. J. BAUHS is a native of Madison. curate to Saint Joseph Church at Baraboo. After pursuing a course of study at Saint The past two years Fr. Bauhs has been as­ Francis Minor and Major Seminary in Mil­ sistant priest at Saint Raphael; he was waukee, he studied theology at the Catholic given the task of writing the history for the University in Washington, D.C. On May 29, Centennial and the Rededication of the ren­ 1948, he was ordained at Saint Raphael ovated Cathedral. Recently he was named Cathedral, Madison, and was assigned as pastor of St. Joseph parish, Avoca. VERNON CARSTENSEN, professor in the De­ history of the University of Wisconsin, partments of History and Agricultural Eco­ 1848-1925, which was issued as part of the nomics, University of Wisconsin, teaches University's Centennial observance. He is courses in the History of the West, Ameri­ a Fellow of the State Historical Society and can Agriculture, and Farmer Movements. served for several years as a member of Dr. Carstensen was co-author with Dr. the Editorial Committee. Currently he is Merle Curti of the excellent two-volume the editor of Agricultural History. M, J. DYRUD, a curator of the Society, is Expedition for Scientific Research. Some of president of the Dr. William Beaumont his published papers are "Dry Cell Bat­ Memorial Foundation, Inc., Prairie du teries," "Portable Communication for Ex­ Chien, and gives weekly "History Chats" peditions," and "Dr. William Beaumont." over WPRE. He was born in Baraboo, was After sixteen years with C. F. Burgess Lab­ graduated from the University of Wiscon­ oratories, Inc. and Burgess Battery Com­ sin in chemical engineering in 1924, and pany, Madison, Mr. Dyrud heads the Dyrud was a fellow in the Andean Anthropological Laboratories at Prairie du Chein. Co-editor-in-chief of a projected ten-volume John College, Cleveland; national secretary Polish American Encyclopedia, one of of Polish American Historical Association; which appeared in 1954, and author of ar­ and a graduate student at Western Reserve ticles in the Polish American Studies, FR. University. Among his published articles LADISLAS J. SIEKANIEC is an authority on several appeared in the Ashland Daily Press Polish American history. An lowan, he was including "First Polish Folks Came Here pastor in Ashland and taught at Northland in 1883," "The Koscuiszko Society of Ash­ College. Currently he is instructor at St. land," and "Early English Bibles." 150 Here is narrated the performanee of the State Department of Public Welfare in its care of more than 100,000 Wisconsin citizens. If you are concerned about the functions of state agencies, no more needs to be said. This is an amazing recital of faithful guardianship. Wisconsin State Department of Public Welfare bi^ Wilbur J. Schmidt Wisconsin's public welfare program today re­ given by the Legislature and the governor. The tains some features that were present even be­ development of co-ordination and integration fore Wisconsin became a state. Counties and under a single board or boards began in the localities, even before 1848, maintained jails seventies and culminated in the early nineties for offenders and provided poor relief for peo­ in the establishment of the old State Board of ple who were in need. All of the range of serv­ Control, which continued in existence until ices performed by the state government itself 1939. During the thirties the State Legislature have developed since Wisconsin became a established two other agencies—one known as state. The State's maintenance of institutions the Wisconsin Emergency Relief Administra­ for adult and juvenile offenders, for the care tion for general relief and related services, the of the mentally ill, for the care and protection other known as the State Pension Department of dependent and neglected children, for the to supervise county administration of old age care of the mentally retarded children, for assistance, aid to dependent children, and aid probation and parole, for programs for public to the blind. assistance, and services to the blind, care for children in foster homes, for provision of serv­ On November 1, 1939, all of these services ices in the fields of adoption and protection of and agencies were merged into a single new unmarried mothers—all of these have been de­ State Department of Public Welfare. That veloped over the more than 100 years since fundamental organizational pattern has been Wisconsin became a state. retained, although in 1949 the Legislature The first functions that the state government passed a Reorganization Act, reducing the itself assumed were in the field of institutions number of divisions to five and increasing such as the establishment of a State Prison the number of members of the State Board, and the establishment of Mendota State Hos­ as well as more clearly expressing legislative pital. Originally each institution was separately intent as to how functions in the Department governed and separately and independently should be allocated and how programs should operated, except for the over-all co-ordination be administered. 151 mately $50,000,000 has been under way since the end of World War II. The governing body for the Department, in accordance with the statutes, is the nine- member State Board of Public Welfare, ap­ pointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate.