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AGRICULTURE OF OUTAGAMIE COUNTY. 



Applkton, December Slst, 1851. 



Dear Sir — In compliance with your request of the 15th inst., I have the 

 honor to transmit the following as the best statistical information relative to 

 Outagamie County which I have been able to procure in the very brief space 

 which has elapsed since I received your communication. 



In reply to your first question, I would say that a few scattered French families 

 settled at various points on Fox River, in Outagamie County, at a very early 

 date — how early is not precisely ascertained. About the year 1837, a Roman 

 Catholic Mission was established at Little Chute, a point on Fox River, about 

 twelve miles from Lake Winnebago; but no settlement of any importance has 

 been made until within the last three years. In the month of February, 1849, 

 a settlement was commenced on Fox River, seven miles from Lake Winnebago, 

 on the present site of the village of Appleton, and since that time the popu- 

 lation has increased so rapidly that the county now contains about four thousand 

 souls. The settlers are mostly from New Ensrland and New York, and are an in- 

 dustrious and thrifty population of a good, moral, and religious character. The 

 county was organized in 1851. The name was an unfortunate one, not the choice 

 of the people — but future legislation, we hope, may remedy this difficulty. 



The principal place of the business of the county is Appleton, in the township 

 of Grand Chute, where is located the county seat. The villages of Lawesberg and 

 Grand Chute lie on either side of Appleton. The village of Little Chute, five 

 miles below, is inhabited almost entirely by French, Dutch and Germans. The 

 village of Kaukana, nine miles below Appleton, and sixteen from Lake Win- 

 nebago, has risen into importance during the past year, principally stimulated by 

 the extensive State works now in progress at that point. Hortonville is a village 

 in the w&«^tern part of the county, where a great deal of hmiber is manufactured. 



The general formation of the county is level. About twenty miles in length 

 of the Fox River lies within this county ; while the Wolf River runs with innu- 

 merable windings through the interior portion. The latter is navigable by steam- 

 boats far above any point in this county. For ten miles the Fox River in this 

 county is not navigable, in its natural state, on account of the Rapids. The 

 banks of the Fox River are high and stee}") — they are cut by heavy ravines which 

 run back sometimes half a mile from the river. The land falls slightly as it 

 recedes from the banks, making in some places a sort of swayle in which the 

 ra\'ines take their rise. After tliis the land I'ises again, until at a distance of a mile 

 or so from the river it is dry and undulating. The whole country is well 

 timbered ; it may be said in general that it is covered ^ith a heavy growth of 



