"Why the "Badger" State?

[LinksToThePast]

--In the early lead-mining days in Southwestern Wisconsin, the miners from Southern Illinois and farther south returned home every winter and came back to the diggings in the spring, thus imitating the migrations of the fish popularly called the "sucker," in the Rock, Illinois, and other south-flowing rivers of the region. For this reason, the south-winterers were jocosely called "Suckers," and Illinois became known as "The Sucker State." On the other hand, lead-miners from the Eastern States were unable to return home every winter, and at first lived in rude dug-outs-burrowing into the hillsides after the fashion of the badger (Taxidea americana). These men were the first permanent settlers in the mines north of the Illinois line; and thus Wisconsin, In later days, became dubbed "The Badger State." Contrary to general belief, the badger itself is not frequently found in Wisconsin."

The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Compiled and Published Under the Direction of Halford Erickson, Commissioner of Labor and Industrial Statistics, 1903. 17 - 20.

[MrKhay]

I guess I knew a variation of that bit.
I was under the impression that they were copper miners, and did alot of burrowing...like Badgers do.
From what I'm told, there's more Badgers in Michigan, than Wisconsin, and more Wolverines in Wisconsin, than Michigan.
Might be flawed information. I can't verify it.

[LinksToThePast]

If I recall my history (and I could be wrong) I thought the copper mines were discovered later in Northern Wisconsin (Superior, Wausau, Flambeau) and lead mines were found in the southern part of the state in the period before statehood.

Maybe we are both right. Maybe it was named after the Copper mining days as a tribute to both copper and lead mining

Links-

[MrKhay]

You're the historian, you most likely right.
I think the Badger is a good animal to have as a state mascot.

[LinksToThePast]

I am not a historian....I just play one on TV <grin>