Dane County is located in the center of Wisconsin between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, and is famed for its abundance of pre-historic artifacts. Opening with the history of the city of Madison, the first part of this extensive work looks at a diverse set of topics; early settlement of the region, establishment of the capital, pioneers and notable persons, the state university, the state historical society, churches and pastors, regional newspapers, merchants and bankers, schools, literature and the arts, historic homes, visitors and resorts, and Native American mounds, monuments, caves, and relics. The second part concentrates on Dane County. The towns surveyed include: Albion, Berry Black Earth, Blooming Grove, Blue Mounds, Bristol, Burke, Cambridge, Christiana, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield, Dunn, Dunkirk, Fitchburg, Madison, Mazomanie, Medina, Middleton, Montrose, Mount Vernon, Oregon, Perry, Pleasant Springs, Primrose, Roxbury, Rutland, Springdale, Springfield, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Vermont, Verona, Vienna, West Blue Mounds, Westport and Village of Waunakee, Windsor, and York. Each town is afforded a similar (if more concise) treatment to that provided for Madison. The adjacent towns of Brooklyn, Edgerton, Evansville, Lake Koshkonong, and Lodi are also described. The town histories are supplemented by a section of personal reminiscences, a listing of county officers, and numerous illustrations of people and landmarks.