Stoughton, Wisconsin
Stoughton, Wisconsin - Birthplace of the "Coffee Break"
Stoughton was founded in 1847 by Luke Stoughton, an Englishman from Vermont. Many Norwegian immigrants settled in the town from 1865 through the early 1900s. The city is located about 20 miles southeast of Madison just below Lake Kegonsa on the Yahara River.
Birthplace of the "Coffee Break"
The coffee break is said to have originated in Stoughton, when the immigrant men became employed en masse at Stoughton's T. G. Mandt's wagon factory, leaving their wives to fill the shortages at the tobacco
warehouses, who agreed to work under the condition that they were allowed to go home every morning and afternoon to tend to chores and, of course, drink coffee. The city of Stoughton celebrates the
coffee break every summer with the Stoughton Coffee Break Festival.
Syttende Mai Festival
Known for its Norwegian heritage, Stoughton hosts a citywide celebration of Syttende Mai, the Norwegian constitution day. Part of the city's celebration
of its Norwegian heritage is the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers dance group, sponsored by Stoughton High School, as well as Norwegian flags and memorabilia displayed
throughout the town. There is an annual 20-mile run starting at Madison's Capital Square and ending in Stoughton's Mandt Park.
Stoughton's sister city is Gjøvik, Norway.
Stoughton is the home of the Wisconsin State Rosemaling Association.
Above: Sunset at Lake Kegonsa which is just north of Stoughton, Wisconsin.
For more information on Stoughton, Wisconsin, visit Wikipedia.
Or, visit the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce website at www.stoughtonwi.com.
Buy coffee and rosemaling books and quilts at Amazon (Click on image below).
Stoughton, Wisconsin
Dane County
Above: Stoughton, Wisconsin. Coordinates: 42°55′16″N 89°13′28″W
Birthplace of the "Coffee Break"
Above: Stoughton, Wisconsin public library "The Carnegie Library." Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported: Royalbroil.
Above: Stoughton, Wisconsin train station. Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported: Royalbroil.
Above: Stoughton is the home of the Wisconsin State Rosemaling Association. Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic: Erik A. Drabløs.
Above: Stoughton, Wisconsin City Hall and Opera House. The Stoughton Opera House is one of the few remaining second story theaters in the Midwest.
