Mixed Wisconsin Trivia

1. Which US President had a pet cow from Wisconsin named Pauline Wayne?

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: William Howard Taft

Pauline Wayne was actually the second White House cow. The first, Wooly Bully, died in 1910. The cow was a gift to President Taft from Wisconsin Senator Isaac Stephenson. Pauline gave birth to a calf named "Big Bill", named after the president. Pauline Wayne lived at the White House from 1910 to 1913. When Taft left the White House, she was shipped back to Wisconsin. William Howard Taft (1857-1930) was the 27th President. He largely continued the policies of Teddy Roosevelt, although his more conservative policies antagonized Roosevelt enough so Teddy ran against him in 1912. Taft had the worst performance of any president seeking re-election EVER. However, he had a comeback when Warren Harding named him Chief Justice, a position he held until his death.

From Quiz More Cheeseheads Only

Answer: Miss Forward statue atop the Wisconsin State Capitol Building

Miss Forward has stood atop the State Capitol Building since 1914. Originally called Wisconsin, the more familiar name has evolved. It is the highest point in the City of Madison.

From Quiz Cheeseheads Only - Part Two

Answer: Madison

Although this is often quoted, it is not clear if it refers to the liberal political leaning of the people of Madison or a slap at the seat of state government. As a citizen of Madison, I think it is both. Nestled amid four lakes, Madison is also host to the University of Wisconsin, the Oscar Meyer Wiener Wagon, and a host of insurance companies. Madison frequently makes the lists as one of the better cities to live.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Gypsy

Daly played Rose in the 1989-90 revival of "Gypsy". The play follows the early career of legendary stripper Gypsy Rose Lee and her overbearing stage mother. The play is one of Stephen Sondheim's early successes, opening in 1959. It has lots of incredible songs including "Let Me Entertain You," "Everything's Coming up Roses" and "Rose's Turn." "Gypsy" has been revived numerous times: 1974, 1989, 2003 and 2008 and twice in London. The 1989 revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival. Tyne Daly is probably best known as Mary Beth Lacey on the police procedural "Cagney and Lacey" (1982-86). She was nominated for the Best Actress Emmy six consecutive years and won four times.

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Answer: Eating 18,000+ Big Macs

Gorske had consumed over 18,000 Big Macs by 2008. He worked as a prison guard at Wisconsin State Prison at Waupun. He reportedly had a Big Mac in forty eight states and received by mail Big Macs from Alaska and Hawaii. Also, he received Macs from the Grand Canyon, every major league baseball stadium, every National Football League Stadium, and NASCAR track. He missed eight days of eating Big Macs due to travel or blizzards. In 2010, Gorske stood six feet two inches, weighed 179 pounds, and his cholesterol was about 140.

From Quiz Cheeseheads Only - Part Two

Answer: Michigan

Wisconsin borders what is called the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. People in downstate Michigan often forget that it is part their state. Some serious attempts have been made to have the UP secede from Michigan but that doesn't seem to be on the cards.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Obsidian

Todd Rice is a Milwaukee native who teams up with his sister Jennie Lynn Hayden. When they discover their father was a Green Lantern, they obtain superpowers. Todd has the power to manipulate shadows and takes the name Obsidian. Jennie has her father's Green Lantern powers and takes the name Jade. Todd works for the Justice League, while Jenny eventually joins the Green Lantern Corps. "Infinity Inc" is based on the children of members of the Justice League. It was created in 1983 and the series ran from March 1984 to June 1988.

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Answer: Establishment of the Republican Party

As a result of the political compromises, such as the Nebraska Act and the Missouri Compromise, thirty men met in a schoolhouse in Ripon and put together what was to become the Republican Party. The core issue was slavery and the group did not want further compromises on the issue. Later that year, similar meetings were held in Jackson, Michigan, Exeter, New Hampshire, and Crawfordsville, Iowa. Each claims to be the birthplace of the Republican Party. However, historians give the recognition to Ripon. The Ripon Society, a conservative research group, takes its name from Ripon, WI.

From Quiz Cheeseheads Only - Part Two

Answer: Michigan and Superior

Lake Michigan makes up the eastern coast of Wisconsin. Lake Superior takes up much of the northern boundary. Superior and its neighbor Duluth, MN form twin ports. Iron ore is the product most shipped but shipping traffic has decreased due to competition with trucks and railroads. Much of the raw materials for the steel industry flowed across these waters which are believed formed by the receding ice age.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Charles

Charles Ingalls (1836-1902) was born in Cuba, New York. He moved west right after the Civil War, settling in Wisconsin. His daughter Laura, who became a writer, was born in Pepin, Wisconsin in 1867. After a decade of traveling around the Midwest, the Ingalls finally settled in DeSmet, South Dakota. Charles died in June 1902 and is buried in DeSmet. Albert and James were brothers of Laura, while Isaiah Edwards was a close friend of the Ingalls family.

