History of Green Bay

The history of Green Bay is very fascinating. Green Bay is the oldest settlement in the Midwest. Many fur trappers, Indian tribes, Jesuit missionaries and French voyagers traveled down the Fox River and settled where the river emptied into the Bay. Green Bay was settled in 1634, just 14 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

One great place to go to learn more about the history of Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin, is Heritage Hill State Historical Park. It has over 25 historic buildings that you can walk through and experience history first hand. The park has events throughout the year and is great for the entire family.

Below are some of the highlights of the history of Green Bay:

1634 - French-Canadian explorer, Jean Nicolet was the first white man to arrive in Green Bay. He thought he had found a route to China. He claimed the area for the King of France and named it La Baye Verte (the green bay) because of the greenish waters. The area's inhabitants were the Winnebagos, a Sioux-speaking tribe, and Nicolet spent the winter with them, forming alliances and exploring the area before returning to Canada in 1635.

1655 - Nicholas Perrot set up the first trading post in the area. This established Green Bay as the Gateway to the Great Waterway because the fur trade route ran down the Fox River to the Wisconsin River then to the Mississippi River.

1671 - Father Pere Claude Allouez established St. Francis Xavier Mission at Rapides Des Peres.

1763 - The French were forced to leave by the English. The British settlers began to call the town Green Bay.

1816 - Fort Howard was established.

1822 - A treaty between the eastern Oneida Native Americans and the local Menominee Indians provided land for a reservation in Wisconsin that is now called the Oneida Nation. Oneida Indian Journey: From New York to Wisconsin, 1784-1860 is a great book about the Oneida Indians.

1838 - Green Bay became a chartered U.S. City

1848 - Wisconsin became a state.

1850's - Many people from different countries came to settle. Many German, Irish, Scandinavian, Belgian and Holland immigrants built farms because of the good soil. The greatest number of immigrants came from Belgium.

1856 - The borough of Fort Howard was formed.

1895 - The City of Fort Howard consolidated with the City of Green Bay to form one city - the City of Green Bay.

1895 - The first paper mill was built.

1919 - The Green Bay Packers were formed. Named after the city?s meat packing industry, they became one of two charter teams of the National Football League. Click here for more information on the History of the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay is in Brown County and the population of about 220,000. The major employers are still the paper product industry with transportation and health car following. Green Bay is the oldest city in Wisconsin and the history of Green Bay is long and rich. The people of Green Bay are very proud of their 350 year history.