The documented investigations took place for various reasons. Included are inquiries into charges of misconduct by county sheriffs and districts attorneys, the investigation of which was vested by statute with the governor; inquiries into charges of wrongdoing at state institutions and agencies such as the Board of Control, the Wisconsin State Prison, and the University of Wisconsin; legislative investigations of the Insurance industry, the University, and other state agencies; proceedings of boards of review which investigated appeals from the Banking Commissioner; and special investigations such as the Governor's Tax Report Committee of 1934. Also notable within the last category are files on pardon application of John Dietz, charges of rampant prostitution in northern Wisconsin, and the collapse of construction of the Capitol in 1883. The Governor's Tax Report Committee, which examined the taxes assessed and collected by the state and its political subdivisions since the onset of the Depression in 1929, is represented by the final report and additional tabulations that were not part of the final report, as well as other background forms and papers. There is, however, no administrative correspondence for this committee.
Also included is a small file, 1880-1914, of minor charges and complaints which received no investigation from the governor or only a perfunctory examination. These complaints chiefly concerned local officials who failed to enforce laws dealing with drinking, dancing, Sunday baseball, prize fighting, bawdy houses, etc., and requests for assistance.
The photographs relate to John F. Dietz and the Battle of Cameron Damn, Sawyer County, Wisconsin in 1910.
