irish

Large populations of Irish immigrants settled in Wisconsin due to the "potato famine." The potato crop was very important to the lives of the Irish. When the famine struck many Irish faced the threat of starvation. There was a rush to leave their homeland of Ireland and travel to America. The ships that transported the Irish were often overcrowded and disease ridden. The trip to America could take as long as eight weeks. Due to illnesses and poor conditions on the ships many Irish immigrants died at sea. For this reason some of ships became known as "coffin ships."

Irish men, women, and children made their homes in the communities of Prairie du Chien, Patch Grove, and Bloomington. Many of those who settled in Wisconsin became farmers. The land that they decided to settle had to be cleared before it could be used for farming. Often times they had encounters with the indians who also lived in the area.???