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48-687: The Fox River State Recreational Trail (also known as the Fox River Trail ) is a trail along the Fox River in northeastern Wisconsin . The trail begins at the CityDeck in Green Bay, Wisconsin ( 44°30′29″N 88°01′09″W  /  44.50806°N 88.01917°W  / 44.50806; -88.01917 ), follows the Fox River south through De Pere , then deviatiating east, away from

96-516: A National Estuarine Research Reserve . Among the wildlife in the Fox River Valley are birds such as mallard ducks and Canada geese , and fish such as walleye . Before the 1950s parts of the Fox River were used for recreational purposes. This only lasted for a short period of time as the water quality deteriorated, and the water was considered unhealthy. The Fox River region has been dominated by dairy farms that benefited from

144-555: A bachelor's degree or higher. As of the census of 2010, there were 25,501 people, 10,694 households, and 6,700 families living in the city. The population density was 2,762.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,066.7/km ). There were 11,313 housing units at an average density of 1,225.7 units per square mile (473.2 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 93.7% White , 1.3% African American , 0.7% Native American , 1.4% Asian , 1.3% from other races , and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of

192-470: A household in the city was $ 59,778, and the median income for a family was $ 77,229. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 52,352 versus $ 40,085 for female workers. The per capita income for the city was $ 33,420. About 8.6% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 94.9% were high school graduates or higher and 32.1% had

240-578: A section of unpaved terrain that permits horseback riding. The Wiouwash State Trail runs concurrent with the Fox River from downtown Oshkosh to Lake Butte des Morts for about 4 miles (6 km). Fishing was a huge aspect of life on the water as many fisheries were set up along the river. This remained large for a short period of time but also was soon limited by water pollution and the depleted amount of fish. Restrictions were placed on how many and what kind of fish could be caught. The Fox River has produced multiple state records in fishing. Currently

288-445: A total of 142 miles (229 km). The Lower Fox begins at the north end of Lake Winnebago, where it flows north past Neenah , Menasha , and Appleton as it begins its 40-mile (64 km) course northeast towards Lake Michigan. The river drops around 164 feet (50 m) over this short stretch. Prior to the construction of European-style dams after 1850, the river had many sizable rapids. The Lower Fox ends after flowing through

336-529: Is $ 5 for a daily pass or $ 25 for an annual pass for all bicyclists, rollerbladers and horseback riders over the age of 16. There is no charge for walking. The Milwaukee and Northern Railway Company used what would become the trail for rail service between Green Bay and Milwaukee , which ran from 1873 to 1989. The corridor was purchased by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in 1998. Fox River (Wisconsin) Hydrographers divide

384-461: Is a major city in the chain, active production of paper products is no longer located there. In the section between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay at Lake Michigan, the Fox River flows roughly south to north and descends through a height equal to that of Niagara Falls . As such, the Fox River was an ideal location for constructing powerful sawmills that made the Fox River area famous for its paper industry. A negative side effect of this industrialization

432-688: Is the English translation of the French name for the Meskwaki people in the 17th century. The river was part of the famous 1673–74 expedition of Jolliet and Marquette , in which they went on to become the first Europeans to traverse the upper Mississippi River . A particular set of cities on the lower Fox River identify themselves as the " Fox Cities ". The Upper Fox River begins as a small stream northeast of Pardeeville . It flows west by southwest towards Portage and comes within 2 miles (3 km) of

480-604: The Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for many years following the cleaning project's completion. The high concentration of paper mills and other industry along the Lower Fox has historically been the source of much pollution of the river. Public debate about this contamination began as early as 1923, but little was done to improve the river until

528-797: The Great Lakes and the Mississippi River known as the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway . It was likely long used by Native Americans prior to European encounter, as they had extensive cross-country trading routes related to the Mississippi River. During the French colonization of the Americas , this route was used frequently by fur traders . French-Canadian men who established homes on the Fox River married First Nation women, producing mixed-race descendants who were generally raised within

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576-708: The Meskwaki people, called Renards in French. In the Menominee language , the river is known as Meskwahkīw-Sīpiah , which means "Red Earth River". In the Ho-Chunk language (Winnebago, Hoocąk, Hocąk) , Fox River is known as Nionigera . According to a member of the party of La Salle , it was also called the Kakaling River. Along the banks is a chain of cities and villages, including Oshkosh , Neenah , Menasha , Appleton , Little Chute , Kimberly , Combined Locks , and Kaukauna . Except for Oshkosh, located on

624-517: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 9.74 square miles (25.23 km ), of which, 9.37 square miles (24.27 km ) is land and 0.37 square miles (0.96 km ) is water. As of the census of 2020 , the population was 27,319. The population density was 2,915 inhabitants per square mile (1,125/km ). There were 12,164 housing units at an average density of 1,298 per square mile (501/km ). Ethnically,

