Green Bay was settled in 1634 byJean Nicolet as a fur trading post inNew France. Its development was shaped by its location at the mouth of the Fox River and it emerged as a center for the lumber, shipping, and paper industries in the 19th and 20th centuries. In thecontemporary period, Green Bay's economy encompasses manufacturing, healthcare, and service sectors. The city is widely recognized for its association with theGreen Bay Packers of theNational Football League, a publicly owned franchise whose presence contributes significantly to the local economy and culture.
Samuel de Champlain, the founder ofNew France, commissionedJean Nicolet to form a peaceful alliance withNative Americans in the western areas, whose unrest interfered with the French fur trade, and to search for a shorter trade route to China through Canada. Nicolet and others had learned from other First Nations of theHo-Chunk (Winnebago) people, who identified as "People of the Sea", and believed they must reside on or near an Ocean.[14] Champlain had also heard about natural resources in the area, including fertile soil, forests, and animals. Nicolet began his journey for this new land shortly before winter in 1634.[15] In what later became a French fur-trading route, he sailed up theOttawa River, throughLake Nipissing and down theFrench River toLake Huron, then through the straits ofMichilimackinac into Lake Michigan. He is believed to have landed at Red Banks, near the site of the modern-day city of Green Bay, Wisconsin.[16]
From the trading postLa Baie des Puants to the townLa Baie verte (1634–1761)
Nicolet founded a small trading post here in 1634, originally namedLa Baye orLa Baie des Puants (French for "the Bay of Stinking Waters").[17] Nicolet's settlement was one of the oldest European permanent settlements in America.[18] When Nicolet arrived in the Green Bay area, he encountered theMenominee, who occupied this territory. He also met theHo-Chunk (also known as the Winnebago), a people who spoke aSiouan language.
The Winnebago hunted and fished, and also cultivated corn, beans, squash, and tobacco.Wild rice, which they had incorporated as a dietary staple, grew in abundance along the riverbanks. The women regularly harvested and cooked this, along with a wide variety of nuts, berries, and edible roots which they gathered in the woods.[19] The men typically hunted and fished for food, and the women processed game and other foods in cooking. They prepared and made clothing from the furs, as well as using other parts of animals to make tools, cord, etc. Women also had a role in the political process, as no action could be taken without agreement of half of the women. Nicolet stayed with this tribe for about a year, becoming an ally. He helped open up opportunities for trade and commerce with them before returning to Quebec.[19]
Green Bay and Lake Winnebago on the 1835Tourist's Pocket Map of Michigan, among the "Mennomonie" villages ofWisconsin Territory
A few months after Nicolet returned to Quebec, Champlain died. His death halted other journeys toLa Baie Verte (French for "The Green Bay"). PèreClaude Allouez sentNicolas Perrot to La Baie. After this, the French avoided the area for some decades, because of the intensity of First Nations and European conflicts in the east. In 1671, aJesuit Mission was set up in the area. A fort was added in 1717 and gradually associated development took place. The town was incorporated in 1754. Great Britain took control of some French areas during theSeven Years' War, known as theFrench and Indian War in some areas of North America. They took control of this town in 1761. After the British defeated the French in 1763, France ceded its lands east of the Mississippi in North America.
The first permanent settlers wereCharles Michel de Langlade and his family from Quebec, who moved to Green Bay in 1765. They are considered the first European settlers in the present-day state of Wisconsin. Langlade, called the "Founder and Father of Wisconsin", was amétis or mixed-race, son of a French-Canadian father and anOttawa woman. He grew up with his mother's family among the Ottawa people and became a war chief. The Ottawa were allies of the French during theFrench and Indian War, and Langlade is credited with planning the ambush of BritishGeneral Braddock andGeorge Washington. His family was followed to Green Bay by the Grignons, Porliers and Lawes, who brought French-Canadian culture with them. Colorful "jack-knife Judge" Reaume dispensed British justice in the territory after Great Britain took it over following the war.[19] These early ethnic French settlers set the tone for many who followed.
The British gradually took over Wisconsin during theFrench and Indian War, taking control of Green Bay in 1761 and gaining control of all of Wisconsin in 1763. Like the French, the British were interested in little but the fur trade. The first permanent settlers, mostlyFrench Canadians, some Anglo-New Englanders and a few African American freedmen, arrived in Wisconsin while it was under British control.Charles Michel de Langlade is generally recognized as the first settler, establishing a trading post at Green Bay in 1745, and moving there permanently in 1764.[21]
Settlement began at Prairie du Chien around 1781. The French residents at the trading post in what is now Green Bay, referred to the town as "La Bey," however British fur traders referred to it as "Green Bay," because the water and the shore assumed green tints in early spring. The old French title was gradually dropped, and the British name of "Green Bay" stuck. The region coming under British rule had virtually no adverse effect on the French residents as the British needed the cooperation of the French fur traders and the French fur traders needed the goodwill of the British.
