Search

DuBay Site

Figure 1: John Baptiste Dubay (1810-1887), (Portage Historical Society of Wisconsin).
Though he was once one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Wisconsin, John Baptiste DuBay died a pauper at his homestead near Knowlton in 1887. Son of a French fur trader and a Menominee woman, DuBay navigated the complex worlds of Europeans and Indians with ease.

Planetarium Newsletter - January 2022

Cosmic Curiosities

“The Earth is what we all have in common.”
- Wendell Berry, American writer

The Three Faces of Venus

Humans have been looking at planet Venus, the “wandering star,” for thousands of years. Perceptions vary from person to person, culture to culture, and Venus views change over time.

Here are three faces I see when I ponder Venus…

SKY FACE

Aztalan Site Collection

Aztalan, located on the Crawfish River in south-central Wisconsin near present-day Lake Mills, is approximately 50 miles west of Milwaukee. Occupied from about AD 1100-1250, Aztalan is the northernmost known outpost of the Mississippian culture. The site consists of large earthen temple mounds, houses, and an enormous stockade that enclosed 20 acres of the site.

The Milwaukee Public Museum's Aztalan collection is comprised of over 3,600 archaeological artifacts. The majority of the collection comes from the excavations of 1919, 1920, and 1932 conducted by Museum Director Samuel A. Barrett. This collection is the largest assemblage of cultural remains from a single North American archaeological site in the Museum's collections. See select items in the Wisconsin Archaeology exhibit on the Second Floor and on the Museum's website here.

Item Image
aztalan collection
Catalog Number
A27644
Accession Number
6948
69

DuBay Site Collection

The DuBay site was excavated in November 1941 by Dr. Philleo Nash prior to him becoming the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. Located about 12 miles north of Stevens Point, the site contained items from the John B. DuBay homestead. DuBay was a prominent frontiersman and fur trader in Wisconsin and Michigan in the mid-  to late 1800s. The excavation was one of the first archaeological studies of a mid-19th century historic site in the Midwest and the artifacts represent the only comprehensive historical archaeological collection at MPM.

Item Image
dubay artifact
Catalog Number
N/A
Accession Number
28022
65

Reserve an Educator

*/ /*-->*/

Visiting MPM? Enhance your experience by working directly with a Museum Educator!  

For a two-hour period of your choice, an Educator will be available to join you in an exhibit relating to one of the topics below with a variety of hands-on materials and resources. They’ll help you explore the exhibit, talk about specific displays, and answer questions!

Wisconsin Outpost

Aztalan is characteristic of other known Middle Mississippian societies, especially Cahokia, but archaeologists don't know exactly why the Mississippians came to what is now known as Wisconsin. One hypothesis is that Aztalan served as a northern outpost in an attempt to gain political and ideological control of this region. Another hypothesis is that the Mississippians came to expand trade with local Late Woodland groups.