Statehood The 30th state May 29, 1848 Captial Madison State Motto Forward Origin of State Name The name is derived from the French version of an Ojibwa term that may mean "gathering of the waters" or "place of the beaver." State Nickname The Badger State The name refers to miners, among the state's first settlers, who lived in mine shafts or dug their homes out of hillsides, as badgers do. Interesting Facts One of the most popular places to visit in the state is Wisconsin Dells, where the Wisconsin River passes through a winding gorge about 13 km (about 8 mi) long. Wisconsin is among the nation's leaders in production of dairy products and is sometimes called America's Dairyland. One of the nation's worst natural disasters took place in Peshtigo in 1871, when a forest fire killed more than 1000 people and damaged $5 million worth of property.