Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

Manitowoc County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Manitowoc
Year Organized: 1836
Square Miles: 592

Court House:

1010 S. 8th Street
County Courthouse
Manitowoc, WI 54220-0000

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Manitowoc County takes its name from a small river within its boundaries. The origin of this Indian word is variously given. The first constituent, "manito," is conceded by all to be the Indian word for spirit, or mysterious influence; hence "spirit land," "devil's den," etc., have been assigned as its meaning; Wis. Hist, Colls., i, p. 117; iii, p. 337; Gannett, Place Names, p. 170.

Rev. E. P. Wheeler (Ms. in Society's library) gives its significance as "spirit woods;" which appears to be borne out by Henry R. Schoolcraft, who says it signifies "a standing or hollow tree that is under a mysterious influence.'' This would seem to point to the erection of a wooden cross on the banks of this river, allusion to which we find in the journal of Father J. B. Buisson St. Cosme, dated 1699-1700. He declares that such a cross was reared in this locality in the latter part of the seventeenth century. His words are: "the 4th of October we came to another small village of Poux [Potawatomi] on a little river where Rev. Father Marais had wintered with some Frenchmen and planted a cross"; J. G. Shea, Early Voyages (Albany, 1861), p. 50.

[Source: Kellogg, Louise Phelps. "Derivation of County Names" in Proceedings of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin for 1909, pages 219-231.]

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Manitowoc County, created in 1836 as a territorial county, is named for the Chippewa word "munedoo-owk" meaning "the place of the good spirit." Located in northeast Wisconsin, the county seat is Manitowoc.

History of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.FalgeHistv02

Description from John W. Hunt's 1853 Wisconsin Gazetteer: "MANITOWOC, County, is bounded on the nortlh by Brown and Kewaunee, on the east and southeast by the State line in Lake Michigan, on the south by Sheboygan, and on the west by Calumet and a portion of Outagamie. The general formation of the surface is moderately undulating, and in some parts very agreeably diversified with hills and valleys. The soil is good and well watered, with springs and creeks, and is well adapted to tillage and grazing. The county is densely timbered with maple, oak, elm, birch, ash, pine, and hemlock. The population in 1840 was 235; 1842, 263; 1846, 629; 1847, 1,285; 1850, 3,713; at present estimated, 7,000. Dwellings, 16; farms, 37; and manufactories, 22."

MANITOWOC.--Population 13,050.
From: Handbook of Wisconsin by S. Silas, 1855
pg. 84-85

This County is situated on Lake Michigan and is at present the most northern County on the Lake, at whose ports any business is done. It is heavily timbered, and does a large business in pine lumber. There are several large saw mills on the Manitowoc River. Much of the land is yet in the hands of the Government, and is of a superior quality. It is well watered, produces good wheat, and its numerous streams furnish abundance of power.

Manitowoc, at the mouth of Manitowoc River, is the principal place of business, and is well located for future growth and prosperity. A rail road is chartered to run from this place to Menasha, at the foot of Lake Winnebago, is now building, and will be completed at a time not far in the future. The Green Bay and Lake Shore Rail Road diverges from the Lake to Green Bay at this point.

Twin Rivers is another thriving port, also engaged in the lumber trade, six miles north-east of Manitowoc.

This County lies in the Green Bay land district--office at Menasha.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,494 square miles (3,869 km²), of which, 592 square miles (1,532 km²) of it is land and 902 square miles (2,337 km²) of it (60.40%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Kewaunee County, Brown County: North
Lake Michigan: East
Sheboygan County: South
Calumet County: West

Cities and Towns:

- Cato	town
- Cleveland	village	Incorporated Area
- Cooperstown	town
- Francis Creek	village	Incorporated Area
- Gibson	town
- Kellnersville	village	Incorporated Area
- Kiel	city	Incorporated Area
- Kossuth	town
- Liberty	town
- Manitowoc (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Manitowoc Rapids	town
- Maple Grove	town
- Maribel	village	Incorporated Area
- Meeme	town
- Mishicot	village	Incorporated Area
- Newton	town
- Reedsville	village	Incorporated Area
- Schleswig	town
- St. Nazianz	village	Incorporated Area
- Two Creeks	town
- Two Rivers	city	Incorporated Area
- Valders	village	Incorporated Area
- Whitelaw	village	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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