Monroe County Local History Room & Museum













News at MCLHR

April 25 History Program: "Shop Talk: History & Memories of the Milwaukee Road Shops in Tomah"
The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum presents: “Shop Talk: History & Memories of the Milwaukee Road Shops in Tomah,” a public program to be held on Thursday, April 25th at 7pm at the Sparta United Methodist Church...
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History Room closed Jan. 16-22. Reopens Jan. 23.
The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum will be closed to the public from January 16 through January 22, 2024 for exhibit changing and seasonal maintenance...
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Monroe County Local History Room & Museum

The Wisconsin Child Center / State School For Dependent & Neglected Children

The Wisconsin Child Center operated in Sparta, Wisconsin, from 1885 to 1976. Originally named the "State Public School for Dependant and Neglected Children," the Child Center was a significant institution to Sparta, Monroe County, and to the thousands of people who lived and worked there during its 89 years of operation. The Local History Room often receives queries for Child Center history and questions about obtaining the records of children who once lived there. These topics and more are addressed on the web pages below.

Obtaining Records

Share Your Memories (Former Attendees & Staff)

Images of the Child Center

History of the Child Center
(Created by Ms. Joanne Hagen's Fifth Grade Class,
Meadowview Intermediate School, Sparta WI)

State School Inmate Index: 1900-1930