Waupun in Dodge County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Auto Race

Green Bay to Madison

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, May 14, 2012

1. Auto Race Marker

in new location in Wilcox Park

Inscription. In 1875 the Wisconsin Legislature offered a prize of $10,000 to the citizen of this state who could produce a machine "which shall be a cheap and practical substitute for the use of horses and other animals on the highway and farm." Such machine was to perform a journey of at least 200 miles, "propelled by its own internal power, at the average rate of at least five miles per hour, working time." By July, 1878, two steam-powered vehicles were ready to run the prescribed course from Green Bay to Madison. This highway was on the route of the "race" which was interrupted along the way to demonstrate the comparative pulling capacity of the machines. The entry sponsored by an Oshkosh group completed the trip in about 33 hours, but the other broke down and returned to Green Bay.

Erected 1956 by the Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 45.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1878.

Location. 43° 37.658′ N, 88° 43.499′ W. Marker is in Waupun, Wisconsin, in Dodge County. Marker is at the intersection of South Watertown Street (Business State

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Highway 26) and Lincoln Street, on the right when traveling north on South Watertown Street. Marker has been moved and is now located in Wilcox Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Waupun WI 53963, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Carnegie Library (approx. 0.4 miles away); The End of the Trail (approx. ¾ mile away); Clarence Addison Shaler (approx. ¾ mile away); Horicon Marsh (approx. 4 miles away); The Raube Road Site (approx. 7.1 miles away); First House Site in Dodge County, Wisconsin (approx. 9.6 miles away); Bernard R. "Bunny" Berigan (approx. 10.3 miles away); Wisconsin’s First Iron Smelter (approx. 12.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waupun.

Also see . . . The Great Green Bay to Madison Automobile Race of 1878. "After Rev. J. W. Carhart invented a horseless carriage in 1873, the state legislature offered a prize of $10,000 to anyone who could run such a machine on regular roads from Green Bay to Madison. Two groups of inventors took up this challenge and the race was run in 1878 between two automobiles named the "Oshkosh" and the "Green Bay" after their places of invention. This newspaper story looks back on the race and the inventors, and includes long excerpts from letters of the particpants." (Submitted on October 8, 2009.)

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, May 14, 2012

2. Auto Race Marker

in new location in Wilcox Park

Photographed By Keith L, September 27, 2009

3. Auto Race Marker

Picture taken at its original location.

Photographed By Keith L, September 27, 2009

4. Auto Race Marker

Picture taken at its original location.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,489 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on May 15, 2012, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 15, 2012, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on October 8, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.