State Capitols are workshops and monuments, sites where history is made and where the lore, beauty and treasures of their states are on display to all who may come to these living shrines of democracy. “The Wisconsin Capitol” is the story of one the most beautiful capitols in America.

This work is a combination of the history of the capitols, and Madison has had three, and the history of the state they have served. Much text is devoted to the history of the state itself, starting with the Indians who first inhabited the region of Madison, the first whites who settled the isthmus and began to build the town. The saga then turns to the legislators, governors, doormen and others who have served in the buildings. A few who merit mention are Governor Louis Harvey who drowned on a trip to take supplies to Wisconsin troops fighting in Tennessee in 1862, Old Abe, the War Eagle who resided in the Capitol after his Civil War campaigns, Benjamin Butts, the long-time African-American doorman or butler at official gatherings and Robert LaFollette, the Progressive leader of the early Twentieth Century. The Capitols saw the professionalization of government through a Library and Legislative Reference Bureau as the Wisconsin Idea brought the learning of the University of Wisconsin to the service of the state.

Alas, buildings are vulnerable and in 1904 the second Capitol at Madison succumbed to fire. In its place the state erected the magnificent structure that we see today. It has stood through the Progressive Era, World War I when reluctance to enter the war earned Wisconsin the moniker of “The Traitor State”, the Great Depression, another World War and the post-war era. The Capitol has been at the center of debate, protest, accomplishment and recognition of the Wisconsin’s heroes. After a nearly a century of wear and tear this monument to Wisconsin’s greatness was lovingly restored to new splendor and designated a National Historical Landmark in 2001.

Author Michael Edmonds has weaved the people, the buildings and the lore of Wisconsin into a delightful book. The narrative is enhanced by dozens of paintings and photographs, both black and white and color, historic and contemporary.

Lest I sound like too much of a home state booster, a disclaimer is in order. I have never lived in Wisconsin but have visited it often. I have been inside 19 state capitols and, in my judgement, Wisconsin’s has the most beautiful interior that I have seen. “the Wisconsin Capitol” does justice to this magnificent edifice. I urge you to take a tour if your travels include Madison. In any event, read this book, then sit it down. Keep it handy and, every now and them, pick it up, look at its pictures and revisit its characters who commanded your admiration during the first read. The put it down, again…until the next time.

I did receive a free copy of this book without an obligation to post a review. ( )