Working in Manufacturing

Since the late 1800s, Manufacturing has been a central enterprise in Wisconsin. Early efforts in mining and timber cutting evolved into the production of both consumer goods and large-scale heavy machinery corresponding with America's rapid western expansion.

Wisconsin's manufacturers were nimble and responsive, absorbing the skills of craftsmen into factory systems with their economies of scale. Milwaukee emerged as an industrial power as immigrant labor was trained in the skilled trades. Milling grain gave way to papermaking and, with its abundant resources, Wisconsin quickly emerged as a world leader in the field.

Railroad expansion worked in concert with Wisconsin's riverways and shipping ports to transport raw materials to the manufacturing facilities and finished product to markets worldwide.

These components, important in both Wisconsin's past and future, are all represented in Wisconsin's state flag: agriculture, mining, manufacturing and navigation.