Community history often sprouted up along America's rivers, and it was no different in the Ashwaubenon community. Beginning with the view from the heights of Heritage Hill, to nearby farms, orchards and old Fort Smith -- history flowed out from the Fox River. And what was different was the diverse range of cultures and enterprises that began here.
From the time of the glaciers, several Native American cultures have lived in this region. Explorer Jean Nicolet arrived in the area in 1634, and this area became a center for fur trading and fishing. Control changed from French to British hands and, in the mid-1800s, the land was surveyed and opened by the U.S. Government. Settlements flourished and use of the land and water expanded. Farming and dairying became mainstays. Until the 1860s water was the "highway" of transportation; then railroads further speeded development.
The combination of water and abundant forests also gave rise to lumber mills, shingle mills and paper mills. Wisconsin became--and still is--the nation's top papermaking state, with mills in this area among top producers. Allied manufacturing, including corrugated carton making and converting, also became major employers.
Today Ashwaubenon has evolved into a thriving metropolitan center. The Green Bay Packers organization has one foot in Ashwaubenon with its renewed stadium and supporting practice center. It is a growing and thriving retail corridor, insurance, medical and technology industries supported by hotels, shops and living spaces nearby. We are a growing, nationally recognized magnet for start-up businesses supported by some of the best-educated citizenry in the U.S. And now, we're back to the Fox River with new options for recreation, living and working. The Ashwaubenon Boardwalk is one of the forward-looking enterprises building on our past, for a vital future along the Fox.
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