About Us

Our Own History

In 1998 a small group of people met around a picnic table inside the fence at Badger Army Ammunition Plant to discuss how to preserve the history of this place. The result of that meeting was the birth of the Badger History Group (BHG).

In the years since that first meeting the BHG has:

Hosted a summer picnic and reunion for Badger workers and families.
Sponsored a lecture series featuring distinguished historians and scientists.
Produced Powder to the People, a video history of the Plant.
Sponsored Inside the Fence photo exhibit
Published Powder, People and Place, ward-winning history book by Michael Goc.
Assisted in the creation of the Landowner’s Memorial at Badger.
Produced Badger Village - Our Prairie Home, video history of the residential communities at the Plant.
Assisted researchers from numerous local, state and federal agencies and contractors.
Initiated and began funding a historical archive on the Plant premises.
Participated in the entire reuse process; cooperating with all the stakeholders to assure that the history of the prairie, the people and the plant are also part of the future.
Participated in the Sauk Prairie River Arts Festival 2008 with the "Inside the Fence" exhibit at Badger AAP;
Participated in the Sauk Prairie River Arts Festival 2009 with an exhibit at Badger AAP of B.O.W. history during WWII and provided guides for bus tours sponsored by the Festival
Spring 2010 we hosted an exhibit featuring the Vietnam operation in Building 207 at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant.
Participated in the Sauk Prairie Airport Fly-In in August 2010 and June 2013.
Annually exhibit at:
- Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw in Prairie du Sac, WI on Saturday of Labor Day weekend.
- Badger Steam & Gas Engine Show
- Sauk County Dairy Breakfast in June
- Cross Plains Hill & Valley Antique Auto & Americana Show

That is a long list of accomplishments by a group that, until 2007, never had more than a dozen members. Recognizing that we had reached a point where our small group could not continue to meet the growing challenge we face, we became a dues paying membership organization. After nine years operating under the Sauk County Historical Society 501 (c) (3) status as an independent committee reporting to their Board of Directors, it was time for us to strike out on our own with our own 501 (c) (3) status.

Today our membership numbers over 100 and is growing.

In November, 2007 we incorporated as a non-stock corporation affiliated with the Wisconsin State Historical Society.

Click here to read our Current Bylaws

In March 2009 we received the "Letter of Determination" from the IRS declaring us a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt public charity.

The Badger History Group, Inc. is a 100% volunteer organization funded entirely by membership dues and donations. We have not asked for, do not plan to ask for and have not received funding from any Federal, State, or local Government. Although the Museum of Badger Army Ammunition is located on the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant we are not part of the U. S. Army or their contractor's operations. Having said all that we do need to acknowledge that we have had rent free office and archive space until September 2012 when we started paying the heating bill for Bldg 207 where our office, archive and museum have been since 2009.

The story of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant is more than a local story. A significant portion of the propellant used in the ammunition used by U.S. and Allied solders in three wars came from Badger. That fact makes this a national story. But this story goes even beyond that to include:

a glacier that stopped, where in 1942 the U. S. Army would build the Badger Ordnance Works
the glacial outwash plain known today as the Sauk Prairie
the Native Americans that followed that retreating glacier and made that outwash plain their home
the pioneers that started crossing the Wisconsin River in 1838 to this new land to make their homes on the Sauk Prairie
the center piece of the story, the Badger Ordnance Works/Badger Army Ammunition Plant
a look to the future

That is too big a story to tell as one story. Rather it is a collection of many smaller stories. Telling those smaller stories makes the big story possible. No matter where we find ourselves talking to people about Badger we find people who had a relative who worked there or they know/knew someone who worked there. This is an invitation to help us tell those smaller stories. There are so many stories that our small group can not do it alone and neither can you. Working together we can tell those smaller stories, and weave them into the bigger story that is awesome beyond imagination.

You can be apart of this story by:

Membership categories are:

	Individual, $25		Supporter, $50		Sponsor, $100
	Benefactor, $500		Historian, $1000

Our mail address:   Badger History Group, Inc.
                              PO Box 113
                              Prairie du Sac, WI 53578-0113

Email: <> Phone: Office: (608)448-0244 Curator/Archivist Cell: (608)370-2488