Wisconsin's isthmus capital — progressive politics, craft beer, and Saturday farmers markets
Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and home to the University of Wisconsin, built on an isthmus between two lakes — Lake Mendota and Lake Monona — giving it a postcard setting unusual for an inland American city. The Saturday Dane County Farmers Market on Capitol Square is the largest producers-only farmers market in the US, wrapping around the spectacular Wisconsin State Capitol building. Madison is perennially rated one of America's most livable cities — liberal, educated, bicycle-friendly, and packed with craft breweries, farm-to-table restaurants, and outdoor activities on the lakes and…
Madison was chosen as capital of Wisconsin Territory in 1836, before a single building had been constructed — a controversial decision attributed to real estate speculation. The University of Wisconsin was founded in 1848, the same year Wisconsin became a state. Madison developed a distinctive tradition of progressive politics and labor organizing; the Wisconsin Idea, formulated around 1910, held that the boundaries of the university are the boundaries of the state — faculty expertise should directly inform public policy. Robert La Follette Sr., one of America's greatest progressive politicia…