Patriots' Day in Wisconsin 

     The Wisconsin Senate approved Joint Resolution 9 and the Wisconsin Assembly concurred on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 proclaiming "April 19 of every year as Patriots' Day in the State of Wisconsin..."

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed the proclamation (Click here for full screen) declaring April 19 as Patriots' Day in Wisconsin for the year 2007.  Each year, members of the Wisconsin Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and citizens of Wisconsin honor our Patriots on this day.  For the year 2007, Governor Doyle signed the State Proclamation on the morning of April 19.  Some activities taking place in past years included the WISSAR Color Guard presenting the colors at the opening ceremonies of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball game at Miller Park on April 19, 2002,an official state marker recognizing Patriot Nathaniel Ames dedicated at the cemetery in Oregon where he is buried, and the dedication of the new government marker for Revolutionary War Veteran David Janes at the Little Prairie Cemetery in Walworth County.  

Here is a photo copy of the Wisconsin legislative resolution, which lists the Senators who introduced the resolution and the Representatives who jointly concurred.

     Harold Klubertanz, past Color Guard Commander and Past President of the Nathaniel Ames Chapter SAR, did an excellent job of researching the background and providing information to our legislators.  Many WISSAR members and members of other patriotic organizations joined in urging this resolution be passed for Wisconsin.

A special ceremony was held on Patriots' Day 2003 when a bronze plaque listing the 40 American Revolutionary Patriots who are buried in Wisconsin was dedicated.  It is permanently displayed in the Patriots Lounge in the Wisconsin Memorial Park, Milwaukee.  More than 200 attended the ceremony.  Click on this link for photo of the plaque.

Included in a Wisconsin budget bill is the addition of Patriots' Day as one of the "Special Observation Days" in the Wisconsin statutes relating to schools and the day "shall be appropriately observed." Kathy Doherty of Merriam-Webster indicated in an email to Dave Dean that "We'll make a change in the Collegiate Dictionary when manufacturing processes next allow..." to include Wisconsin along with Maine and Massachusetts in the reference to Patriots' Day.