Winnebago County, Wisconsin - Lv I, 1880

Lv I

The City of Oshkosh - Its Situation, Tributary Country, Local Surroundings - Water and Railroad Communications - Description of the City - Its Manufacturing District - Business Streets - Elegant Residences and Grounds - Oshkosh as a Summer Resort and Watering- Place - The Yachting Center of the Northwest - The Oshkosh Yacht Club - Public Building's.

E City of Oshkosh is situated on one of the finest commercial sites in the Northwest; at the mouth of the Upper Fox river on the western shore of Lake Winnebago, a magnificent sheet of water thirty-five miles long and ten It is a situation of great natural beautywide.

overlooking the picturesque lake and river scenery of the vicinity. It attracted the attention of the early explorers and adventurers who made it their favorite stopping place in their travels from the great lakes to the Mississippi. Lake Winnebago and the Fox and Wisconsin rivers formed the great commercial highway of the northwest, before the age of railroads, and ntany a glowing description was then written of the beautiful lake and river country now called Winnebago county - of its lovely prairies, openings and woodlands, its magnificent lakes and broad rivers, its fertile soil and salubrious climate, and it has well maintained its early reputation, and is regarded to day as one of the most favored spots for the habitation and enjoyment of man.

Surrounding Country

The adjacent country and that stretching away from here to the south west, for hundreds of miles is the richest agricultural district to be found in the habitable world. Its surface is undulating prairie and openings, with its rivers and lakes skirted with timber. The scenery of this combined woodland, prairie, lakes and rivers is surpassingly beautiful ; disclosing picturesque views which stretch away in the far distance, like the varying pictures of a lovely panorama. The rivers and lakes abound in fish and water-fowl, the woodlands in game. The facilities for rural and aquatic] sports have already made the locality famous for those enjoyments.

The well cultivated farms, spacious barns, and comfortable, well painted farm houses, with their tasty surroundings and orchards, very plainly indicate the general wealth and thrift of the farming community.

This county has taken the first premium at state fairs on its apples and grapes, and many of its agricultural products, and is famous for the excellent quality of its choice grapes, which are grown in profusion. At the World's Industrial Exhibition at Paris, it took the first premium on wheat, against the competition of the world.

THE " UP-RIVER COUNTRY, " NORTHERN WISCONSIN. The tract of country lying between Oshkosh and Lake Superior, and cast of the Central R. R., embracing the valleys of the Wolf and Wisconsin, is about eighty miles in breadth and a hundred and fifty miles in length. This territory is naturall)' tributary to Oshkosh, and is one of the most valuable timbered tracts in the west, pine and hardwood interspersed. It is a country of vast resources - timber, mineral and agricultural. There is every variety of character of soil, and face of country, from the sandy and rough and rocky, to the very finest sugar-maple lands, comprising whole townships in a body. The latter are as fine farming lands as can be found, with all the coveted advantages of rich soil, best of timber, plentifully supplied with the purest of running water - springs, brooks, large rivers and beautiful lakes.

Some portions of this country are already well populated and in a high state of cultivation, with fine farms, good houses and barns. Villages and manufacturing hamlets are springing up on its water-powers and natural thoroughfares, and its resources are developing with wonderful rapidity.

This is the country of the new railroad from Oshkosh north; a country that can pour into the lap of Oshkosh a flood of trade and business if railroad facilities are provided.

There is a large section of this country as yet comparatively unsettled, but immigrants are rapidly occupying it, and it soon will be one of the populous portions of the State.

The building of a railroad through this territory, which is large enough for twenty-five counties of the size of Winnebago, would facilitate its rapid settlement and conversion into farms and manufacturing villages, which would necessarily peur a copious trade on the line of their outlet.

Water Communications Of Oshkosh

The Wolf river, flowing from the great pine and hardwood timber regions of the north, for a distance of over two hundred miles, forms a junction with the Upper Fox, about twelve miles from this city. The Wolf is navigable for steamers as far as Shawano, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. A daily line of fine, commodious steamers run from Oshkosh to New London, a point on the Wolf river, seventy miles distant. Another daily line of steamers run from here to Berlin, on the Upper Fox. Steamboats also ply between here and Green Bay, making steamboat connection with Lake Michigan, while others run transiently to the different ports on Lake Winnebago. Numerous sail vessels also ply between here and the east shore of the lake, engaged in freighting lumber, timber, building stone, sand and brick. The best of building stone, and the finest quality of material for brick-making is abundant on the opposite shore, and the trade in the same is an extensive one.

