Elizabeth Baird: Life in Territorial Wisconsin

How do you make history?

Elizabeth Baird was a strong woman with fierce determination living on the Wisconsin frontier. Born a native French speaker, Elizabeth taught herself English and worked as an interpreter in her husband’s law firm, all while operating her family’s farm and recording her memoirs. Her rich descriptions about the fur trade, 1800s Green Bay, and the Peshtigo Fire provide a window into life in early Wisconsin.

Meet Elizabeth Baird

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Questions to Consider

When she moved, Elizabeth needed to learn new ways of living (and even a new language) to communicate with her neighbors. Think about a time when you joined a new group. How did that feel? What were some of the new things you needed to learn?

Many people asked Elizabeth and Henry Baird for help after the Peshtigo Fire happened. Why do you think people looked to them? Who are they leaders in your community today? How do they help others?

We know about Elizabeth’s life in territorial Wisconsin because she wrote about her experiences, and those accounts were published. Do you record your own stories and experiences? Why do you think keeping records of our lives is important?

Peek Into the Past

Elizabeth Baird

Elizabeth’s formal portrait from around 1879.

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. WHi-5210.

A full color painted portrait of Elizabeth's great-aunt Madeleine wearing a cloak and skirt, with her hair in long braids and her left hand resting on a wooden paddle. She looks off to the right of the viewer and behind her are trees and a building.

Madeleine Laframboise

Elizabeth’s great-aunt Madeline, a successful fur trader in the central Great Lakes area.

Image courtesy of the Lowell Historical Library.

Thérèse Schindler

Elizabeth’s maternal grandmother Thérèse Schindler, a successful fur trader in the central Great Lakes area, in 1855.

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. WHi-58711.

A gold-tinted black and white photograph of Henry Baird. In it his head and shoulders are visible. He wears a suit jacket and collared shirt with a tie. He looks to the left of the viewer and his lips are closed in a serious expression.

Henry L. Baird

Elizabeth’s husband, Henry L. Baird, was born in Ireland and came to Wisconsin in 1824. He was 45 years old at the time of this photograph.

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. WHi-27578.

A black and white photograph of a white house with a porch, framed by trees.

Home Sweet Home

Elizabeth and Henry Baird’s house in Green Bay.

Image courtesy of the City of Green Bay.

A black and white photograph of a small white house sitting in a snow-covered lawn, with a cleared sidewalk, tree, and small white house near it.

Law Office

Henry Baird’s law office.

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. WHi-31424.

Peshtigo Fire

The Peshtigo Fire burned about 1.5 million acres in eastern Wisconsin.

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. WHi-101577.

A black and white photograph portrait of Elizabeth Baird. Her head and shoulders are visible. She looks to the left of the viewer. Her mouth is closed in a calm expression.

Elizabeth the Author

Elizabeth’s author image. Elizabeth wrote books about life in Wisconsin during the 1800s.

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. WHi-58712.

Read On

Get the full story with this biography book. Audio files are available on each page if you’d like to listen along!

Project Credits

Producer
Becky Marburger

Associate Producer
Joe Young

Animation
The Brave Union

Illustrator
The Brave Union

Animation Voice Over
Margaret Sodomy

Audiobook Narration
Aika Zabala

Audiobook Editing
Kerman Eckes

Captioning
Catie Pfeifer
Vicki Way Kipp

Translation Services
University of Wisconsin-Madison Cultural Linguistic Services

Educator Support Materials
Mia Forslund

Web
John Vieth
Erika Kachama-Nkoy
Tim Schneider

Design
Charles Barrows

Executive Producer
Dan Kaplan

Special Thanks
Peggy Garties
Kristin Leglar

Story Advisors

Brenda Autz
Park Elementary School
Middleton, WI
(2015)

Charlene Dupler
Lakeview Elementary School
Wind Lake, WI
(2015)

Kurt Griesemer
Wisconsin Historical Society
Madison, WI
(2015)

Kristen McDaniel
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Madison, WI
(2015)

David J. O’Connor
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Madison, WI
(2015)

Amanda Price
Marshall Elementary School
Marshall, WI
(2015)

Carol Rumpel
Arcadia Elementary School
Arcadia, WI
(2021)

Tanya Schmidt
Oshkosh Area School District
Oshkosh, WI
(2021)

Corey Thompson
Cardinal Stritch University
(2015)

Stephanie Unertl
Lake Mills Area School District
Lake Mills, WI
(2015)