WISCONSIN: Our Wisconsin - A School History of the Badger Stateby E G Doudna. 1920. Wisconsin's history is rich and diverse, marked by the early explorations of French missionaries and traders like Jacques Marquette and Jean Nicolet, who established vital trade routes and relationships with Native American tribes. The fur trade played a crucial role in the region's development, leading to the establishment of settlements and the eventual influx of European settlers. Key figures such as La Salle and George Rogers