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WISCONSIN Instruction in science and law is afforded by the state university. (See WISCONSIN, UNIVER- SITY OF.) Nashotah house, at Nashotah mis- sion, is a Protestant Episcopal school of theol- ogy, and the seminary of St. Francis of Sales, at St. Francis, is a Roman Catholic school of theology. The chief academies and seminaries are Carroll college at Waukesha, Elroy semi- nary at Elroy, Eochester seminary at Roches- ter, which are open to both sexes, and Kemper hall at Kenosha and St. Clara academy at Sin- sinawa Mound, which are exclusively for fe- males. Women are also admitted to the uni- versity of Wisconsin, Lawrence university, and Milton and Ripon colleges. According to the federal census of 1870, the total number of libraries was 2,883, having 905,811 volumes. Of these, 1,551 with 527,131 volumes were private, and 1,332 with 378,680 volumes were other than private. There were 4 state libra- ries with 61,400 volumes ; 9 town, city, &c., 4,838; 8 court and law, 1,010; 194 school, college, &c., 50,492; 1,008 sabbath school, 209,503; 70 church, 12,550; and 39 circu- lating, 38,867. The library of the state histor- ical society in Madison has 67,000 books, pam- phlets, &c., and the state law library in Madi- son 12,000 volumes. The total number of newspapers and periodicals reported by the federal census of 1870 was 190, having a cir- culation of 343,385 and issuing annually 28,- 762,920 copies. There were 14 daily, with a circulation of 43,250 ; 2 tri-weekly, 3,200 ; 3 semi-weekly, 6,850; 160 weekly, 266,000; 2 semi-monthly, 1,900; and 9 monthly, 22,185. In 1875 the total number was 253, viz.: 19 daily, 2 weekly, 2 semi-weekly, 207 weekly, 1 bi-weekly, 1 semi-monthly, and 21 monthly. In 1870 there were 1,864 religious organiza- tions, having 1,466 edifices with 423,015 sittings and property valued at $4,890,781, as follows: DENOMINATIONS. Organi- zation!. Edl- iices. Sittings. Property. 145 109 82,480 $414,223 67 83 10,500 91.400 13 5 1,450 9,000 157 140 44,960 619,550 Episcopal, Protestant Evangelical Association 82 179 2 70 88 2 21,200 24,175 875 889,585 237,450 1,100 4 3 750 8,500 171 156 86,780 802,860 Methodist 508 896 108,240 973,018 Moravian (Unitas Fratrum) 13 1 10 2,500 21,700 New Jerusalem (Sweden- 5 4 800 14.000 Presbyterian, regular 96 2 84 2 28,480 450 800,070 8,000 Keformed church in Amer- ica (late Dutch Re- 5 5 1,015 7,780 Reformed church in the United States (late Ger- 18 14 8,260 24,595 829 804 104,000 1,884,450 10 3 650 9,000 2 7 5 1,900 41,000 United Brethren in Christ . 84 12 21 10 5,650 8,150 87,900 48,800 Unknown (local mission).. Unknown (union) 1 1 1 1 100 150 . 1,800 600 WISCONSIN (UNIVERSITY OP) 687 The name of the state, taken from the river "Wisconsin (originally used with the French orthography Ouisconsin), is said to mean as an Indian word "wild rushing river." The territory of Wisconsin was formed in 1836 out of lands then comprised within the territory of Michigan. It embraced all the land now within the states of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Min- nesota, and that part of the present territory of Dakota which lies E. of the Missouri and White Earth rivers. In 1838 all of the terri- tory W. of the Mississippi river and of a line due N. from the sources of that river to the international boundary line was taken to form the territory of Iowa. As thus bounded, Wis- consin became a state in 1848. In 1849 a part of the state was taken to form part of the ter- ritory of Minnesota, since which time the area of Wisconsin has remained unchanged. The first territorial government was formed at Min- eral Point in July, 1836, and in October of the same year the first territorial legislature as- sembled at Belmont in Iowa co. Madison was chosen as the permanent seat of government, and the legislature first assembled there in No- vember, 1838. In 1836 the population was reported at 11,683. An enabling act for the admission of the state into the Union was passed by congress in 1846. A constitution was framed by a convention sitting at Madi- son from Oct. 5 to Dec. 6 ; it was approved by congress in 1847, but was rejected by the people on account of certain provisions relating to banks. A second convention was held at Madison from Dec. 15, 1847, to Feb. 1, 1848, and prepared a constitution which was ratified by the people on March 2 by a vote of 16,442 to 6,149. The state was admitted into the Union under an act of congress of May 29, 1848, and the legislature assembled at Madison in June. The original constitution, as amended several times, is still in force. The number of troops furnished by Wisconsin to the federal army during the civil war was 96,118, being equivalent to 78,985 for three years. WISCONSIN, University of, an institution of learning at Madison, Wisconsin. In 1888 con- gress granted to the territory of Wisconsin 46,080 acres of land for the support of a uni- versity. In that year the university was incor- porated by the territorial legislature, and Madi- son selected as its site ; but it was not organ- ized until after Wisconsin became a state. The state constitution adopted in 1848 provided for the establishment of a state university at or near the seat of government, and set apart as a perpetual fund the proceeds of all lands granted or to be granted by the United States to the state for the support of a university. In the same year the university was incorpo- rated and a board of regents appointed. A preparatory department was opened m 1 149, the university was formally opened in Jan- uary, 1850, and the first college classes were formed in 1851. In 1854 another national grant of 46,080 acres of land was made 840 TOL. XVI. 44