Pictures From: State Historical Society of Wisconsin
BELMONT          Wisconsin's First Capitol

Wisconsin's first capitol was not Madison, our current capitol. Belmont, which is in southwestern Wisconsin, was the place where lawmakers first huddled together in the cold fall and winter of 1836. Back then, Wisconsin wasn't even a state yet. It was just a territory. In 1836, lawmakers got together and laid down the basis of law and order that would become the state of Wisconsin 12 years later. They talked about laws, the judicial system and how to build roads and railroads. Eventually, it was decided that the capitol should be in Madison, which did not even exist yet. Wisconsin was admitted to the Union as the 30th state on May 29, 1848. While the capitol building rests in Madison, the old two-story house where the lawmakers first met in 1836 still stands in Belmont, and you can go visit it.

Links to other sites about Wisconsin's First Capitol and Wisconsin History:

• State Historical Society of Wisconsin
• More about the First Capitol