The city of Appleton is spread over the three counties of Outagamie, Winnebago, and Calumet in east-central Wisconsin. The city lies along the Fox River just north of Lake Winnebago, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Foremost among Appleton’s diversified manufactures are paper and paper products; fire trucks, plastics, electronic equipment, and paper-milling and welding machinery are also important. In addition, food processing, insurance, and agriculture (dairying) contribute to the economy.
The city is the seat of Fox Valley Technical College (1967). The History Museum at the Castle includes artifacts devoted to magician Harry Houdini, who lived in Appleton. The Charles A. Grignon Mansion (1837), in nearby Kaukauna on the site of an 18th-century trading post, is the restored home of an early settler. Annual area events include a cheese festival (June) and Paperfest (July).
Menominee, Fox, and Ho-Chunk Nation (Winnebago) Indians originally inhabited the area, which was visited by the French explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634. Fur traders soon followed. In 1673 the French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet traveled southward down the river and through Lake Winnebago on their journey to the Mississippi River. The settlement of the area was encouraged by the presence of Lawrence University (chartered 1847), founded by Amos A. Lawrence of Boston, Massachusetts, and by the river’s abundant waterpower. First called Grand Chute, the settlement was later renamed for Samuel Appleton, an early university donor. Flour, wool, and paper milling dominated Appleton’s early economy. In 1882 the country’s first hydroelectric power station was opened there. Population (2010) 72,623; Appleton Metro Area, 225,666.