Wisconsin’s heavy manufacturing cities drew waves of economic migrants to its factories after World War II, and agribusiness rose in income despite a steady reduction in the number of farms. The state’s economic fortunes were generally positive right through the mid-1980s, when the state endured its greatest recession since the catastrophic days of the Depression. Wisconsin companies lost control to or were bought out by competitors in other states. In the early 1990s, agribusiness, still one of the top three Wisconsin industries, became vulnerable for the first time when California challenged the state in production of whole milk.

The one industry that blossomed like no other after the war was tourism. Forethinking Wisconsin politicians enacted the first sweeping environmental legislation, and North Woods resort owners instituted effective public relations campaigns. By the late 1950s, Wisconsin had become a full-fledged, four-season vacation destination, and by the early 1990s tourism had become a $6 billion industry in Wisconsin, which established a cabinet-level Department of Tourism and opened regional travel centers in other states.