Fox Cities
The Fox Cities are a group of 19 municipalities that form a metropolitan area in east central Wisconsin. The area is situated along the Fox River in Outagamie, Winnebago, and Calumet Counties. Appleton is the largest municipality in the Fox Cities; other communities include Kaukauna, Kimberly, Little Chute, Grand Chute, Neenah, and Fox Crossing.
One of the state’s fastest growing areas, the Fox Cities are a flourishing metropolitan area centered around the Fox River. Many of the cities and villages developed on the river, and focused on the paper-making history. Waterpower was harnessed by building dams and canals on the river, which drops 170 feet over the forty miles from Neenah to Green Bay.
This land was originally home to the Menomonie and Ho Chunk Nations. Through the Treaty of the Cedars in 1836, the Menominee Nation ceded to the U.S. Government approximately 4,000,000 acres, which included all of the present-day Fox Cities. A large Ho-Chunk village named “Menashay” or “Four-Legs’ Village,” located on what is now called Doty Island in Neenah and Menasha, was ceded to the U.S. Government in the Treaty of 1837.
In the midst of negotiations between the Menominee and Ho Chunk Nations with the U.S. government, other Native American tribes from the east moved into this area. They included members of the Oneida, Stockbridge, Munsee, and Brothertown Nations. Their lands ranged from Green Bay south along the Fox River to Lake Winnebago.
By the late 1830s, white American settlement began to increase in the area that became the Fox Cities. Separate communities developed along the Fox River and were incorporated throughout the 1840s and 1850s. On the modern map, Fox Crossing is the newest municipality. It was incorporated as a village in 2016 from the former Town of Menasha.
A large wave of European immigrant settlement in the Fox Cities occurred throughout the second half of the 1800s and into the 20th century. German, Dutch, and Irish immigrants were the largest ethic groups to settle here. Kaukauna is considered the oldest community in the Fox Cities region, with roots tracing back to the late 17th century when French fur traders, trappers, and missionaries first traveled through the area.
Today a large, well-educated workforce has drawn other industries to the Fox Cities, including health care, financial services, and manufacturing. The success of these businesses has created a thriving metropolitan area. Despite close proximity to each other, every Fox Cities community has its own unique history and personality. Residents of the Fox Cities understand their commonalities and also strongly identify with their local hometowns.
Several municipalities in the Fox Cities have embraced the bicycling culture. While most communities have designated bike lanes on roads and streets, some have created off-road paths. A few trails link together, enabling longer rides through the various Fox Cities communities. A considerable advantage of these trails is that they are all paved.
Route Descriptions:
- Apple Creek Trail
- Loop the Lake Trail
- North Island/Newberry Trails
- CE/Konkapot Creek Trail
- Island Park/Heritage Parkway Trails
- CB Trail