Howdy Neighbor Welcome To Green Bay

88 Pages·1956·9.416 MB·English

by  Green Bay Association of Commerce

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WELCOME
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GREEM Bl\1
Everything to Build or Remodel
Builders Hardware Millwork
Plywood Nails
S U PElt S ERVJ C E
F. H. A. and G. I. FINANCING
Green Bay's Supe'l. Lumber Yard
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KOS LUMBER CO.
1276 MAIN STREET GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN
Phone HEmloek 5-8887
In every commerct0I ond 1ndusrriol community th•re is
on organliation of b11smess ond p<ofe,.ionol mon whose
foremost ombHion ls 10 promote 1he natural odvontoges of
rhe ci1y to their highest $tago of development and to odvonce
1he civic ideals of the city. Their mission ond oim ls ro fosrer
legitimate business enterprise and to "xtend the sphere of
commerciol and social Influence They ore imbued with the
spirit of progress, and tholr foremost thought is fat the pre»·
P"•ity of rhe civic community. Such on 0<gonito1ton is the
Gteen Boy Associahan al Commerce, whose many depor1-
men1-s such os :he Monvfocturers Division. Retoil 01vis1on.
Credit Divis;on. Wholesale 01Vosion, Traffic Drvisian, 811i lders
Exchange, etc. - each one of th<lse divisions ore guided by
i major c.ommittees and subcommittees which uso rh.o com·
blned talents of hundted• of Green Boy's most progre5'1ve
b11slnessmen. These committee~ and subcommi11ecs spend ~
many hours every year In thel.r eH0<t to make Green Boy
a better place to live and work, in foci through rhese
combined efforts, olong with other interested orgonltotions
of rhis community, Green Bay nos become noted as one of
rhe finest eot1imun111cn ro live and w0<lc. in the entire
country - and to this and the clh.,. d<!portmenls of this at·
gon1tohon is due the presonl octvonced position of Green !
8oy both eotnmerclolly and ondu•triolly.
Respectfully your$,
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GREEN BAY AS50CIATION OF COMMERCE
t.,q.q.F.....,.q,q.~.-, ..,,,_.~,J_,>- ~-~
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We send rhos copy of "Howdy Neighbor,"
you rhrough rhe cooperation and courtesy
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of several fine business friends in your com-
munily. This hllle book obhgores you in no
way rhese excellenr business people;
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rorher, it Is merely o gesture of welcome and
of best wishes.
The odverlisers ore sure rhor you will find
mony uses for this guide to your city and ore
looking forward to meeting you personally
when you visit them and redeem the "get
acquainted" gift coupons enclosed.
JAYNAID 'UIUSHING CO.
241 N. 8roodwoy
GrMn lay, Wiwon_ajn
The Hrst recorded history of Gr(-en Bay began in 1634, when a
bearded French explorer stepped ashore from a birch-bark canoe at
the Winnebago Indian's fortified village at Red Banks un the east
side of Green Bay about 12 miles north of the city. However, French
voyageurs and c:oureurs de boas, roaming independently through the
woods and streams of the N orthwbl, trading wath the lndfon•. dis
covering new waterways without bothering to reeord them, probably
knew of Lhe •lie of Groen Bay before 1634. The French explorer. Jean
Ni<-olet, was a repre•entnlivo of the French Government in •earch of a
weslwn1·d water route to tho Orient. Although he failed in his assigned
ml<Slon, his report to lhe Governor of Quebec stimulated the lnlca·est
or the traders and missionaries lo whom the early development and
explorations of tlie vicinity mu~t be attributed.
Green Bay was uraginnlly known as La Baye. Huwev~r. after
Nicolet claimed the region an the name of the King of Fruncc, thus
making it a recogniicd l)Olrt of New Fran<:i! it "'as known ns Saye La
Verlc (French for Green Bay). \Yhen the English •1>eaklng people
predominate<!, they nam~d it Or.,cn B~y.
After Nicclct's exploration, very little attention was given to
Ln Boye for a period of approximately 30 years.
