First inhabitants were the Menomonee, Chippewa, Potawatomi, Saulk, and Winnebago tribes.  The French fur traders settled and claimed in the Green Bay area in 1634.  By 1763 they ceded to Great Britain who remained there until 1796 well past the close of the Revolutionary War.  It was known as Northwest Territory in 1787, Indiana Territory in 1800, Illinois Territory in 1809, Michigan Territory in 1818, Wisconsin Territory in 1836, and the 30th state in 1848.

Wisconsin is a collection of ethnic towns begun in the 1840's when immigrant farmers were enticed to settle in the "West" as they arrived in the East Coast seaports.  They were offered free land for homesteads.  All they had to do was clear the land of a dense forest of hardwoods.  This drew many East coast families who wanted a fresh start.  In 1960 there were 3,951,777 people and 2,375,000 dairy cows.  Each town was a different ethnic group - English, Irish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, and Swedish.

Sheboygan was a ship building port exporting lumber and importing people, and consumer goods.  Many trades came in to support the population growth.  My English ancestors were carpenters and farmers.  Sue's German ancestors worked the docks and provided town needs.  Being mostly German, Sheboygan began its own version of ethnic foods unlike those found anywhere else such as potato salad, chili (soup), bratwurst, and beer.  Recipes were guarded to the death, so only the public domain versions remain known today.  Johnsonville exports acceptable versions of Sheboygan foods, but the best can only be found by visiting.