History of
Appleton
Appleton shares its history with
Lawrence University, for the two grew simultaneously. The close
relationship established in the early years continues to exist.
Fur traders seeking to do business
with Fox River Valley Indians were the first settlers in Appleton.
Hippolyte Grignon built the White Heron in 1835 to house his family
and serve as an inn and trading post.
With the financial backing of Amos
Lawrence, the Lawrence Institute was chartered in 1847. Samuel
Appleton donated $10,000 to the newly founded college library, and
in appreciation, his name was given to the community.
Appleton was incorporated first as
a village in 1853 (John F. Johnston, the first resident, village
president) and later as a city in 1857 (Amos Storey, Mayor).
Among the 36 individuals who have
served as the city's chief elected official, John Goodland, Jr. had
the longest tenure, with 18 years in office. Dorothy Johnson,
Appleton's first female mayor, was elected in 1980 and served for 12
years. Timothy M. Hanna is the current mayor.
Education was, and continues to be,
a priority in Appleton. In 1850, Daniel Huntley taught in the first
free public school. The St. Mary Catholic Church opened the first
parochial school in the community in 1864. The first 4 year high
school began operating in 1876 in the Hercules School and
Kindergarten was initiated in 1898 in Lincoln School. With
population growth came the need for additional facilities. Today
there are 24 public and 13 parochial schools.
Lawrence University's 84 acre
campus, with 32 instructional, recreational and administrative
buildings, 1200 students drawn from 45 states and 38 foreign
countries, and a faculty of 114 men and women, lies east of the
city's attractive, lively downtown. Students and faculty members
supply the community with an endless array of music, drama and
sports activities.
Appleton traditionally has had a
commitment to vocational education. The Vocational School was
established in 1912, and the first facility in the United States to
be built exclusively for this purpose was erected here in 1917. When
the State of Wisconsin was divided into vocational, technical and
adult education districts in 1965, the local program was expanded
and the Fox Valley Technical College was established.
Area business has been responsible
for Appleton's economic prosperity and progressive attitude. The
paper industry, beginning with the building of the first paper mill
in the city in 1853, has been at the forefront of the development of
Appleton, In order to provide electricity to this industry, the
nation's first hydro-electric central station began operation in
Appleton on September 30, 1882. Not too long afterward, in August of
1886, Appleton was the site for another national first, the
operation of a commercially successful electric streetcar company.
Electric lights replaced gas lamps on College Avenue in 1912.
Our community also made history
when Alfred Galpin put together his own telephone in 1877,
connecting his bank and his residence. Later, a druggist installed
several phones in his store, linking them with those in other
offices. This Wisconsin Telephone Company purchased this exchange in
1881.
Retail trade has also contributed
to the area's progress. Because stores have always been concentrated
on College Avenue, businessmen actively cooperate with city
government in downtown redevelopment. A major convention center, the
Paper Valley Hotel, was opened in 1982 and a shopping complex, The
Avenue, commenced operations in March of 1987.
From its beginnings in 1853 as the
Appleton Crescent, now the Appleton Post Crescent, the newspaper has
provided coverage of the political, educational and industrial
arenas of the community.
Cultural growth was encouraged
early in Appleton. Central to that development has been public
library service. Beginning in a reading room above a grocery store
on College Avenue, the Appleton Public Library has developed over
the years. Today it is housed in a modern 2 story facility on North
Oneida Street. It offers a 240,000 volume book collection,
audiovisual equipment and software rental, as well as computer
database searching. In 1986, the APL was designated among the 50
outstanding libraries in the nation.
The preservation of Appleton's
history has been the work of the Outagamie County Historical
Society. Its museum contains artifacts of Appleton's famous native
son, escape artist Harry Houdini and author Edna Ferber, who grew up
in Appleton. The museum showcases Appleton's heritage as a
progressive, industrious community in Wisconsin's Fox River Valley.
The residents of our community are
proud of Appleton's past and present, and they manifest a great
confidence in its future and a dedication to its ongoing betterment.
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