482 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
leys, and lake borders seem also to make tlie climate especially congenial 
to the grape. 
While Winnebago county has no inconsiderable supply of hard woods, 
such as the oak, maple, elm,hickory, basswood, butternut, etc.,in its native 
forests, its contiguity to the Wolf river pineries gives its settlers an abun- 
• dance of pine lumber at their own doors at low prices. 
The progress of this county has been rapid in population, production and 
■ wealth. Though one of the smallest in area, having but sixteen townships, 
;and ten of these fractional, being largely encroached upon by water, yet in 
1870 it had a population of 37,825; which ranks it the sixth among the 
fifty-eight counties of Wisconsin. In 1860 the population was 23,760; in 
1847, 2,748, and in 1840, 732. In 1870 it ranked ninth in the total amount 
of taxation, which was $125,716. Its improved lands were 152,937 acres. 
It produced 791,803 bushels of wheat; 189,845 of corn;407,212 of oats; 170,- 
; 059 pounds of wool; 749,187 of butter; 57,811 of cheese; 175,180 of hops; 
- 51,794 tons of hay; 91,510 bushels of potatoes. The value of all its farm 
t products for 1870 being estimated at $2,377,334, making it the twelfth 
. among the counties in this respect. 
Oshkosh, the county seat of Winnebago county, is a city of 12,673 inliab- 
; dtants. It is beautifully located on both banks of the upper Fox, and also 
on the west shore of Lake Winnebago, at the point where the river enters 
the lake; and it has a water frontage of not less than five miles. The site 
j is elevated and healthy, and is liberally sprinkled with native massive oaks. 
The city covers a surface of nine square miles. It has sixty-two miles of 
improved streets; 1,565 feet of Nicholson pavement, and some ten miles of 
graveled streets. The river is spanned by two superior pivot bridges, to 
which two more are soon to be added. There are in the city fifty-six man¬ 
ufacturing establishments, where steam is the sole propelling agent. Forty- 
four of these are of wood in its various forms. The different manufactures 
of lumber in 1870 were valued at $1,661,107, and all other manufactures at 
$984,894, making a grand total of $2,656,001. 
The live stock of this county, in 1870, was, 7,621 horses; 17,213 neat cat¬ 
tle; 84 mules and asses; 87,490 sheep; 7,213 swine; and the total valuation 
of all property, real and personal, was $14,439,270—ranking the seventh in 
wealth in the state. 
But this county is mainly distinguished for its manufactures; which,last 
year, were valued at $6,312,754, or nearly one-tliirteenth of the entire man¬ 
ufactured products of Wisconsin. Winnebago county is indebted to the 
older states of the east for the bulk of her original settlers. New York, New 
England and Ohio taking the lead. They brought with them their energy* 
economy and sagacity, their love of education, good morals and religion. 
The numerous schools .and churches and other institutions of the county 
will attest how thoroughly they have illustrated in practice their ideas. 
Cheap water communication connects Winnebago county with the great 
