Heritage Hill State Park in Green Bay has preserved two French-Canadian piece sur piece houses built by the early French residents of La Baye. A two-room structure and the home of Jacque Porlier interpret the fur trade, while a reconstructed bark chapel references the dedication of the Jesuit missionaries to Wisconsin. Green Bay, Wisconsin. www.heritagehillgb.org.
Fort Folle Avoine. On the Yellow River the North West Company and the XY Company each constructed a trading post to gain the trade of the Ojibwa. On the site, a fortified post of the North West has been constructed in the forest. Following a winding path is a setting that interprets the life of the Ojibwa from season to season. Danbury, Wisconsin. www.theforts.org.
The George W. Brown, Jr. Ojibwe Museum & Cultural Center, located on the reservation of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Ojibwa, offers one of the most complete collections of Lac Du Flambeau history, seasonal workshops, interactive exhibits, cultural programs and a world record sturgeon. Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. www.ldfmuseum.org.
Grignon Mansion. Charles A. Grignon grew up in the fur trade, but by 1837 the Yankee culture was changing Wisconsin. In that year, Charles built a Greek revival style Mansion as a wedding gift for his Pennsylvanian bride, Mary Elizabeth Meade. This stately home was known as “The Mansion in the Woods” to countless travelers along the Fox River. Kaukauna, Wisconsin. www.grignonmansion.org.
The Historic Indian Agency House. The house erected at the ancient travel corridor of the Fox-Wisconsin portage was the Fort Winnebago Indian Agency built for John H. Kinzie, Indian sub-agent to the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Nation. It exists today as one of the few surviving reminders of that weighty period of the past as Native nations were forced to cede their traditional lands to the United States government. Portage, Wisconsin. www.agencyhouse.org.
Fort Winnebago Surgeon’s Quarters. François LeRoi built a house at the Fox-Wisconsin portage circa 1816. François had traded with the Menominee but established himself at the portage, building a piece sur piece double house of tamarack logs. He continued the trade and operated a portaging business. When the United States built Fort Winnebago at the portage, the house was used by the post surgeons. Portage, Wisconsin. www.fortwinnebagosurgeonsquarters.org.
The Juneau House. The Juneau House is the last remaining home of Solomon Juneau. It was moved 200 feet from its original location and is maintained by the Theresa Historical Society as a house museum. Theresa, Wisconsin. www.villageoftheresa.com.
St. Germain dit Gauthier House is the last remaining structure from the Main Village of Prairie du Chien. The pièce sur pièce house was built about 1830 by Jean Baptiste Caron, a fur trader. When he left for the Missouri River trade, he gave the house to the St. Germain family. Until acquired and preserved by the Prairie du Chien Historical Society, it was always owned by people of French-Canadian heritage. Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. www.fortcrawfordmuseum.com.
St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church is the oldest church in Wisconsin and the upper Mississippi Valley. Begun by Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP in 1836, the first three pastors of the parish were men born in France who came to the United States as missionaries. Father Lucien Galtier, the founder of St. Paul, Minnesota is buried in front of the church. Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. www.prairiecatholic.org.
Frenchtown Cemetery/Old Catholic Burying Ground. Blessed in 1817 by Father Joseph Marie Dunand, a French Trappist missionary, this is the oldest extant cemetery in Wisconsin and the upper Mississippi. Here are buried early fur traders, such as Basile Giard, Joseph Rolette, and Charles Courtois, and French-Canadian men, women, and children, who lived at Prairie du Chien. Highway K, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French brings together teachers from kindergarten through university. They connect Wisconsin to the Francophone world through language teacher support and advocacy. https://www.aatfwi.org/
The Alliance Française de Milwaukee has as its mission to promote, share, and enjoy the culture, language, and friendship of the French-speaking world. https://afmilwaukee.org/
The French House at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a francophone residence for students and a cultural center for the community. In addition to conferences, film series, and other special events, the public can dine at the Maison two days a week. https://frit.wisc.edu/french-house/
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