Green Bay Profile

GREEN BAY pop. 102,313, elev. 604

Green Bay, at the head of its namesake bay, has two claims to fame that no other town in the state can match: its longevity and the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay had for centuries been important settlement site for a number of Native American tribes. The first permanent European settlement occurred in 1669 when Father Allouez established a mission. By the time the United States assumed dominance in 1816, the town—a major fur trading and military post—had been controlled by first the French and then English and was a fusion of European and indigenous cultures and changed nationalities three times.

Green Bay has always been a community based on commerce. From beaver furs for European hats, to lumber and shingles for houses across the United States, to the world’s first ‘splinter free’ toilet paper, Green Bay’s strategic location has allowed the city to prosper. In 1850 Norwegian Otto Tank came to Green Bay to serve as a Moravian missionary to about 50 families of farmers. Bringing with him a large amount of development capital, Tank bought 800 acres of land along the west bank of the Fox River and parceled them out to members of his religious colony. By the time the city of Green Bay was officially founded in 1854, the city boasted a lumber mill, steel foundry, and a population of over 2,000.

Christ Church (Episcopal), at Cherry and Madison streets, was established in 1829. It is the oldest permanent church site in the state.

In addition to its success as a paper and cheese-producing and shipping center, the enthusiasm generated by the Green Bay Packers, the historic professional football team in the smallest National Football League market, helps keep an old town young. The team was founded in 1919 and plays at Lambeau Field. Guided tours of the stadium depart from the Lambeau Field Atrium.