Wisconsin Travel Companion: A Guide to History along Wisconsin's Highways

The long-awaited republication of this fascinating travel guide to Wisconsin.

Due to popular demand, this classic guide to the highways and back roads of Wisconsin is back in print. The unique purpose behind this previously hard-to-find travel companion is to explore the history of towns along the most well-traveled highways of this state. The reader will learn the stories behind the road signs-not only why towns formed where they did and how they were named, but also local anecdotes, historical accounts, and personal glimpses. The volume is enlivened by maps, illustrations, and historical photographs.

One fascinating story describes how the young Jefferson Davis fell in love with Zachary Taylor’s daughter, Sarah Taylor, on Pine Island in Wisconsin. Sarah died of malaria three months after their marriage, leaving Davis heartbroken. Shortly thereafter, he moved to the South, where he later gained lasting fame as president of the Confederate Army.

Places both familiar and unknown will be revealed to the reader in a whole new light by this absorbing travel guide. Whether you are an active or armchair traveler, this timeless volume will acquaint you with the Wisconsin you never knew.

Richard Olsenius has been a photojournalist and filmmaker for thirty years, during which time he worked at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and National Geographic. He is the recipient of a World Press Photo Award and has written several books, most recently Arctic Odyssey.

Judy A. Zerby is a nationally published journalist and world-traveling professional tour guide.