De Pere
Wisconsin
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City Of De Pere
De Pere History
A Rich and Colorful Heritage
In 1634, a mere 14 years after the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Jean Nicolet, the first white man in this area, ended his 1,000 mile canoe voyage from Montreal to Red Banks. After being welcomed there by a tribe of Winnebago Indians, he proceeded up the river about six miles where he encountered a rocky shallow rapids. Nicolet disembarked on the soil that would be named De Pere.
De Pere can trace its name and origin to the Jesuit Father Claude Allouez, who established the historic mission of St. Francis Xavier at the foot of the rapids only 36 years after Nicolet passed over them. For almost 20 years, from 1670 until 1687, the mission was a religious outpost and fur trading way station. In 1673, Marquette and Joliet stopped at this mission for three days on their historic Journey of Discovery to find the Mississippi River.
Les Rapides De Pere
Upon their return, Marquette spent the winter of 1674 here. One of the then oldest and most valuable historic relics in the United States, a silver ostensorium, was presented to the Mission of St. Francis Xavier by Nicolas Perrot in 1686. It can now be seen at the Neville Public Museum. A year later, the mission was burned by the Indians and never reestablished. From
then on the spectacular stretch of foaming water was known as "Les Rapides Des Peres," The Rapids of our Fathers.
Early Settlement
The beginning of modern De Pere dates from 1829 when William Dickinson, the founder of De Pere, foresaw the site's water power potential and organized the De Pere Manufacturing Company. A dam was built in 1849 and gave De Pere tremendous industrial importance because of its water power.
Local Government
Between 1837 and 1854, De Pere was the County Seat of Brown County. The county courthouse was located on the northeast corner of George and Wisconsin Streets and eventually burned down in 1871. In March 1857, the Village of De Pere was incorporated. The Village of West De Pere was incorporated in 1870. In 1883, the State Legislature passed an act incorporating the City of De Pere, comprising what is now the First and
Second Wards, and also an act to incorporate the City of Nicolet (formerly the Village of West De Pere), what is now the Third and Fourth Wards. In 1887, the legislature, upon petition, changed the name of Nicolet to West De Pere. In 1889 the electors of the two cities voted to consolidate and in 1890 the two cities were officially merged by the legislature.
A Rich and Colorful Heritage
In 1634, a mere 14 years after the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Jean Nicolet, the first white man in this area, ended his 1,000 mile canoe voyage from Montreal to Red Banks. After being welcomed there by a tribe of Winnebago Indians, he proceeded up the river about six miles where he encountered a rocky shallow rapids. Nicolet disembarked on the soil that would be named De Pere.
De Pere can trace its name and origin to the Jesuit Father Claude Allouez, who established the historic mission of St. Francis Xavier at the foot of the rapids only 36 years after Nicolet passed over them. For almost 20 years, from 1670 until 1687, the mission was a religious outpost and fur trading way station. In 1673, Marquette and Joliet stopped at this mission for three days on their historic Journey of Discovery to find the Mississippi River.
Les Rapides De Pere
Upon their return, Marquette spent the winter of 1674 here. One of the then oldest and most valuable historic relics in the United States, a silver ostensorium, was presented to the Mission of St. Francis Xavier by Nicolas Perrot in 1686. It can now be seen at the Neville Public Museum. A year later, the mission was burned by the Indians and never reestablished. From
then on the spectacular stretch of foaming water was known as "Les Rapides Des Peres," The Rapids of our Fathers.
Early Settlement
The beginning of modern De Pere dates from 1829 when William Dickinson, the founder of De Pere, foresaw the site's water power potential and organized the De Pere Manufacturing Company. A dam was built in 1849 and gave De Pere tremendous industrial importance because of its water power.
Local Government
Between 1837 and 1854, De Pere was the County Seat of Brown County. The county courthouse was located on the northeast corner of George and Wisconsin Streets and eventually burned down in 1871. In March 1857, the Village of De Pere was incorporated. The Village of West De Pere was incorporated in 1870. In 1883, the State Legislature passed an act incorporating the City of De Pere, comprising what is now the First and
Second Wards, and also an act to incorporate the City of Nicolet (formerly the Village of West De Pere), what is now the Third and Fourth Wards. In 1887, the legislature, upon petition, changed the name of Nicolet to West De Pere. In 1889 the electors of the two cities voted to consolidate and in 1890 the two cities were officially merged by the legislature.