Muskego history books and articles free. Historical censuses of Muskego, Wisconsin. Also histories and censuses of Waukesha County, WI.
Table of contents
For historic maps and directories of Muskego, see Muskego, Wisconsin Maps & Directories
Books and Articles – Muskego Wisconsin History
The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources
an extensive and minute sketch of its cities, towns and villages – their improvements, industries, manufactories, churches, schools and societies; its war record, biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin, statistics of the state, and an abstract of its laws and constitution and of the constitution of the United States
Chicago: Western Historical Society 1880
A short chapter about Muskego begins on page 764.
Waukesha County History 1870-1920
This collection of texts and images, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, was compiled by the Waukesha County Historical Society and Waukesha Public Library.
Century Past has a huge collection of free online books and articles about Wisconsin, past and present. You can start at Wisconsin History
“Muskego: The Most Historic Norwegian Colony”
Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol 21, no. 2, Dec 1937, pp 129-138
Barton, Albert O.
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
See our page about Century Past for more info about this website
The Civil War Letters of Colonel Hans Christian Heg
Blegen, Theodore C., ed.
Northfield, MN: Norwegian-American Historical Association 1936
“Colonel Hans Christian Heg”
Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol 4, no. 2, Dec 1920, pp 140-165
Blegen, Theodore C.
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Historic Heg Memorial Park: photographic views and brief historical sketches
of the outstanding points of interest in and about Heg Memorial Park, Racine County, Wisconsin
Colbo, Ella Stratton
Racine: Racine County Historical Society 1975
Memoirs of Waukesha County. From the earliest historical times to the present with chapters on various subjects
including each of the different towns, and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in the county, prepared from data obtained from original sources of information
Haight, Theron Wilber
Madison: Western Historical Association 1907
There is information relevant to Muskego history throughout this volume, and a short chapter specifically about Muskego beginning on page 315.
“Sickness and Disease on the Wisconsin Frontier: Malaria, 1820-1850”
Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol 24, no. 32, Winter 1959-1960, pp 83-96
Harstad, Peter T.
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Epidemics in the early history of Muskego.
See our collected articles about U.S. History until 1800
Muskego Boy
Hong, Edna Hatlestad
Augsburg publishing house 1943
Muskego historical fiction book for young people.
“Waukesha; “The Saratoga of the West””
Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol 24, no. 4, Jun 1941, pp 394-424
Krueger, Lillian
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
“An Architectural Remnant of Old Muskego: John Bergen’s Log House”
Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol 44, no. 1, Autumn 1960, pp 12-14
Perrin, Richard W. E.
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
“Charles Durwin Parker”
Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol 9, no. 4, Jul 1926, pp 379-385
Showerman, Grant
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Charles Parker was a son of Luther Parker, Muskego’s first permanent settler, and part of the article is about Charles’ early life in Muskego. Charles went on to be a politician, and was elected Lt. Governor of Wisconsin.
See our old magazines online free
“Narrative of Andrew J. Vieau, Sr.”
Wisconsin Historical Collections, Vol. XI (1888), pp. 218-237
Thwaites, Reuben Gold, ed.
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Written by Reuben Gold Thwaites from an interview conducted in 1887 at Fort Howard. A brother of Andrew Vieau, Amable Vieau, was one of Muskego’s earliest pioneers, and a second brother, Peter, settled there somewhat later. Their father, Jacques Vieau, was a French-Canadian employee of the Northwest Fur Company who established the first trading post where Milwaukee would later be founded. See also on this page “Narrative of Peter J. Vieau”.
“Narrative of Peter J. Vieau”
Wisconsin Historical Collections, Volume XV (1900), page 458
Thwaites, Reuben Gold, ed.
Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Written by Reuben Gold Thwaites from an interview he conducted with Peter Vieau in Muskego Center in 1889. A brother of Peter Vieau, Amable Vieau, was one of Muskego’s earliest pioneers, and Peter settled there somewhat later. Their father, Jacques Vieau, was a French-Canadian employee of the Northwest Fur Company who established the first trading post where Milwaukee would later be founded. See also on this page “Narrative of Andrew J. Vieau”.
Muskego in the U.S. Census
Federal censuses have been carried out in Waukesha county every 10 years since 1840. Copies of the Muskego census were found online for every Federal Census from 1840 to 1940, except 1890. Nearly all records of the 1890 Federal Census, for the entire nation, were destroyed in a Washington, D.C. fire in 1921. No data on individuals in censuses from 1950 to 2010 have yet been released, due to Federal laws protecting confidentiality of such data until 72 years after a census is taken.
Some census links are to the FamilySearch genealogy website, and you may be required to set up a free account in order to access these records.
U.S. Census for Muskego, Waukesha County, Wisconsin – 1840-1930 – Muskego Wisconsin History
1840 Federal Census (images 330-332)
1850 Federal Census (images 177-203)
1860 Federal Census (Images 57-92) – Muskego Census
1870 Federal Census (images 338-373)
1880 Federal Census (images 275-303)
1900 Federal Census (images 300-326) – Muskego Census
1910 Federal Census (images 526-552)
1920 Federal Census (images 631-654)
1930 Federal Census (Images 766-797)
Muskego in Wisconsin State Censuses
Censuses were taken by the State of Wisconsin in 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895 and 1905. Most records of the 1865 census, including those for Waukesha county, were later destroyed. In 1885, 1895 and 1905 Wisconsin’s Secretary of State listed every Civil War veteran living in the state and published these lists as appendices to the State Census. Links to these “Enumerations” are provided below, but you will need to set up a no-cost log-on at ‘Family Search’ in order to use these.
Wisconsin State Censuses for Muskego, Waukesha County, 1855-1905
1855 State Census (images 103-107)
1875 State Census (images 39-44) – Muskego Census
1885 State Census (images 76-82)
1895 State Census (images 69-76) – Muskego Census
1905 State Census
Enumeration of Soldiers and Sailors of the Late War (Civil War)
1885 Muskego (image 9)
1895 Muskego (image 11) – Muskego Census
1905 Wisconsin
Waukesha in Other Federal Censuses
1838 U.S. Census of Wisconsin Territory: Future Waukesha County
1838
The U.S. Government took a census of the Territory of Wisconsin in 1838. The area that in 1846 would become Waukesha county was previously part of Milwaukee county. This link has the census data for residents of the future Waukesha county.
U.S. Census Mortality Schedules; Waukesha County
1850-1880
The Federal Censuses of 1850 to 1880 included questions about the deaths of individuals occurring in the previous 12 months, and recorded the resulting information in ‘mortality schedules’.