Fox Cities
The Fox Cities began over five hundred years ago when sixteen hundred fur traders invaded the Indian tribes known as the Dakota, Outagamie, Menominee, and Iroquois. For hundreds of years the tribes had used the productive land to hunt birds, harvest food from the rich soil, and use the treacherous rivers for transportation (Kort, p. 13-14).
The Menominee and Outagamie tribes were known to have great pride in their nation. The Menominee tribe, which means 'wild oat eaters'(Kort, p. 15), flourished on the Menominee River and harvested wild rice. To the white fur traders, the Menominee tribe was very dependable for food and loyal for protection. The Outagamie tribe was aggressive, cunning, and determined to drive the foreigners out of the Fox Valley. Outagamie means 'dwellers on the other shore'(Kort, p. 15) and grew to be the restless of all the tribes. The Black Hawk War of 1832 and the Winnebago War of 1827 brought great tension between the white people and the Indian tribes. As the years went on, the white people intruded the Winnebago land of the Indians causing great arguments. The chief of the Winnebago tribe, Red Bird, set an attack against the white settlers. Frightened by the Indians, the people turned to Governor Cass to arrange an army. As white men gathered from all over the Fox River, the Indians decided to make a truce with the white people. Dressed in white elk skin, Red Bird led his tribe to the soldiers carrying the pipe of peace. He was captured by the soldiers and imprisoned and later died of old age. Red Bird's spirit is still in the heart of the Winnebago land where a monument was placed in High Cliff State Park in his memory (Kort, p. 30-33).
Known for its natural beauty and water power, Appleton was first developed from the land of Grand Chute and grew around the Lawrence Institute. In 1835, Hippolyte Grignon built the White Heron off the banks of the Fox River in the land of Grand Chute. His purpose for this structure was to serve as a post office and inn for travelers and Indians. His residency brought great attention to a beautiful area that will later be the town of Appleton (Heller, p. 6-12). The city's name Appleton was chosen by Reeder Smith, a Methodist minister who honored William Appleton. William Appleton was a Congress man from Boston who had five thousand acres of land around the Fox River. This generous man donated a huge piece of land on the Fox River to Amos Lawrence the founder of the Lawrence Institute. His cousin, Samuel Appleton, provided ten thousand dollars to Amos Lawrence as a gift for naming the city after his name. The University of Lawrence opened up in January 17, 1847 and was the second co-ed school in America (http://www.apl.org/history/appleton.html), (Nelson, p. 186-190). The city of Appleton has really grown since the 1830's. It has the population of LKJL:JL:L, has developed many different schools, and offers a lot of exciting attractions. The University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley and Fox Valley Technical College were opened and currently serve as great schools for training in business and industry fields. The city of Appleton has five high schools consisting of East High School, West High School, North High School, Xavier High School, and Fox Valley Lutheran.
Some of the big attractions in Appleton are the Fox Cities Performing Art Center, the Children Museum, and High Cliff State park. The Fox Cities Performing Art Center was recently completed on College Avenue. The art center hosts the graduation of Appleton East High School, the production of many well-known plays, concerts, and symphony performances by the University of Lawrence. The Children's Museum offers fun for all ages relating and teaching one another about music, art, cultures, fire trucks, electricity, human body, disabilities, healthy foods, wildlife, and science. High Cliff State park is a great Indian preserve area consisting of climbing, hiking, public beach, and Indian burial mounds ('Sights of Appleton', 1992).
In 1832, Father Van den Broek traveled up the Fox River to 'little waterfall'(Kort, p. 40), which is Little Chute today, to encounter Indians and learn about their culture. As his friendship grew with the Native Americans, he cared, housed, fed, and provided necessities for them. Father Broek taught the Indians the alphabet and history of the American culture. Father Broek was a very loving priest who served the Indians well and provided mass for more than two hundred people. The first church was built in the village called St. John Nepomucene Church. The population grew and the Indians developed another addition for the church. Father Broek increased friendships between the Indians and the white people. He helped the village of 'little waterfall'(Kort, p. 40) become a prosperous and caring town. After Father Broek's death, the town was renamed to Little Chute that came from a boot called 'La Petite Chute'(Kort, p. 42).
The town of Little Chute celebrates the Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival each year in the month of June. The celebration is held at Doyle Park with many carnival rides, contests, free cheese tasting, entertainment, bands, and lots of cheese. The Big Cheese Parade starts the festival by traveling down the main street of Little Chute and presenting all of the sponsors. Throughout the days there is the Cheese Carving Demonstration, Free Cheese Tasting, the Cheese Curd Eating Contest, and the Cheesecake Contest. One of the sponsors of the Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival is Simon's Cheese. Simon's Specialty Cheese is a grand factory to visit and learn about the cheese making process. Visitors are encouraged to sample the large variety of cheese made from Wisconsin dairy farms (http://www.littlechutewi.org/calendar_events/cheesefest.html). The Menominee word, 'Ogaq-Kane'(Kort, p.43), is one of the root words for the city of Kaukauna. 'Known by early settlers as 'the lion of the Fox', Kaukauna is the oldest settlement in Outagamie County'(Kort, p. 43). Mills were set up on the banks of the Fox River powered by three great waterfalls. When the Treaty of the Cedars was signed in 1836, many new settlers moved into Kaukauna looking for a job at the mills. The Fox Cities came to an agreement in 1851 to provide a broad canal project. For the city of Kaukauna the project supplied more protection for travelers and more opportunities for mills to be placed on the river. In the 1870's Kaukauna faced competition between the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. Many new mills were developed and the first paper mill was added in 1873.