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Answer: Jockey

The company began weaving woolen socks, but found a market for long underwear popular during that time. When these fell out of style, in 1934 the company came out with briefs. In 1972, the company was renamed Jockey International, a term believed to be derived from the athletic jockstrap. Although it no longer has a plant in Kenosha, its corporate headquarters remains. Jockey is licensed to many garment manufacturers around the world who commit to Jockey's standards.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Signers of the US Constitution

Tthe streets are named after the signers of the Constitution. Major streets in Madison include (Thomas) Mifflin, (John) Langdon, (Jonathan) Dayton and of course, Washington Avenue.

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Answer: Gaylord Nelson

Nelson was sickened by how shabbily people treated the earth they live on. The oil spills, polluted waters, reckless deforestation, and smog in the air were all issues that troubled him. He said: "I am convinced that all we need to do to bring an overwhelming insistence of the new generation that we stem the tide of environmental disaster is to present the facts clearly and dramatically. To marshal such an effort, I am proposing a national teach-in on the crisis of the environment to be held next spring on every university campus across the Nation. The crisis is so imminent, in my opinion, that every university should set aside 1 day in the school year-the same day across the Nation-for the teach-in."

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Answer: Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne

Lunt purchased land in the area where he grew up. He was a bit of a gentleman farmer and prided himself on his home-grown vegetables, fresh churned butter, and his cattle raising. Show business people flocked to Ten Chimneys. Eugene O'Neill wrote "Strange Interlude" there. Helen Hayes stayed a month each year. Other visitors included Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn, and Carol Channing among others. After the death of Lunt in 1977 and Fontanne in 1983, Ten Chimneys became a museum and was completely restored in 2003. Each room is setup like a stage production.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Lake Geneva

"Dungeons and Dragons" was released by TSR in 1974. At that time, the headquarters for TSR were at Gary Gygax's basement in Lake Geneva. Gygax spent much of his youth in Lake Geneva and moved back in his mid-20s. The game was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1973 and has its roots in a role playing game called "Chainmail!". The game is basically a framework that allows players to create adventures using medieval characters. The game was enormously successful and led to multiple spinoffs.

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Answer: Longest cross-country ski race in North America

The "Birke" runs from Cable to Hayward. Seven thousand skiers participate. About 200-300 hundred are professionals and the rest made up of mostly recreational cross-country skiers. The term 'birkebeiner' refers to Norwegians who made shoes out of the bark of birch trees. In 1206, a group called birkebeiners rescued the Norwegian king's son during an era of civil unrest. For this reason, some skiers in the race carry an eighteen pound backpack in remembrance of that occasion.

From Quiz Cheeseheads Only - Part Two

Answer: Brett Favre

In 1992 Don Majkowski was injured in the fourth game of the season and was replaced by Favre. Favre started every game for the Packers for the next 16 years, sometimes playing with injuries. He holds many career records for his passing and leadership.

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Answer: The Gideon Society who place Bibles in hotel rooms

In 1899, a group of traveling salesmen staying at the Boscobel Hotel lamented that their need to travel made their religious observances difficult. They conceived the idea of placing Bibles into hotel rooms. The concept caught on. It is estimated that 1.5 billion Bibles have been placed in hotel rooms around the world in 191 countries, and in 80 different languages. The Boscobel Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.

From Quiz Cheeseheads Only - Part Two

Answer: LaCrosse

The Heileman Brewery constructed the six-pact as storage tanks for their beer production. In 1999 Heilemans was sold to Strohs Brewing who in turn sold it to Miller Brewing. The City of Lacrosse purchased the plant and began production of a new line of beverages. During this time the six-pack fell into disuse. The City repainted this landmark.

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Answer: It occurred the same day as the Great Chicago Fire

The Peshtigo Fire covered 1.5 million acres and cost 2400 lives. The body count was more than four times that of the Chicago fire.

From Quiz Cheeseheads Only - Part Two

Answer: Necedah

Mary Ann Van Hoof (1909-1984) said she was visited by the Virgin Mary and was given visions, which she pronounced from the village of Necedah in central Wisconsin. Her visions gathered a wide following. In May, 1950, it was reported that 100,000 people attended to hear her visions. The Catholic Church does not recognise this sect. The Shrine draws thousands of visitors each year.