This unrivaled water communication is one of the commercial features of this city, as it occupies a commanding situation on that great chain of rivers and lakes, which is one of the grand, distinguishing characteristics of this continent, and of which Fox river and Lake Winnebago are important links in the connection of the Mississippi with the Great Lakes. It is, in fact, the great natural water thoroughfare of the continent, and the demands of our inland commerce have induced the Government to make the improvement of the rivers a national work. It will be seen, therefore, that the city has steamboat communication north by the Wolf River, southwest by the Fox and Wisconsin to the Mississippi, and east by the Lower Fox to Lake Michigan. These intersecting lines of trade, center here into a natural distributing point. It is here where the immense products of the pine and hard wood timber region of the Wolf river and its tributaries are brought to be manufactured and distributed through the agricultural districts bordering us on the south and west. A large portion of this " up-river " country is good farming land, and is rapidly " settling up. " This city is the natural outlet of its trade, from whence it obtains its supplies, and where its products find their most accessible market.

Railroad Communications

RAILROAD COMMUNICATIONS. These are the Chicago & Northwestern, with its southern and western connections, and by the same, north to Green Bay, on Lake Michigan, and thence to Lake Superior; connecting with the inexhaustible iron mines of that region; the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad, connecting with the eastern and and western lines of the Milwaukee & St. Paul. The Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railroad is now in process of construction.

The Site Of Oshkosh

THE SITE OF OSHKOSH Is a tract with an elevation from twelve to twenty feet above the level of the lake. The city extends for a distance of nearly three miles from the shore of Lake Winnebago up the Fox River to Lake Buttes des Morts, occupying the tract between the two lakes and covering a territorial area of nearly eight square miles, about half of which is closely built over, the balance suburban. The river connecting these two bodies of water, and bisecting the city, is about 600 hundred feet wide, forming a spacious harbor, and being of slow current and not subject to freshets, affords great facilities for steamers, vessels and rafts. It is spanned at this point with four magnificent bridges, each about 600 feet long; two of which are the respective railroad bridges of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad ; the others for the accommodation of city travel - structures involving a cost of $100,000. Another bridge is now in process of construction - an iron structure to cost $27,000,

The river shore for a distance of nearly three miles, is an almost unbroken line of saw-mills, foundries and machine-shops, planing-mills. sash and door factories, gristmills, elevators, ship-yards, lime and stone yards, shipping docks and depots of the Chicago & Northwestern, and Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroads.

The constant hum of this machinery, propelled by over seventy steam engines - the steamboats, tugs and sail-craft, plying the river and lake - the long line of railroad trains coming and going, and the crowded and busy streets adjoining, present a scene of businesslife and activity, which clearly proclaims the manufacturing and commercial character of this lively and thriving city.

The main business street presents a fine appearance and extends for nearly a mile, and is compactly built up with business blocks, of brick and stone. It is paved with the Nicholson, and lighted with gas, as are all the other principal streets. Kansas Street, on the south side of the river is also a fine business street, containing a large number of business blocks, built of brick. Several of the streets devoted to private residences are not excelled in the State, and are rarely equaled by eastern cities of the same size. Among the most beautiful are Algoma and Washington streets, which are practically one street, extending from the lake shore of Winnebago almost to Lake Buttes des Morts, a distance of nearly three miles; and which are built up for their whole distance with tasty residences, many of them being beautiful and costly structures, with the surrounding adornments of wealth and taste. The High School building and State Normal School, with their spacious grounds, are on this street. The luxuriant shade trees and original forest trees are among not the least of its attractions. It is graveled with a material which cements into a smooth, hard surface, and affords a beautiful drive. Irving, Merritt, Waugoo, Otter and Ceape streets extend from Main street to the lake shore, a distance of a mile, and with High, Jackson, Church and Jefferson Avenue, and the principle streets on the south side, are all attractive, well graveled, and built up with fine residences; many of them spacious buildings, with beautiful grounds and ornamental surroundings. The lake shore locality is one of the beautiful features of the city, which attracts the admiration of all, and which affords delightful sites for surburban residences.

Oshkosh is justly proud of the distinction she enjoys in having thirty odd miles of beau tiful smooth streets of cemented gravel, affording delightful drives and lovely views of her lake and river scenery.

The many beautiful illustrations in this work, of the palatial residences and handsome surrounding grounds, and esoecially the attractive water scenery fully confirms the description here given. These views are all sketched from nature by G. W. Salisbury, for this book and are correct representations.

