More Stuff about the Greater Madison Region
A lot of us like to travel, but sightseeing can start to feel old after a while—eventually, a church is a church is a church, and taking a selfie in front of a great wonder before moving on only goes so far.
I find traveling much more rewarding when I take the time to understand the background stories: the people, history, architecture, geology, and ecology of a place—and how all of these connect. I’ve been making an effort to explore places this way, starting with the Madison region and Wisconsin more broadly. Below are some resources I’ve found interesting.
Architecture and Neighborhood
- Mid-Century History in the Hoyt Park Neighborhood — Isthmus article on the architectural history of one of Madison's distinctive neighborhoods
- How to Sensitively Rehabilitate Your Westmorland Home — a guide for homeowners prepared by the Westmorland History Committee
- Westmorland: a Great Place to Live
Oak Savannas and Restoration Ecology
- Pleasant Valley Conservancy — includes two excellent PDF booklets on savanna restoration
Landscapes, Geology, and Natural History
Wisconsin's landscape was shaped dramatically by glaciers, and the mix of prairies, savannas, wetlands, and woodlands makes it a fascinating region to explore.
- Landscapes of Dane County (PDF) — an overview of the region's natural landscape
- Wisconsin Wetlands (PDF)
- Wisconsin Glaciation (PDF)
- Devil's Lake Ice Age (PDF) — the geology behind one of Wisconsin's most dramatic landscapes
- Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey — many interesting articles on Wisconsin geology
- Groundwater in Dane County
The Lakes
- The Five Yahara Lakes — a great overview of Madison's lake system from the Clean Lakes Alliance
- The Yahara River — Wikipedia article on the river that connects all five lakes, with history and geography
- Original Names of Madison's Lakes — fascinating history of the Native American names of the lakes and other Madison landmarks
Tallgrass Prairie
The tallgrass prairie is one of North America's most endangered ecosystems — once covering vast stretches of the Midwest, very little of it remains today.
- What Was the Tallgrass Prairie Really Like?
- Tallgrass Prairie: A Lost Ecosystem
- Tallgrass Prairie Ecology (PDF)
Rural Wisconsin Life
Jerry Apps (1934–2025) was a beloved Wisconsin writer and rural historian, a professor emeritus at UW-Madison. A wonderful writer to read if you want to understand rural Wisconsin and the Midwest more deeply.
A selection of his books on rural life:
- Whispers and Shadows: A Naturalist's Memoir — explores the human need for wilderness and the lessons of nature, drawing on Aldo Leopold, Thoreau, and a lifetime of careful observation.
- Roshara Journal: Chronicling Four Seasons, Fifty Years, and 120 Acres — a photographic diary of the Apps family farm in central Wisconsin, with stunning photos by his son Steve and fifty years of Jerry's journal entries.
- The Quiet Season: Remembering Country Winters — memories of Wisconsin winters on the farm, before electricity came to rural Waushara County.