Discover classic Wisconsin department stores with WHS Press author Michael Leannah

At the turn of the 20th century, most American cities of any size had a family-run department store (or two or more) entrenched in their downtowns. By New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia standards, Wisconsin department stores were small and modest, but they served their communities well. Michael Leannah, author of the new book Something for Everyone: Memories of Lauerman Brothers Department Store from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, has curated a new online exhibit of classic Wisconsin department stores for Recollection Wisconsin. To research this feature, Leannah visited the sites of former department stores in Kiel, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh and was pleased to discover that many of these unique buildings are still standing.

The historic photos in the exhibit exhibit come from the digital collections of libraries and archives around Wisconsin:

• Big Streets in a Little City: Downtown Street Scenes in Kiel, 1860-1980, Kiel Public Library. Part of the State of Wisconsin Collection from University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.
• The Home Front – Manitowoc County in World War II. Part of the State of Wisconsin Collection from UWDC.
• Main Street, Oshkosh, Oshkosh Public Library
• Milwaukee Historic Photos, Milwaukee Public Library
• Milwaukee Neighborhoods: Photos and Maps 1885-1992, UW-Milwaukee Libraries
• Remember When . . . Collection, Milwaukee Public Library

View the exhibit.
Read more about the book Something for Everyone from WHS Press.