One of the youngest villages in the Outagamie County, Combined Locks, was founded by Roland Garner. He was a farmer who settled on the banks of the white water and created a home for many Germans. After the Germans settled into Garner's Landing, the forest area was wiped out to plant crops of many varieties. The village obtained its name from all of the canals that formed the Fox River. In 1889, the first paper company opened and the village became part of the Outagamie County on August 5, 1920. Although Combined Locks is one of the smallest villages in the Fox Cities, many immigrants moved to the community and brought many new customs from other countries. Combined Locks has grown to be one of the most productive farming villages in the Fox Cities today.
The settlement of Kimberly started in the village of Smithfield next to the town of De Pere and Kaukauna. This area was the relocation site for all the Indians after the New York agreement in 1820. The first Methodist Episcopal Church in the Fox Cities was built in the village by Reverend John Clark. Kimberly-Clark began in 1889 when the rich farming land was purchased and used for paper mill manufacturers. In 1901, a fire started in the town and most of the mills were ruined. Kimberly-Clark was rebuilt in 1903 and now is one of the biggest industries in the Fox Cities.
In the cities of Combined Locks, Kaukauna, and Kimberly, the Thousand Island Environmental Center offers recreational activities, educational programs, events, and trails for sight seeing. 'The purpose of this Conservancy Zone is to preserve the land in a natural state for the benefit of all citizens, with the idea of teaching good conservation practices and preservation of natural resources' (http://home.new.rr.com/thousandisland/). The recreational activities are snowshoeing, hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing, and fishing. The educational programs offer the importance of wildlife, natural preservation, and all the species the environmental center provides. In the summer, the environmental center has many programs that help kids learn and have fun. The programs consist of bug day, fishing is for kids, bird house building, meet the animals day, and crayfish and critters hunt. Thousand Island Environmental Center has many trails for hiking and sight seeing the famous Bald Eagle. The center has many fun filled activities for families to enjoy and also learn about natural preservation (http://home.new.rr.com/thousandisland/).
In 1833, the town of Menasha flourished along the banks of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. The land owners at the time were James Doty, Morgan L. Martin, and Daniel Whitney. James Doty, an influential man to the town of Menasha, was the governor of Wisconsin. James Doty owned most of the property in Menasha, so he named Doty Island after himself. The town of the Menasha started to grow quickly when the government set up advertisements for land in the surrounding town's newspapers. Mr. Harrison M. Reed became a rich man in Menasha by owning a saw mill, log homes, and the water power. Harrison M. Reed was the founder of the town of Neenah, developed the first road from Neenah to Oshkosh, and produced his own newspaper. The name Neenah is from the Menominee language and means water. Governor Doty gave the town Neenah its name because it has two channels that run through the town and it is surrounded by Lake Winnebago. In the late 1840's, Governor James Doty, Charles Reed, Harvey Jones, and Harrison Reed were determined to improve the Fox River by building dams. The fellow congress members brought the towns of Neenah and Menasha together to work as a team. Harvey Jones, in favor of Neenah, wanted to place locks and canals in the city of Neenah. Curtis Reed, an intelligent man, navigated the Fox River in the town of Menasha. The two men argued for a long time with the congress on deciding where to build the dams. In the end, the congress favored Curtis Reed for exploring the water in the town of Menasha and discussing the problems.
Along the Fox River, Menasha is a town built with many enjoyable activities and departments that are needed for people living in the Fox Cities. The town of Menasha has twelve parks, a skate park, five boat launches, and a Marina. Most of the twelve parks are located on the banks of Lake Winnebago with activities such as biking trails, picnic trails, fishing, swimming, play equipment, and pavilions. The skate park of Menasha was constructed by Custom Skate Park Concepts in 2002. The skate park allows skateboards, BMX bikes, and roller bladders to enjoy the park from 7am-10pm. On the banks of the Winnebago Lake, Menasha has a marina that hold over eighty seasonal boats and extravagant seafood restaurants (http://www.cityofmenasha-wi.gov/content/community/index.php).
The Fox Cities has developed more than four hundred years when the young fur traders intruded the Indian tribes of Outagamie and Menominee for land. Cities prospered on the Fox River for transportation and necessities. In 1847, 'the roots to the city of Appleton were planted with the founding of Lawrence College through a gift of money to the Methodist Church by Amos Lawrence' (Nelson, p. 189). By improving economics and industries, the cities have learned to corroborate and deal with raging white water Fox River. Today, the cities still
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