Thi.' first trader 10 make o permanent home at the rnuuth of the
Fox Hivvr wa• Nicolas Pt•r1·ot, who lir•l came hcr1: In lli65. How
ever. it wusn'( until nflor IGG!l when Father Claude Allouez, Jesuit
missionary, founded a miSl!lon here that La Saye and the Fox Rh·er
became Important In 1673 Marquette and Joliet P<'nctr.ted the entire
length of the Fox River, the portage, and founded the wa>· to
er~
the l\lissisi<ippi Thus a cent muous natural waterway was charted
between the SL Lawrence nnd the Culf of Mexico. nnd La Bayu,
localed al the end of the Machalimackinac ·Great Lake• wnterway
and at lhe entranei! of the Fox· Wl><-onsin, becum~ the neturnl trad
ing cent"'' and rendl'7.VOU• for everyone lnt~rcstcd In the abundant
Iurs of the Wl.qconsin rogiun.
Futhcr Claude Allo1Jc:Z Wll• the HrHt and 1>rob•bly the ino.i
lomous of the mis..Uonurlca tu ostabllah a mlllllion her•. lie n11m.-d
lt St. Fronds Xavier, Built In 1671, two ytO'r• alter hl1 urrlvAl, it
w••
Aurvlved until 16tt7. when II deatruyed by fire It. txl1toncc ls
con1rn<m1orate<I by a tablol on th• orl11lnal wlu1 neur the •Q.ttem end
or
the pr~n1 ~ Pere brldl•·
Indian villag. ., were settk'<l in nnd around La Bnye, m1ss10n·
aries, and French soldiers had 1empor11ry shacks along the river and
traders built log cabins alonR both banks of the river. The entire
region became so signi!1cun1 m the French occupation of the Norlh
\\'eSI tha1 Nicolas Perro1, who wa~ the firi;t trader to mnkc a perma·
ncn1 home at the mouth of the Fox River. wa~ appointed ooanmandant
of the region in 1684.
Perrot was one nf the most brilliant men in Northwest history.
A crude b-ontier fort and trading post w45 built that ""me year
which served as ht• headquarte,.,._ HL< greM knowledge of Indian
ways and languages won the tnl•I and confidence of the Ind1an:1. He
made alliance• and trade trt'alJC>, sellk•d inter-tribal disputes. :ind
listened to the grievances of Indians and traders. 11 was until 1700
that. La Saye and th~ entire Fox - \\'14CiCOt\sin \o\';,ter-way "'aS the
mosl productive £ur trad~ rei:ton in all ur Ne~' Fr.atlCe.
However, alter the tum of the century F~nch fur trade had
dimini>he<I. Perrot wa:. ~ailed IC> Cnnodn, mo.I of th., trade li
censes wer" re,·okcd nod by 1703 the Fox Indian wars had begun.
By 1716 Pcrrot's d1plumalic pulacy was abandoned for a military
policy and Sieur de Louvigny led on cxpedlhon of 500 against the
warring Fo><. To cQnlrol the wnlcrwoy and keep il open to trade
Fo1·t La Saye was built on west bank nf the river. A second
th~
Indian war rlared up ond n ""<!ond rnililary l'xpcdatlor> wo• sent to
La Saye in 172R. When lhc French relr~ated thl'y destroyed the
fort. However, it was re-<istahllshcd in l 733 when the Fr~nch officer,
Coulon de Vilhers, was killed by l• Snuk chief. By 1740 the Fox
had been intimidated ond the fur trad~ flourished again,
The pre,ence or lh~ fot•t g~VI' 11 new •tability !Ind permanence
to the trading oclllemcnt. The tr~dcrR bci:an lO build permanent
c.iabli•hmcnt~ und ho111\'s ond lo cullivnt\' the land for winter
supplies. The fir~t •cttlcr <>f any lmt>Ortance was Augustin de
Langlade who came frnm M•ckinnc nrad built a tradiog post on the
u;,
east bank of the Fox River ab<>ut 1745. knowledge or the Indian
languages, his honesty, gentility nnd goncrosity won for him the
SOOJ\
complete support of the lndonns und ht! gaan<'d almo.<t complete
monopoly of their u·adc.
The Langladcs. Grignons, nnd Podicrs, all rolntcd to one an
other, controlled the and commen-e or La Saye and t.hc Fox
tr~do
River during the French and Brlll~h regimes. They owned huge
tracts or land, marned into lite Ml'nOminee tribe, and had a con·
sistent policy or friendlinc.<s toward the lndlani-. Thoy managed to
prnduce a self-.:ontaincd c<>mmunaty nil but formally independent of
the pollt!cal and economic ~'Onlrol or a di~tant French Kin11.
