Madison

Madison is the capital of Wisconsin, built on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona in the south of the state. The University of Wisconsin–Madison, founded in the 1840s, spreads along the southern shore of Lake Mendota.

The isthmus was the home of the Ho-Chunk people, who call the area Taychopera, the land of the four lakes. James Duane Doty, a land speculator, chose the isthmus as the site of the territorial capital in 1836 and named the town after James Madison, the fourth president. The Wisconsin State Capitol, a granite building finished in the 1910s, has a dome topped by a gilded statue, and local laws keep other buildings low so that it can be seen from far away. The university grew into a large research university and gave the city its character as a college town. In the early 20th century, under Governor Robert La Follette, its professors helped draft state laws, an idea known as the Wisconsin Idea.

Exact Sciences, based in Madison, makes Cologuard, a home test for colon cancer. American Family Insurance has its head office on the east side of the city.

The Memorial Union Terrace, on the shore of Lake Mendota, has colored metal chairs where students and residents watch the sunset. Monona Terrace, a convention center built on the lakeshore to a design by Frank Lloyd Wright, opened in the 1990s. The Dane County Farmers' Market fills the square around the Capitol each Saturday from spring to autumn. Henry Vilas Zoo, free to enter, keeps animals in a park beside Lake Wingra.