ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF KENOSHA 

 AND LA FAYETTE COUNTIES. 



ROBERT HUGH DOWNES, B. L., AND KATHERINE PATRICIA REGAN, 

 B. L., WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ORIN GRANT LIBBY, PH. D. 



INTRODUCTIOK 



The two studies in local history following this introduction 

 are part of a year's seminaiy work on a new field in Wisconsin 

 history. The pui*pose of this seminary has been to lay an ade- 

 quate statistical foundation for later work of a somewhat dif- 

 ferent character. Owing to the fact that accurate and de- 

 tailed state records are not published to any considerable extent 

 by any state it became necessary to compile carefully a large 

 body of statistics from the original records before any really 

 valuable research work could be carried on in Wisconsin local 

 history. In the two senior theses published under this cover 

 the complete record, on which a part of the discussion is based, 

 are to be found in the appendix. Smaller tables in more con- 

 cise form and maps of several kinds appear in the papers and 

 make clear what is sought to be proved. 



The work so far accomplished has proceeded along certain 

 definite lines. A special county has been studied, not as a 

 whole but with reference to its units, the towns. The bound- 

 ary changes have been in most cases worked out and there has 

 been a brief survey of the geological condition and the main 

 topographical features in so far as they bear upon the question 

 of soil and general productive power. Following this the dis- 

 tribution of the population is studied, and the nativity of the 

 whole population is worked out for every town. This supplies 

 a basis for a still further study of the per capita wealth, occu- 

 pation, etc., of all who have entered the state since 1850. Thus 



