That’s Old Abe, Wisconsin’s famous war eagle! Captured as a young eaglet in northern Wisconsin in 1861, Old Abe was purchased by an Eau Claire militia company for $2.50 and named after President Abraham Lincoln. He soon became the mascot of the Eighth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, joining its soldiers in more than 30 Civil War battles. His fame made him a target himself, and he survived close calls with enemy fire and there was even a Confederate bounty for his capture. After three years of military service, Old Abe retired to the Wisconsin State Capitol building, where he had his own caretaker, a two-room living space, and a custom bathtub. His celebrity continued to grow after the war, inspiring books and songs, drawing visitors from across the country (including President Theodore Roosevelt), and catching the attention of circus showman P.T. Barnum, who offered to buy him for $20,000. After Old Abe died in 1881, his remains were taxidermied and displayed at the Capitol until they were destroyed in a fire in 1904. When the Camp Randall Memorial Arch was dedicated in 1912, a sculpture of Old Abe was placed above its keystone, where he still watches over campus today.  

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