Trade and oommerct> continued In comparative peace and pros
perity until the French and Indian \Var of 17SS-1760. At the end
of this war the British bad gained control of Ute Northwest Territory,
and in 1761 the old Fort La Ba)'e wa• occupied l>y Brilioh >0ld1•,.
under the command of Lic11tenant James Correll He rebuilt the fa$
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310 W. WALNUT
.111ember of tl<e Pederal Deposit Insurance Corporation
and namoxl il F<>rl Edward Augustus. The French c1ti1en• conlinued
calling the »l!' Lu Saye but the BrilW. traderx callO!d ll Gn>en Bay
bttau:.c the water nnd $hore asrum"'1 i:rcen hnl> very C!arly in
th<' spring.
!Wtwccn I iG.1 nnd 17ft0 Green Bay wa• a rich community.
carrying on a lucrative busini;,,-s trade, friendly w11h the Indians,
•l'
producing own loodstuU, building iracelul cottnges, nnd having
dance, and fesL>v1lies.
In 1775 Jnscph Roy sellled in Green Bay. The house he built
was luter U<'<lu1red by Jacques Porlier who sold It to Olin Tank. It
is preserved as u historical shrine at iL._ pres~11t l<1cnlior1 iJ·i ~ "'est
side park, and 11 Is known al Tank Collal(c.
The United Stntes, in lhe ordinance or 1787, J)l'Ovided for the
or
annl'XHlion the Norlhwesl Territory, which lnclucll.'d WiM:Oltsln.
The l'eat ol lhc United Stoles Government was ll long way from the
Northw<:>st Tcrrllory, however. the En~IU.h conllnued to donunate
the area. They remained in pos.~1nn of Fort Edward Auguslus
unul after the War of 1812. In this war the citl•cn• of Green Bay took
C6Jtl1ni~<1nns in the Brtt15h force..~ and were arcutl.)' impovcrlShcd
by the d<'mRnds for food and supplies.
At the end of the war John Jacob A.<uir's Amerle<1n Fur C<.tm
pany gained ronlrol of the major portion of the lradc. Grignon.
Law~. and Porlillr were su~h influential tilliens lhal m 181S Astor
found 11 good business policy to fonn a trade 3$:>0<:inllon with them
and make them n~ent$ for the American Fur Compuny. In 1816
military fo1·1~ were built at the lwo ends of the Fox - Wi.sc:unsin
waterway, Fort Howard at. Green Bay, nnd Fort Crawford al
Prnlrlc clu Chien. Fur lrodl\ continued to flourish ,1l Crcvn Bay fur
nnnthcr 20 yenrs.
Ourint: this tlinc people from New Enjllund 1:>111:nn ,ettllnt: In
the Wc;t und they used the easy water tran,porlnlion ol lhc canal,
the Gr,;at W.kcs, the Bay, and lh<> Fox - \l/i<rntl.•ln waterway. Green
Ba~· n~a1n bcciune on important port. It developed a•• tradinf( center
for the peuplc that were setWng in the Fox River and Bay region.
General .storcs were established, boteb and mn< for the new urh•als
were bWh, dotnC.<tk animals were bought and sold, pa<.'<!nger boats
arrived daily, a permanent, reliable mail rout<! was •»labh,,hcd. the
G.-ttn Bay lntrllJJ:encer. the first n<>wspapcr in \V1»<.'0n£in. began its
weekly publlcatann in December or 1833, b}' adveriising the lands of
the Gl'(!en B;iy region. and a land office wa.< opened In 111~4.
KABAT'S SHOES FOR COMFORT
123 NORTH BROADWAY
ho• mode lhis book ovoiloblo 10 you.
If you hove enjoyed it, won'1 yov pl~o•e ioll them •o?
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CNESS'ES ISRAlL SYNAGOGUE
Oaniel Whitney platted the town of Nnvarin() in 11129. He
erected the largest hotel ()f ils day, calling it the Vlashingl.on House.
This town of Navarino \Vas the f1rst seetio1l of present Green Bay.
In 1835 Astor and his associates, seeing money in real estate,
platted a town to the soulh and called it the town of Astor. Astor
also built a hole). the Astor Hotel, and advertised ii as the largest
hotel 1vest of New York.
The towns of Navarino and Astor continued to grow and in 1842
tbey were combined into the town of Green Bay.
During the 1850't::, Geri11ans, Belgians, Hollar,ders. arl.d Scatl. ...
dinavian farmer. setlled in lhe region around Green Bay. The city
soon becun1e a far111 market ce11ter. In thj~ period Creen Bay \VHS
developing as a wholesale and retail food center and pine lumber
was in great demand. Lumbering was fast taking the place of fur
trading '"·hich was ul1nost entirely over.
