Exploring History: Discovering Your Spark

I’m that undergrad who never made it to the professional side of my field, but that doesn’t stop me from doing what I like in my free time! I live and breathe history, so I share my passion for history on my blog. Follow me to learn some of the fantastic things I dive into–local history, book reviews, Allis-Chalmers, genealogy, and much more. Maybe I can spark your interest, too!

Are you ready?

-Austin M. Frederick
The Weekend Historian

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Allis-Chalmers Factory ComplexesAllis-Chalmers Factory Complexes
Revive Old Headstones with Wet & ForgetRevive Old Headstones with Wet & Forget
Allis-Chalmers Roto-BalerAllis-Chalmers Roto-Baler

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Sometimes the best pieces of history find you while you’re on the clock. 🕰️ When it’s -30° outside in Wisconsin, you find history where it’s a comfortable 50° year-round ❄️➡️🌡️ The Allis-Chalmers 190 XT tractors sit quietly on the assembly line at the West Allis Works, production paused at the end of the day. By morning, this line would come back to life. ⚙️ 📜 New Allis-Chalmers Finds! A few months ago I finished Nagasaki, and recently I started Hiroshima to keep exploring the topic. I made it about halfway through, but I just couldn’t finish it. Forty years ago today, the last Allis-Chalmers tractor rolled off the assembly line at the West Allis Works. Sharing another piece of Allis-Chalmers history—part of a growing archive of A-C Scope Magazine, the employee magazine printed for Allis-Chalmers workers. I’ll keep adding new issues as I find them. It’s the dawn of another Opening Weekend of the Wisconsin Gun Deer Season — a tradition that’s been part of my family, and so many Wisconsin families, for generations. Just watched the premiere of @kenlburns #AmericanRevolution on @pbs , and wow—what a start! The first episode dives deep into the lives, struggles, and passions that ignited the fight for independence. Ken Burns’ storytelling makes history feel immediate and personal, and the way he weaves in the voices of so many perspectives is incredible. Excited to see how the rest of this six-part series unfolds! 🔥🇺🇸