Historical Horicon, Wisconsin
The Research Toolkit
After a few thousand archive hours, two-thousand-plus photographs, and more than one afternoon lost down a genealogical rabbit hole — here’s what has actually earned a place in the kit..
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, it helps fund the research and production behind One Shot at History and Echoes of the Ice Hunters — at no extra cost to you. I only list tools and books I actually use.
Our One Shot at History Amazon Store — Field & Archive Goods
I spent time researching and actually using this gear before it earned a spot on the list. I’ve put together an Amazon storefront — Field & Archive Co. — with the field equipment, archival supplies, and history-hunting essentials I rely on for every site visit and research trip. Check it out here: One Shot at History — Field & Archive Goods
For the Archive & the Podcasts
The research behind the Pre-Historic age of Wisconsin and America.
History Books
Adena: Mound Builders of the Ohio Valley Volume I is a richly detailed, accessible exploration of one of North America’s earliest mound-building societies. Drawing on archaeology, early surveys, and modern research, this book traces the rise of the Adena people from scattered Woodland communities into a tradition defined by monumental earthworks, long-distance exchange networks, and complex ceremonial life.
ADENA: Mound Builders of the Ohio Valley, Volume II, examines the archaeological record associated with the Adena culture throughout the Ohio River Valley and surrounding regions.
Drawing on archaeological excavations, early antiquarian accounts, and modern scientific analysis, this book examines Adena burial mounds, earthworks, village sites, and material culture in clear, accessible detail.
The Mounds Of Koshkonong And Rock River : A History Of Ancient Indian Earthworks In Wisconsin
Archaeological discoveries about the ancient earthworks of southern Wisconsin. The story of the land from 10,000 B.C. up to 1895, when the last of the Winnebago glided down Rock River. The book records hundreds of Indian mounds. Also, the text chronicles the experiences of early explorers, fur traders, and settlers in their own words.
Ancient Effigy Mound Landscapes of Upper Midwestern North America
This book provides an overview of the effigy mound phenomenon of the Upper Midwest of North America, centered on southern Wisconsin. Between c. AD 700 and 1100, Late Woodland people of the Upper Midwest used the topography and other natural features to create vast ceremonial landscapes consisting of thousands of earthen mounds sculpted into animals and animal spirits (bears, birds, panthers, snakes, etc.) that mirrored their belief and clan-based social structure and served an important role in mortuary ritual. In so doing, the Late Woodland people created quite visible three-dimensional maps of ancient cosmology and social structures that are similar to the beliefs and social systems of more recent Native people.
For the Marsh & the Boat Tours
What rides along for the otter footage and the wetland content.
Birding & Wildlife Optics
Vortex Crossfire HD 10×42 Binoculars | HD Optics, Tripod Adaptable, Waterproof, Fogproof, Shockproof, Included GlassPak Harness
The pair that actually rides along with me on Blue Heron Landing tours — fogproof for marsh mornings. Great for me as I wear prescription lenses.
Vortex Diamondback HD 8×32 Binoculars | HD Optics, Tripod Adaptable, Waterproof, Fogproof, Shockproof Compact
This is the pair I keep in my vehicle, perfect for that random sighting, or impromtu hike
Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm f/5-7.1 O.I.S. Lens for L-Mount, Ultra-Telephoto Zoom, Dual I.S. 2 Stabilization, Fast Linear AF, 11-Blade Diaphragm, Weather-Sealed
This lens is what I use for closeup photography, not cheap, but does the job very well
Barmah Hats – Foldaway Bronco Cooler Leather Hat
This hat is a life saver, keeps me cool, stuffs down, can throw it under my seat, in the boat, the brim is leather, and it reains its shape!. I hnenstly where this hat on every tour and field trip.
Columbia Men’s PFG Blood and Guts V Long Sleeve Shirt
I have 4 of these, my go to shirt- Go ahead. Try and get dirty. For fishing, hunting, and exposure to wet/messy environments. Repels fluids and resists tough stains with advanced stain-releasing yarns that dry quicker and stay cleaner.
Orvis River Guide Short Sleeve Shirt for Men – Lightweight, Plaid, Button-Down Shirt
These Orvis shirts are nice! Cool, breathable, and virtually wrinkle free, and they have an eyglass wipe built in!
Mophie Powerstation Slim 10,000mAh Power Bank | Thin Everyday Power | 15W, Multi-Device
POWER ON-THE-GO: Keep your essentials charged with a 10,000mAh battery providing up to 2 full phone charges. Perfect for travel, commuting, or daily carry
Archival Supplies
History needs to be protected, and shared, this is the equipment and items I use regularly.
Electronic Equipment
Professional Book Scanner, 24MP Document Camera | 3rd Gen Auto-Flatten & Deskew Tech, A3 Document Scanner, 180+ Languages OCR, Support HDMI
The resolution on this thing is exceptional — it captures deposition pages and old documents with a level of clarity and detail that flatbeds just can’t match. Setup was simple and the software is intuitive enough that I was scanning within minutes. The page-flattening technology is what sold me — it handles fragile, valuable old books without cracking the spine, and turns even dense technical pages into clean, high-quality PDFs. Fast, too, which matters when you’re working through hundreds of pages at a time. It is a bit pricey, and others are available at a lower cost, but with reduced resolution
Epson Perfection V19 II Color Photo and Document Flatbed Scanner with 4800 dpi Optical Resolution, USB Power and High-Rise, Removable Lid
Amazing image clarity and detail — 4800 dpi optical resolution; this one sits on my desk and is my go-to for papers, letters, and the top comes off, which is great as historical items aren’t always small or flat!
Presentation Clicker with Volume Control, Wireless Presenter Remote | Plug & Play 2.4GHz USB Slide Advancer Compatible with Mac/Windows, Works with PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides
Not sure how I got along with this for so long. Very simple to use, and it has a built-in laser pointer, and it’s cheap!
64GB Digital Recorder
This is what handles interview audio and voice memos in the field — 64GB of onboard storage means I can go weeks without offloading files. Voice-activation means it starts recording the moment someone starts talking, so I’m not fumbling with buttons mid-interview, and the noise reduction keeps background marsh or crowd noise from burying the actual conversation. The A-B repeat function turns out to be surprisingly useful for transcription — looping a hard-to-catch phrase from a deposition-style interview instead of scrubbing back and forth manually. Password protection is a nice touch for sensitive source interviews, and it doubles as a straightforward MP3 player when I just need portable playback.
Help Keep This History Alive
Every bit of this site — research, travel, equipment — comes straight out of my own pocket. There’s no studio or sponsor behind it. If you value the history being preserved here, every little bit helps keep it going.
