Marathon County Historical Society:

The purpose of the Marathon County Historical Society is to collect, preserve and exhibit materials relating to the history of Marathon County.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Elementary School SMART Notebook Activities:

• Elementary Activities .zip file

Middle School SMART Notebook Activities:

• Middle School Activities .zip file

Middle and High School:
Animoto Activity
Students create their own video biography of a Wausau group member. Easy instructions for creating a video using Animoto provided.

• Animoto Project (.PDF)
• Walter McIndoe Sample (.MP4)

Wausau: Teacher Resources

Follow the history of Wausau from its milling origins to today's vibrant Central Wisconsin community, built on the ambitions and pride of its residents. Film, archival images and interviews with historians and residents tell the stories of Wausau's early settlement, the transformative impact of investors called "The Wausau Group” and the city's tradition of building local cultural institutions.

Teaching Resources
Hometown Stories-Wausau Teacher Resources were developed to meet the needs of Wisconsin educators by a team of teachers and curriculum specialists. Broken down into elementary, middle, and high school levels, each packet is easily downloadable and support materials are available online through additional resource links. Adobe Reader is required to view these materials. Some activities require specific software/hardware to use as indicated by the SMART label. The SMART downloads are wrapped into a .zip file, you will need to expand the .zip file to access the .notebook files.

Resource Packets: Elementary School | Middle School | High School

White Pine and Water Power (video segment one)
Segment Summary: Lumber milling at Big Bull Falls created the earliest Wausau settlement. The industry inspired a wave of immigration and entrepreneurship in the Central Wisconsin city.

Enduring Understanding: Geography defines a community's past, present and future.

The Wausau Group (video segment two)
Segment Summary: A group of Wausau businessmen reinvested in the city to ensure its future. Called "The Wausau Group," these entrepreneurs offset the depletion of timber through a transformation to new industries in the city, including paper, wood products and insurance.

Enduring Understanding: Continued community prosperity in an era of diminishing resources requires diversification, adaptation, and cooperation among competitors.

On the Map (video segment three)
A series of developments brought national recognition to Wausau through the years. The city played a role in the development of early commercial air travel and hosted a Civilian Conservation Corps camp to build the Rib Mountain ski area. The Fromm Bros. silver fox farm became an international fur success and creative Wausau Insurance advertising drew attention in print and on television.

Enduring Understanding: Continued innovation establishes Wausau’s national identity.

The Wausau Spirit (video segment four)
Wausau’s community pride dates back to its earliest days. From settlers to workers and business leaders, Wausau’s residents have long invested heavily in cultural and civic interests, providing a strong and lasting foundation for the arts and community services.

Enduring Understanding: Early city leaders created organizations to continue to provide greater artistic and cultural opportunities.

Hmong Journey (video segment five)
Hmong refugees moving to the Wausau area after the Vietnam War became an important part of the community. The Hmong (a cultural group from Laos) make up a large portion of Wausau's population. As the new immigrants learned the language and culture of the United States, their families grew to become an important part of the local community.

Enduring Understanding: An influx of immigrants presents a community with challenges and opportunities.

Connections (video segment six)
The lasting traditions of Wausau's industries still play an important role in the city's economy and culture. As some businesses and industries have ended, new endeavors – including home building, recreation and medical companies – have advanced Wausau's spirit of innovation.

Enduring Understanding: Reinvestment in a community remains essential for its continued progress and growth.