Wisconsin Stories: In the Mail

American Circus, Delavan, 1966.

Baraboo, Wisconsin was home to the five Ringling brothers. Sons of German immigrants, the Ringling Brothers Circus teamed with Yankee Robinson for their first performance in 1884. Charles Ringling purchased the Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1907 and combined the shows in 1919. They wintered in Baraboo because Wisconsin provided excellent hay and silage crops for the horses, elephants, and other circus animals.

Delavan, Wisconsin, was a center for 28 circuses between 1847 and 1894, in part thanks to abundant animal feed year round. In 1871, William Coup leased the Barnum circus, sending ten train cars filled with trained animals and circus gear from Delavan to Brooklyn, New York, on the first "circus train." The subsequent "Circus Parade" of animals and wagons from the depot to the circus grounds became a popular circus attraction. Ringling moved winter quarters for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus to Florida in 1926.

SHSW Museum Collection. First Day Covers. Not to be reproduced without written permission from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Tercentenary First Day issue, Green Bay, 1934. The envelope and stamps illustrate the 300-year anniversary of Jean Nicolet's arrival at Red Banks.

SHSW Museum Collection. Postal Materials Wisconsin Tercentenary Notebook 1959 workbook. Not to be reproduced without written permission from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Marquette Tercentennial, 1968

Father Marquette explored Wisconsin in 1668 and discovered the narrow portage separating the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. His journey led to the discovery of the Mississippi River.

SHSW Museum Collection Postal Collection, Scotts Minuteman Album. Not to be reproduced without written permission from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Frank Lloyd Wright with the Guggenheim Museum in New York, 1965

Among the most influential of 20th century architects, Frank Lloyd Wright left his indelible mark throughout Wisconsin. Taliesin, located near Spring Green, Wi, served as his refuge and architectural laboratory.

SHSW Museum Collection. Postal materials notebook: Scott's Minuteman. Not to be reproduced without written permission from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

When the U.S. postal service began issuing postage stamps in 1847, their utility was often outshone by the beauty of their engraving and printing. Over time, stamps have honored notable historical figures and commemorated imporant events.

This small sampling of Wisconsin-related stamps includes postage stamps, first day covers, and cancellation marks.

The stamps and first day covers come from a published volume of collected stamps in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin's Museum Collections. The cancellation marks were collected by the Wisconsin Philatelic Association, and reprinted in their journal.

Cancellation Marks

CP Circle Plain	CI Circle with Inner circle	CF Circle Fancy

CFI Circle Fancy with Inner Circle	CD Circle Double outer line	CDI Circle Double with Inner circle

CDI Circle Double with Inner circle Double	CDF Circle Double with outer line Fancy	OvP Oval Plain

OvF Oval Fancy	OvD Oval Double outer line	OvDF Oval Double outer line Fancy

Rect. D Rectangle Double outer line	Oct. D Octagon Double outer line

Wisconsin Stamp, May 29, 1998, Sesquicentennial Celebration. Photo by Zane Williams.

SHSW Collection 1998.159.1 Postal material, Box: First Day- Covers. Not to be reproduced without written permission from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.