Thursday, September 4, 2014

Wisconsin State Capitol

A quick storm blew through about 4:00 this morning, dumping enough water to leave us parked in a lake.  At about nine we decided to go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast on our way to the State Capitol of Wisconsin.

The State Capitol is said to be second only to our country's Capitol in Washington for beauty.  We found that while the Wisconsin State Capitol has the highest dome in the country (surpassing the one in Washington, D.C), it is not as ornate nor "over the top" as the Capitol in Iowa, nor does it have as large a footprint as the Capitol in Minnesota. It is, though, the only marble dome in the country, with the exterior dome rising well above the interior dome.


In the small circular landscaped area visible in front of the statue in the picture above, we spotted a small furry friend.  In the middle of a busy metropolis, with noise all around, people walking to and fro, this little guy found a place to have lunch.


We went into the Capitol on the ground floor, and looked up 200-odd feet to the top of the interior dome.


Just below the windows in the dome, on the outside, is an observation deck overlooking the city of Madison. After some coaxing, Donna walked up the stairs (the last few steps were circular) and we stepped out onto a windblown viewing area.  We were able to walk completely around the dome.





Donna may not have gone up the steps had Mary not been standing at the top tapping her toe!


















Once on the deck, though, the view was breathtaking (literally).

All roads in the center of the city intersect at the Capitol.  They exactly follow the points of the compass, Hamilton Street going north and south, King street to the east, and the State Street Mall to the west, a quiet pedestrian walkway that ends at the University of Wisconsin.  Other streets run at a 45 degree angle to the main boulevards, and divide the city into precise blocks between Lake Monroe on the south and Lake Mendota to the north.




































We finally had to leave the observation deck before the ladies completely lost their composure!


On the fourth floor of the Capitol, the museum has some interesting artifacts from the early days of the building.

A pneumatic tube from the early days of communication:


Part of the electric voting system.  This system was the first of its kind in any legislative body in the world.


A photo of the "Wisconsin Starfish".  Fossilized, it is on the fourth step of the grand staircase in the North Wing.  We saw it and took a pic, but it got lost somehow.


The most unusual item, I think, was the story of a legislator back in the day:


Donna and Mary took over in the Assembly meeting rooms, issuing directives and well thought-out proposals!


Over the second floor meeting rooms rests a Badger, the Wisconsin state animal.  In the early days of of lead mining in the 1830's, the miners lived in shelters dug into hillsides and so they were called "badgers" after the burrowing animals.


As expected, the Office of the Government is the most elaborate room in the Capitol.  With original furnishings from the 19 teens, this room is sure to impress any visitor!  The chairs are of French walnut, and have the state seal carved into the backs. The fireplace is hand-carved Botticino marble, the walls are cherry wood, and the parquet floor is made of teak, dark mahogany, white oak and white mahogany.


 The chairs:



And the head high fireplace:























Outside the Governor's Office is another Badger with a long history.  It was mounted on the first USS Wisconsin in 1901, and was cast from bronze salvaged from Spanish cannons captured in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. The Badger is atop the state motto: "Forward".


Just down the hall from the Governor's Office are the offices of the Supreme Court.  The doors were locked at first, but just as we passed by, a gentleman unlocked them and invited us in.  Turns out that the Supreme Court was holding an afternoon session to determine if a man convicted of homicide 20 years ago was denied a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense because the circuit court refused to allow him to introduce evidence that someone else killed the victim.  We took a few photos, but exited the premises asap.  The case is State v. Wilson.  We'll have to try to follow it.


We left the building on the pedestrian walkway side, which led us to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
The museum is, as well as the capitol, free to enter.  It contains a huge array of artifacts that represent Wisconsin Veterans contribution to the nations defense from the Civil War to the wars in the Middle East.


Including a full size WWI airplane hanging from the ceiling.


We just had to have lunch, so we ate at a small Italian place across the street from the famous Triangle Market.  Created by the intersecting angled streets, the area contains a bunch of triangle buildings, where the entry is at the apex of a triangle, a la San Francisco. As you can see, a thunderstorm had rolled through. An interesting afternoon, one that got us home in time to take care of R&M's dogs, and provided a bit of a walk as well.



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