Legacy soil maps are an important input in digital soil mapping. This paper traces how reconnaissance soil maps in Wisconsin evolved between the 1880s and the present with some discussion on future directions. The first soil map in the USA was made in Wisconsin by the geologist T.C. Chamberlin in 1882. The second soil map of Wisconsin was made by A.R. Whitson in 1927, and the third by F.D. Hole in 1976. Soil texture and physiography were the major diagnostic mapping criteria. As more detailed county soil surveys were completed and knowledge of the soils increased, a higher level of detail can be observed on statewide soil maps. The detailed county soil maps were digitized in the 1990s and early 2000s and have been used in a wide range of studies and applications (e.g. agriculture, forestry, landscape architecture, and human health). In the 1990s, soil scientists transitioned from mapping on paper copy aerial photos to digital procedures. This change coincided with the development of digital soil mapping, and the introduction of several new observational techniques (GPR, EMI, and cone penetrometer). These modeling and observational tools continue to be used to evaluate small areas, but have not yet become widely used for current soil mapping activities.