As A Summer Resort And Watering-Place

This city possesses a rare combination of natural features for a delightful summer resort and watering-place. The climate is not surpassed in healthfulness; the air ispurc and dry; the invigorating breezes from the lake temper the heats of summer, while the adjacent large bodies of water, to a great extent, have the effect of preventing those sudden extreme changes of temperature to which nearly all western localities arc much subjected. The water is wholesome, artesian fonntains abound, the scenery is lovely, the lake the most magnificent sheet of water, with beautiful shores and good harbors that are accessible in every direction, thus affording the best of )-achting facilities. The surrounding countrjis beautiful, with excellent roads, aft'ordin^ delightful drives and picturesque views of the lake and river scenery. Wild game is abundant in the vicinity, and is composed of blue and green-winged teal, mallard and wood-duck, snipe, wood-cock, quail and prairie chicken. The waters abound in black and white bass and other fish; brook-trout are plentiful in streams within a day's travel; therefore, steamboat excursions, picnics; yachting, fishing, shooting and pleasure drives are among the available recreations of the place. Thissecures immunity from that monotonous routine of tame and insipid pleasures which prevails in so many celebrated watering-places; for the range of exciting and attractive out-door enjoyments, is here so extensive and varied, that the tastesi of all can be gratified; combining the gaieties,; public amusements and social enjoyments of city life, with the most delightful rural! pleasures.

orchards of the vicinity which are very different to the stale products shipped from long distances. The choicest varieties of American grapes are grown in profusion; apples, plums, and small fruits are abundant in their season. The market is also kept as well supplied as those of the larger cities, with foreign fruits and delicacies, and shell fish from the seaboard.

The same local circumstances also make Oshkosh a most desirable place for a residence, and it would be difficult to find another, where people of limited means can avail themselves of so many of the enjoyments and comforts of life - the amenities of society, the opportunities for mental culture, public amusement and the best of advantages for the education of their children. For instance, a family with a capital of $20,000 would be wealthy here, and could live in princely style, if their taste lay in that direction. They could possess a home here with the greatest comforts and luxuries of life and ample means for the gratification of cultivated tastes, and maintain it on the income, ^2,000. The children could have good social and educational advantages, while opportunities for a profitable investment of the capital in industrial business are abundant. The same capital in a city like Chicago, could afford its owner but a very ordinary homeplace, requiring the practice of a very rigid economy, the closest attention to business, and a stinted enjoyment of the pleasures of life.

Oshkosh has become famous as the yachting center of the Northwest. The superior facilities of Lake Winnebago for yachting purposes has created a great interest in that sport in this locality. The fine harbors on the lake, the accessibility of its shores, the steadiness of the winds and the long sailing distances offered by the broad expanse of water, give peculiar advantages. The interest in yachting seems to be increasing from year to year, and attracts many from abroad who arc interested in that amusement.

The Oshkosh Vaoht Ci.Ub

This club was organized in 1870, and ranks as the leading club west of the Hudson in number of membership and the size and sailing qualities of its fleet. Its members number one hundred and twenty odd, and Its fleet consists of some thirty beautifully-modeled and elegantly-equipped yachts. The officers of the club are Geo. W. Burnell, Commodore, Geo. F. Stroud, Vice-Commodore; John Dickinson, Fleet Captain; Frank Heilig, Treasurer; Frank Clark, Secretary.

An annual cruise takes place in June, in which the whole fleet joins, making a beautiful sight. The cruise generally lasts a week; during which the party visit the many attractive points on the lake. Camping-out, sailing and fishing vary the amusements.

The facilities for yachting and steamboat excursions are among the attractive features of Oshkosh, and Lake Winnebago as a summer resort; and the lovely wooded points on the lake shore afford delightful camping-grounds, which are generally occupied through the summer months.

Public Buildings

These are the Northern State Hospital, State Normal School, Oshkosh High School, one of the finest school structures in the State; eight ward school buildings, three of which are massive brick edifices and two of which cost over ^12,000 each; the Court House, Masonic Temple, Fraker's Opera House, Post Office building, three public halls, St. Vincent de Paul School, English and German Academy; three large hotels, theBeckwith, Seymour and Tremont; and the exposition building of the Northern Wisconsin Agricultural and Mechanical Association.

In church architecture, Oshkosh particularly excels. The First Congregational, First Methodist, First Baptist, St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic, and St. Peter's Catholic are fine structures, and many of the others are of a large and handsome design, and taken as a whole are highly ornamental to the city. There arc in all twenty-four church edifices.