During the French occupation of the region licenses for fur trading had been issued scarcely and only to select groups of traders, whereas the British, in an effort to make as much money as possible from the region, issued licenses for fur trading freely, both to British and French residents. The fur trade in what is now Wisconsin reached its height under British rule, and the first self-sustaining farms in the state were established as well. From 1763 to 1780, Green Bay was a prosperous community which produced its own foodstuff, built graceful cottages and held dances and festivities.[22] In 1791, two free African Americans set up a fur trading post among the Menominee at present dayMarinette.[citation needed]
The Green Bay area was still under British control until the 1783 treaty formally ended theAmerican Revolutionary War. Following theWar of 1812, which in part was over disputes related to the border with Canada, the United States builtFort Howard on theFox River in 1816 to protect its northern border.[19] Doty, Whitney, Arndt, Baird and Martin were among the many British-American settlers whose numbers pushed French culture into the background.[19]
TheErie Canal was completed in 1825, linking New England with the Great Lakes. This led to the advance of Green Bay as a trading center. The end of theBlack Hawk War in 1832 also gave impetus to settlement of the region. Most of the settlers were farmers from New England who began using the Erie Canal to pour into Wisconsin. As more and more New England settlers arrived, Green Bay developed into a trading center for this population.[23]
Wisconsin's first newspaper,TheGreen Bay Intelligencer, was started in 1833 byAlbert Ellis and John V. Suydam. The borough of Green Bay, created in 1838, is the center of the present-day city. The borough combined the town of Astor (a company town of theAmerican Fur Company) with Navarino, platted byDaniel Whitney.[25] Before Wisconsin became a state in 1848, its commerce was based on thefur trade, which became dominated byJohn Jacob Astor'sAmerican Fur Company. After statehood, there was a shift away from fur trading toward lumbering. "For a short time in 1860s and 1870s, iron smelting in charcoal kilns rivaled the timber industry while the port handled increasing amounts of fuel, feed, and lumber. Today's major local industry had its start in 1865 when the first paper mill was built."[19]
1867 bird's eye illustration of Green Bay
By 1850 the town had a population of 1,923. The town was incorporated as the city of Green Bay in 1854. TheGreen Bay Area Public School District was founded in 1856.[19] Throughout the 1850s, word spread of America's cheap land and good soil, bringing in an influx ofBelgian people, German, Scandinavian, Irish and Dutch immigrants, each adding to the culture. The greatest concentration of newcomers came from Belgium. They cleared the land to farm and build their homes.[19]
The railroad arrived in the 1860s. The three railroads that would reach Green Bay were the Chicago & North Western (C&NW), SOO Line, (SOO), and the Milwaukee Road (MILW). These railroads were highways which allowed people and products to travel all over the state, increasing business and trade opportunities. The area was able to grow and enrich itself with the use of the plentiful timber resources. This led to the paper industry becoming the major employer in Green Bay, and opened up the port for international trade.[15]
Large numbers of Belgians immigrated to Green Bay in the thirty-year period between 1880 and 1910.[26] Significant numbers of English immigrants, many having lived first in Canada, also moved to Green Bay during this period, usually arriving as large families.[27] There was also a small Dutch community in Green Bay at this time.[28] Green Bay had a larger portion of first generation immigrants from France than any other city in Wisconsin at this time as well.[29]
TheGreen Bay Packers, an American Football team, were founded in 1918. They have been a member of theNational Football League since 1921, the only remaining "small town" team in any of the "big four" major league sports leagues.
In 1934, PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt came to Green Bay to honor its tercentenary.[17] By 1950, the city had a population of 52,735. In 1964, the Town ofPreble was consolidated with the city of Green Bay.[30]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 55.76 square miles (144.4 km2), of which 45.48 square miles (117.8 km2) is land and 10.28 square miles (26.6 km2) is water.[31]
Green Bay has ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfb),[33] with some moderation due to the city's proximity toLake Michigan. Like other cities with this type of climate, there are four distinctseasons, often with severe or extreme variation between them in terms of temperature and precipitation. Green Bay experiences warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The variance in temperature and precipitation between months is severe and often extreme.Tornadoes are rare in the Green Bay area, with the strongest being anF3 tornado that hit the community ofPittsfield on June 26, 1969.[34]
Monthly mean temperatures range from 16.6 °F (−8.6 °C) in January to 69.1 °F (20.6 °C) in July.[35] In July, the warmest month, the average high temperature is 81.2 °F (27.3 °C).[35] There are 6.1 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs, 68 days where the high remains at or below freezing, and 19 days with sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows annually. From December to February, even during thaws, the temperature rarely reaches 50 °F (10 °C). Extremes have ranged from −36 °F (−38 °C) on January 21, 1888, to 104 °F (40 °C) on July 13, 1936.
