Special Projects
Since its founding in 1961, the Dane County Historical Society has sponsored several special projects. To help the public learn more about them, DCHS has developed a separate page for each. You’ll find summaries and a link below.
Historic Madison Inc. Oral History Project
During the 1980s, Historic Madison Inc. boars members Ruth Doyle and Hallie Lou Blum led an initiative to conduct a series of oral histories with prominent and impactful Madisonians. The last interviews were conducted in 1991, but the audio stayed on cassette tapes until 20 years later, when volunteers began digitizing and transcribing the interviews. This digitzation effort was finally completed in 2023 by the Dane County Historical Soceity.
Ferdinand Kronenberg Architectural Drawings Digitization Project
The Cardinal Hotel in downtown Madison is one of Kronenberg’s most significant commissions.
The Dane County Historical Society recently received a generous grant of $500 from The Madison Trust for Historic Preservation to advance this project.
This funding from a fellow private non-profit is most welcomed and fitting, considering the Madison Trust donated the Kronenberg drawings to DCHS in 1986, over 25 years ago. The scanning project is now completed, with all the scanned images available on the Recollection Wisconsin website here.
Madison Mozart Club
1905 Madison Mozart Annual membership group photo. Note that The names of everyone in the photo are in the caption below.
The Madison Mozart Club collection is one of the Dane County Historical Society’s more notable. The white male choir was active from 1901 to 1958 and gave 200 concerts across southern Wisconsin. The collection includes several group photos and membership rosters. DCHS has digitized several group photographs and researched many of each photographed member’s home addresses and occupations. This project has made these records more accessible to genealogists and the general public.
Martin P. Schneider Architectural Drawings Collection
Martin Schneider’s prolific body of architectural work includes designs in most of the styles popular in the 1910s through the 30s. His designs include both residential and commercial buildings. Many of his buildings are still standing, and are recognizable landmarks today.
Historical Markers
Robert M. La Follette: The Early Years Marker
Since 1963, the Dane County Historical Society has erected 49 markers noting significant historical figures, locations, and events. Visit our Historical Markers page, which includes an interactive map for all 49 historical markers.
I Remember Madison Central High School
1915 Postcard of Madison’s Central High School
The Dane County Historical Society sponsored the “I Remember Madison Central High” project to collect the history of Madison’s Central High School. In addition, DCHS scanned copies of the school’s newsletter, The Madison Mirror, and the yearbook, the Tychoberahn. Links to these and more can be found on our Madison Central High School page.