The Allis-Chalmers History Museum

I recently graduated from UW-Oshkosh with a degree in history, but landing a career in history right out of undergrad school is not easy. I am looking at pursuing a master’s degree in public history in the near future. UW-Milwaukee has a public history program that I am very interested in, and that is the only school nearby that offers a master’s degree in that field. I am very passionate about history, and I would enjoy nothing more than to work in an institution where I can help preserve and share history.

In my spare time I have worked on creating an online museum dedicated to preserving the history of Allis-Chalmers, a Milwaukee industrial firm. My fascination for the firm started eight  years ago when my dad, brother and I began restoring tractors. The company’s deep-rooted history in the Milwaukee area, and impact on Wisconsin history, make it such a fascinating subject of study.

I have collected documents, books, photographs, and other artifacts that tells the story of the company. I want to share that history with others. I have blogged topics on my blog, and I have worked on putting together a virtual history museum, which I call the Allis-Chalmers History Museum (Click here to visit). The site is hosted by Omeka, which other museums and historical organizations use to make online exhibits.

Right now the museum is in its early stages. I am working on adding items from my collection, which will take some time. My goal is to continue to add to the collection and share new items of interest. I urge other enthusiasts to send duplicates of items of interest, or even get involved with the project and email AllisChalmersHistory@gmail.com. There is a lot of history to learn about Allis-Chalmers, and the history is scattered out there for enthusiasts to piece together.