The wettest month in Green Bay is August, when 3.77 inches (96 mm) of precipitation falls, mostly in the form of rainfall fromthunderstorms. The driest month in Green Bay is February, when the majority of precipitation falls as low moisture-content snow due to cold, dry air. On average, 1.01 inches (26 mm) of precipitation falls in February.
Climate data for Green Bay, Wisconsin (Austin Straubel Int'l), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1886–present[a]
As of thecensus of 2020,[39] the population was 107,395. Thepopulation density was 2,361.4 inhabitants per square mile (911.7/km2). There were 45,789 housing units at an average density of 1,006.8 units per square mile (388.7 units/km2). Ethnically, the population was 17.9%Hispanic orLatino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 66.6%White, 5.5%Black orAfrican American, 4.4%Asian, 4.4%Native American, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 8.4% fromother races, and 10.6% from two or more races.
The 2020 census population of the city included 779 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 1,783 people in student housing.[41]
According to theAmerican Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $52,214, and the median income for a family was $65,993. Male full-time workers had a median income of $45,365 versus $37,466 for female workers. Theper capita income for the city was $28,092. About 12.3% of families and 15.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.[42] Of the population age 25 and over, 87.5% were high school graduates or higher and 24.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[43]
Green Bay city, Wisconsin – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the U.S. Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of thecensus[47] of 2010, there were 104,057 people, 42,244 households, and 24,699 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,288.5 inhabitants per square mile (883.6/km2). There were 45,241 housing units at an average density of 995.0 per square mile (384.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 77.9%White, 3.5%African American, 4.1%Native American, 4.0%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 7.2% fromother races, and 3.1% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 13.4% of the population.
There were 42,244 households, of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.06.
The median age in the city was 33.7 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.
As of thecensus of 2000,[11] there were 102,313 people, 41,591 households, and 24,663 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,332.1 people per square mile (900.4 people/km2). There were 43,123 housing units at an average density of 982.9 units per square mile (379.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.9%White, 1.4%African American, 3.3%Native American, 3.8%Asian, <0.1%Pacific Islander, 3.7% fromother races, and 2.0% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 7.1% of the population.
There were 41,591 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. About 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,820, and the median income for a family was $48,678. Males had a median income of $33,246 versus $23,825 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $19,269. About 7.4% of families and 10.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those 65 and older.
In 2000, the American Religion Data Archive reported Green Bay to be predominantly Catholic (71.5%), withLutherans composing an additional 16.4%. The remaining 12% is almost entirely made-up of other Protestant denominations.[48]
There are two Kingdom Halls ofJehovah's Witnesses in the city, hosting 4 English congregations and a Spanish congregation.[55]
The Islamic Society of Wisconsin, Green Bay serves the Islamic community. The Green Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is in the city. Congregation Cnesses Israel Temple, serving the area's Jewish population, is on the city's east side.
Per the 2022 American Community Survey five-year estimates, theGerman American population was 29,352,[57] and theMexican American population was 14,265 comprising over 75% of the city's Latino population.[58]
Green Bay was known as the "Toilet Paper Capital of the World" because of the prevalence of the paper industry in the city.[59]Northern Paper Company,Fort Howard Paper Company, andHoberg Paper Company were among Green Bay's first paper companies. Northern Paper Mills, founded in Green Bay in 1901, became the largest producer of toilet paper in the world as Northern Tissue in 1920.[60] Northern Paper Company offered the first splinter-freetoilet paper in the early 1930s.[61] The presence of the paper industry helped Green Bay avoid the worst effects of theGreat Depression.[62] Today, major paper producers includeGeorgia-Pacific[63] andProcter & Gamble,[64] with niche companies such as Steen-Macek Paper Company.[65]
TheGreen Bay Film Festival celebrates local and international filmmakers at The Tarlton Theatre, its home venue.[72]Daddy D Productions performs atRiverside Ballroom and Let Me Be Frank Productions performs at the Meyer Theatre.[73] TheCivic Symphony of Green Bay performs at the Meyer Theatre, its home venue. The Green Bay Jazz Orchestra performs at The Tarlton Theatre, its home venue. The formerGreen Bay Symphony Orchestra disbanded after their 2014–2015 season, after performing for over 100 years, citing financial difficulties.[74]
Every summer, the downtown area plays host to ArtStreet, an art festival featuring studio displays, demonstrations, and live entertainment.[78] Dine on the Deck is an event that allows patrons to dine on theCityDeck and features dishes from local restaurants.[79] Taste on Broadway has live entertainment and dishes served by local restaurants who compete for awards.[80] Artour brings all-original songwriters to downtown area venues.[81] IgNight hosts artisans, interactive art demonstrations, live entertainment, and life-size games.[82]The Shipyard District hosts the annual All Bands On Deck live music festival with bands at downtown bars and restaurants and free shuttles between venues.[83][84][85]The Broadway District hosts a farmer's market every Wednesday from May to October.
