Featured Vignettes for 2024

Lucius Fairchild - Lucius Fairchild was one of the first men in Madison to step up to serve in the Civil War, in which he led the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment (a part of the famed Iron Brigade). After suffering bullet wounds to the arm in 1863, he was appointed Secretary of State of Wisconsin and then served three terms as the Governor of Wisconsin (1866-1872). Fairchild supported civil rights for Black Americans, women’s suffrage, promoted soldiers’ aid and state institutions, and helped push relief measures to aid victims of the Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin (rather than the simultaneous Great Chicago Fire in Illinois).

Frances Bull Fairchild - Frances Bull Fairchild was the wife of Lucius Fairchild. She was a suffragette who inspired Governor Fairchild to be “a friend of woman suffrage,” and she was motivated by the “Wisconsin pioneer work ethic'' of suffragettes that surrounded her. In 1869, during her time as First Lady of Wisconsin, UW—Madison began awarding bachelor’s degrees to women, recognizing “woman’s wants and woman’s capabilities” and pushing women in Wisconsin closer to the ballot box.

Jairus Fairchild - Jairus Fairchild was an American politician and a businessman. He was the first State Treasurer of Wisconsin and the first Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. In the 1857 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, he was a candidate for Governor but lost the nomination to James B. Cross. He was also the father of Wisconsin's tenth governor, Lucius Fairchild.

Ezekiel Gillespie – Ezekiel Gillespie was born into slavery in 1818.  He moved to Milwaukee after purchasing his freedom and changed Wisconsin history.  Active in his community, Gillespie worked to free others via the Underground Railroad, and is credited with helping to found the first A.M.E. church in Wisconsin.  But in 1865, when Gillespie attempts to vote and is denied, his impact became historic.  His case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court opened the door for Black men in Wisconsin to vote, and Ezekiel Gillespie is the first to do so.

Talking Spirits Virtual Cemetery Tours 2020 - 2023

In the interest of the health and safety of our community in 2020 the Wisconsin Veterans Museum reimagined it's annual cemetery tours event from in-person tours to virtual tours. We continue to offer access to the 2020 Talking Spirits Virtual Cemetery Tour today with the addition of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 vignettes.

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is pleased to be in the serene and somber landscape of Madison's Forest Hill Cemetery to share with you the rich history of Wisconsin and its veterans. On this virtual tour we are excited to take you to places in the cemetery and show you interesting photos and objects we would not be able to if we were in person.