From Quiz Cheeseheads Only - Part Two

Answer: Baraboo

The famous Ringling Brothers' Circus had its beginnings in Baraboo in 1884. Rather than travel to a warm weather state, the Ringlings wintered their circus in Baraboo. The Circus World Museum is operated by the State of Wisconsin and sprawls over 50 acres. It is a repository of circus history and features a live circus. For many years the circus wagons and other circus related items were railroaded to Milwaukee for the "Great Circus Parade". During the rail trip to Milwaukee, large crowds would gather at each town it passed through to see the open displays. The parade has not been held for several years because of funding issues, but will be resumed in 2009.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: electric guitar

Waukesha native Les Paul invented the electric guitar, which was a major factor in the creation of Rock and Roll music. Paul was also an extremely successful recording artist, with numerous hit songs in the 1940s and 1950s, including "How High the Moon" and "Vaya Con Dios". Les Paul (1915-2009) was a towering figure in 20th century music. He has a permanent exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His name is on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1960) and the Nashville Walk of Fame (2011). And he won several Grammy Awards for his technical contributions to the field of music.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Racine

Saint Paul Missionary Baptist traces its roots to 1857 and the Colored Union Baptist Church. It was located on 10th and Main Streets (a block I lived on). For most of its history, the church has been on the 1100 block of Grand Avenue. Saint Paul's has a long record of involvement in the community, including economic development.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: John Bardeen & Bardeen

John Bardeen holds the distinction of winning two Nobel Prizes in Physics. In 1957, he won inventing the transistor at Bell Laboratories in the 1940s. And in 1972, he won for his work on superconductivity, in which materials lose their resistance to electrical conduction at super cool temperatures. Bardeen (1908-1991) was born in Madison. He got his BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and his PhD in Mathematics from Princeton. Following World War II, Bardeen worked at Bell Labs, where his discovery of the semi-conductor revolutionized the future of computers. Bardeen's work on superconductivity was done at the University of Illinois, Bardeen died in 1991. He returned to Wisconsin in the end, and is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: San Francisco 49ers

Kaepernick was with the 49ers until he was fired over his political activism. In an effort to call attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, Kaepernick began kneeling at games during the National Anthem. Since being dropped by the 49ers in 2016, Kaepernick claims that the NFL has discriminated against him. Kaepernick was born in Milwaukee in 1987 and spent his early years in Wisconsin before moving to California. A superstar athlete in high school, he played for the University of Nevada where he became the first quarterback in NCAA history with over 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 yards rushing. He was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 draft,

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Johnny Galecki

Johnny Galecki was on the short lived "American Dreamer' which was on during the 1990-91 television season. It starred Robert Urich as a former journalist who moved to Wisconsin to live a simpler life. The show was set in Kenosha, in the southeast corner of the state. Galecki would get his big break on "Roseanne" in 1991, as David Healey, the eventual husband of Darlene Conner. He would star on "The Big Bang Theory" as Leonard Hofstadter between 2007 and 2019. Simon Helberg's first regular TV gig was on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (2006-07). Jim Parsons had a recurring role on "Judging Amy" (2004-05). And Kaley Cuoco was on the CBS sitcom "Ladies Man" (2000-01) before "Eight Simple Rules".

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: New York

New York gave LaFollette 474,913, although that was only 14.5 percent of the state's total vote, which Calvin Coolidge won by a large margin. Wisconsin was second with 453,678 votes, a winning 54 percent of the vote. Illinois was third with 432,027 votes, 18 percent of the state's vote. And California gave LaFollette 424,649, almost one-third of the vote and a solid second place finish. LaFollette received 4.8 million votes, 16.6 percent of the total vote. He won his home state of Wisconsin, and finished second in eleven others. Robert Lafollette is the most important political figure in Wisconsin history. Known as "Fighting Bob" he fought for reform as both Governor and Senator. He was also a notable opponent of the First World War.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Mozzarella

Mozzarella tops the list, with almost one-third (30.2 percent) of all cheese produced in Wisconsin. Cheddar was a solid second at 21.1 percent. Asiago and Swiss are both produced in large quantities in Wisconsin, but are farther down the list. Mozzarella cheese originated in Italy, where it is made from buffalo milk. Most of the mozzarella made in the United States is from cow's milk. The cheese is extremely popular as a topping on pizza.

From Quiz The Ultimate Wisconsin Quiz

Answer: Outagamie

Outagamie won(?) the contest as the "Drunkest county in America" in 2021. This is not surprising, as Appleton, the county seat, was named the "Drunkest City in America" in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. Nearby Green Bay has also won the title. Wisconsin regularly tops the list of "Drunkest Cities in America" often having seven of the top ten places on the list. Wisconsin communities topping the 2022 list were Green Bay, Eau Claire, Appleton, Madison, Oshkosh-Neenah, Wausau and LaCrosse. Fargo and Grand Forks ND kept it from being an all Wisconsin list.

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Last Updated Feb 22 2025 5:56 AM

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