Green Bay has one enclosed shopping mall,East Town Mall, located within the city limits. TheBay Park Square shopping mall is in the suburb ofAshwaubenon. The city was home to the first Shopko discount department store; it closed on April 22, 2019.[86]
The Brown County Library (BCL) Central Branch is in downtown Green Bay and has served as the county public library since 1968. The Central Branch is the headquarters for the BCL system, which encompasses all public libraries inBrown County, including eight branch libraries and a bookmobile that regularly visits locations throughout the county. In 1994, the Brown County Library was named Wisconsin Library of the Year.[87]
Green Bay is governed by a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The city council consists of 12 members each elected from districts.
Green Bay is served by theGreen Bay Press-Gazette andThe Press Times, a locally published weekly newspaper introduced in March 2019.[95] Another local newspaper, theGreen Bay News-Chronicle, ceased publication in 2005.
In April 2020, Green Bay Metro partnered withVia Transportation to launch GBM Paratransit, a service for riders with disabilities not served by traditional fixed-route transit; eligible users must apply online and can schedule rides through the GBM Paratransit app or by phone.[97] Following its success, Green Bay Metro and Via introduced GBM On Demand in August 2020, the first micro-transit service in Wisconsin.[98]
Currently, there is no passenger rail service to Green Bay, but there is a proposal to bringAmtrak train service by extending the route of theHiawatha, which currently goes from Chicago to Milwaukee, north to Green Bay.[99]
^Official records for Green Bay were kept at downtown from September 1886 to August 15, 1949, and at Austin Straubel Int'l since August 16, 1949. For more information, seeThreadEx.
^The total for each race includes those who reported that race alone or in combination with other races. People who reported a combination of multiple races may be counted multiple times, so the sum of all percentages will exceed 100%.
^Hispanic and Latino origins are separate from race in the U.S. Census. The Census does not distinguish between Latino origins alone or in combination. This row counts Hispanics and Latinos of any race.
^abCity of Green Bay. "City of Green Bay." www.ci.green-bay.wi.us. October 5, 2008 <"History of Green Bay". Archived fromthe original on February 13, 2009. RetrievedFebruary 8, 2016.>
^Neville, Ella Hoes; Martin, Sarah Greene; Martin, Deborah Beaumont (1893).Historic Green Bay. 1634-1840. The Authors.Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. RetrievedOctober 17, 2020.
^Martin, Deborah Beaumont; Beaumont, Sophie (1899).Old Green Bay. New York: Cheltenham Press. p. 35. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2013.
^Wisconsin's Belgian Community: An Account of the Early Events in the Belgian Settlement in Northeastern Wisconsin with Particular Reference to the Belgians in Door County by Hjalmar Rued Holand, Door County Historical Society, 1933
^The Atlas of Ethnic Diversity in Wisconsin by Kazimierz J. Zaniewski, Carol J. Rosen, pg. 151-152
^Wisconsin Land and Life by Robert Clifford Ostergren, Thomas R. Vale page. 327-328
^A Short History of Wisconsin by Erika Janik, pg. 78
^"Station: Green Bay, WI".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. RetrievedJune 14, 2021.
^"Green Bay Film Festival finds new home for its 13th year".WNAM. February 6, 2023. Archived fromthe original on March 31, 2023. RetrievedApril 7, 2023.Film Green Bay, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been bringing the Green Bay Film Festival to Green Bay one time a year and will now have multiple dates year-round thanks to its new home.
^abc"Green Bay CVB".Green Bay CVB.Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2017.
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