In the doghouse

 On July 1, 1920, a new state law required that all Wisconsin dog owners obtain a license for their furry friends.

The licensing was implemented as a form of insurance to cover farmers' loss of livestock in the event of dog attacks. The annual license fee was set at $3.00 for male dogs and $5.00 for females.*

Cuba City residents were urged to apply for licenses before the law went into effect. The Grant County clerk threatened that all those failing to obtain licenses would be turned over to the county district attorney. Violators risked fines and could see their dogs impounded and "humanely disposed of."

*The initial license fees were deemed too steep and reduced the following year. Fees in 1921 were $1.00 for male dogs and $2.00 for female dogs. (The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1927.)

**The accompanying photo belonged to schoolteacher Rachel Idel Smith, who taught in Cuba City from 1921-1923.