The city of Green Bay was incorporated in 1854 and continued
to grow. Sawed lumber was the main manufactured product. Whole
sale and retail trade was next in importance. By 1880 the 1>0pulation
had jumped from 4,666 to 7,464 and by the turn of the century the
population had reached 18,684. Employment agents at New York
met incoming Germans, Belgians, and Scandinavians and offered
them two weeks room and board, and free transportation lo the n>Hls
and factories of Wisconsin and many of thc.m settled in Green Bay.
Green Ba;· ha!-i <.·011tinued tu grow both irl population at1d nla11u ..
facturing. There are now manufacturing establishments producing
paper and paper products. i1·on and steel, foods, and building materials.
Some of the historical data about early Green Bay is as follows:
Beaumont Hotel - Site of Soc Indian Massacre
The Beaumont Hotel is located on the oldest hotel site in \\'is
c:onsin, the first hotel having been erected in 1833. Zachary Taylor,
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Jefferson Davis, and Dr. \Villiam Beaumont were amnng the great
who resided or entertained here. The Beaumont Rouse was built in
1862 on this site, which belonged to Dr. William Beaumont, by his
son, Israel G. Beaumont. who operated th!' hotel for many years.
or
Thi$ was Ilic •lie a Sac Indian Village. After thc.<e Indians cap
turro and k1ll\'d Coulon de Villiers. the eom111andant of th. .. French
Fort St. Francis, ju.~t across the Fox River, on September 16, 1733
the fort garrl<0n ma~crod the Sacs and wiped out their v.Uage.
"Wisconsin Under Three Flags"
Cro!<Sing the Fox River from the Beaumont hotel. one >eeti a
bron~c mark<'r not far from the west bank and dose to the s~rect.
or
Some 400 foct north the marker is the site of Wisconsin'• earliest
fort. Here the French established Fort St. Fr:mci_, in 1684, rl'built
in 1711\ und cvncuntcd In L760. It was followed on the sumc site in
1761 by tho British Fort Edward Augustu,., held by the Br1li.h only
until l 7G3, and by ll1e American Fort Howard 1n 11116. Pcrhups some
day ~·ort llownrd m11y rlsc again "-' a nnltonal monument, its >ix
existing orlshud buildings reassembled and 1he Cori rl'COnstructed to
oligmhl pl&n.
lh~
Fort Howord Hospita I ond Surgeons Quarters
Thl'-'<' structures, once a part of old Fort Howard, h:ive been
or
movl'd to lhe corncr Kellogi: and Norlh Chcbu111t Streets. Or.
\Villlam Bcaumunt unce lived here and pursued lhe •tud1~ which
immortalized him rn the history of medical science
Other buildings which were once inside the fort are
The old •urgN>n'• quarters- 412-414 N. Maple.
The Jailer's home once within the stockade - 410 Bond
Wnrd Room of llospital - 404 N. Cheslnut
The Roi-Porlicr·T ank Cottage, Tank Pork
The wnUl<>d col.lal(c, built by Joseph Roi, " French voyageur, in
1776, is the olde•t dwelling in 'Wisconsin. It slood ul'iginnlly on Lhe
west bank e>f 1he Fox River. In 18-05 il wn~ purchnS-Ocl by Judge
Jncqu<'R Porlier. Porlier in 1822 was appoln1cd Chl<'f Justice and
Judge of Probnte for Brown County which tht'n Included most 0£ what
is now 1hc Stl!lc of Wisconsin. In 1850 LhC! co11agc wa• purchased
by Otto T:mk, " wealthy Morav'•n missionat;•, and hlF wife, and they
lived there untll their death. . ..n interesting hi;torlc collection is
now houl'ed 111 Ilic cottage.
Cotton House, upper De Pere rood
The Culton how;e dates from a year bc1wccn 18.'l.5 and 1839.
The house was erected by Captain John \\'mslow Cotton, U.S.A. for
or
his bride, lhe doughier the distini:uished Judl(e John Penn A1rndt,·
or (as many m>ist) was erected by Judge Arndl as n wL'<lding gifl to
his dnui:h1er, The borne is one of the m<>!<t nuthentlc examples <If
classic Jeffersonian architecture to be found in Wisconsin.
The house was moved to ii~ present site by the Green Bay
torical Society. Unchanged in room plan and exterior desillO, It
rorurni.hcd with furniture and other articles of the perl
b~en
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