672-702: The Wisconsin River before turning north. However, the Fox River and the Wisconsin River are connected via the Portage Canal , which was the first waterway between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River . After flowing past Montello , the river goes northeast until reaching Lake Butte des Morts . Here it is joined by the tributary Wolf River before entering the west side of Lake Winnebago at Oshkosh . The Upper Fox flows for

720-675: The city of Green Bay and into Lake Michigan through Green Bay . The Fox River complex is one of only a few north-flowing river systems in North America east of the Mississippi River; the only other one is the Genesee River of Upstate New York and Pennsylvania . Altogether, the Fox-Wolf watershed drains an area of about 6,429 square miles (16,650 km ). The Fox had an average annual discharge of 5,200 ft /s (150 m /s) into Green Bay. The highest recorded flow on

768-774: The matrilineal cultures of their mothers and identified with the tribes. In Canada, the Metis of the Red River of the North are classified as a distinct ethnicity because of their shared culture. The Fox-Wisconsin Waterway's importance continued into the 1850s, when the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement Company built locks and dams on the Fox and the Portage Canal to connect it to the Wisconsin River at Portage. The company

816-538: The City of Appleton and Neenah-Menasha Sewerage Commission. Several settlements ensured that the responsible parties paid for a large sum of the cleaning project costs and other restoration efforts. A settlement, reached in 2019, required that NCR Corporation, P.H. Glatfelter Company, and Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP cover the cost of all future cleaning efforts. Since the late 19th century, dredging of river bottom sediments has been done to allow large ships to enter

864-635: The Fox River and Lake Michigan. The federal government banned PCBs in 1979 due to their environmental threat to humans and other wildlife. The U.S. government and State of Wisconsin filed suit on October 14, 2010, against nine paper companies and two municipalities for their failure to pay for PCB cleanup actions. The companies named in the suit were NCR Corporation , Appleton Papers, CBC Coating, Kimberly-Clark , Menasha Corporation, NewPage Corporation , Glatfelter , U.S. Paper Mills ( Sonoco ) and WTM (Wisconsin Tissue Mills). The local agencies sued were

912-434: The Fox River. The contaminated sediment has been used since the 1960s to fill local wetlands, causing adverse effects on wildlife and plants. After 1978 it was used to develop an off-shore engineered holding area called Renard Isle , also known as Kidney Island. Renard Isle was capped in 2015 and its ownership was transferred to Brown County in 2017. There have been several proposed plans for the land, including turning it into

960-556: The Fox into two distinct sections, the Upper Fox River, flowing from its headwaters in south-central Wisconsin northeasterly into Lake Winnebago , and the Lower Fox River, flowing from Lake Winnebago northeasterly to lower Green Bay. Together, the two sections give the Fox River a length of 182 miles (293 km). Counting the distance through Lake Winnebago gives a total of 200 miles (322 km). The river's name

1008-464: The Fox near its mouth was 33,800 ft /s (957 m /s) on June 3, 1990. Tributaries of the Fox River include East River, Fond du Lac River , Wolf River, White River, Mecan River, Grand River, and Montello River . The name is the translation of Rivière aux Renards (French for River of the Foxes ), given by explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette because it went through the territory of

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1056-655: The Fox river in Appleton was the first Edison hydroelectric station and one of the first in the world. It was put into service in 1882 within the building of the Appleton Paper and Pulp Company. The Lower Fox remains a major area for paper production . There are 24 paper and pulp mills along the Lower Fox River that produce more than five million tons of paper per year and employ around 50,000 people. The principal cities located in this valley are Green Bay, Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, De Pere, and Kaukauna. Although Oshkosh

1104-520: The Upper Fox River near Lake Winnebago , these cities and villages identify as the Fox Cities . Farther north along the Lower Fox River, from its outlet from Lake Winnebago and before its mouth at Lake Michigan, are the cities of De Pere and Green Bay (located at the lake), and the villages of Ashwaubenon and Allouez ; although they are in the Fox River Valley, this grouping of cities and villages does not refer to themselves as Fox Cities. Since

1152-466: The city was $ 45,773, and the median income for a family was $ 55,329. Males had a median income of $ 39,140 versus $ 25,666 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,280. About 3.3% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over. Neenah hosts significant paper and steel industries. Some paper companies include Essity and Kimberly-Clark . Kimberly-Clark

1200-422: The city. Also headquartered here are Cobblestone Hotel Group , J. J. Keller & Associates, Miron Construction, Menasha Corporation. Theda Clark Hospital , NM Transfer, and Checker Logistics. Founded in 1959, Neenah's Bergstrom-Mahler Museum has a collection of glass art comprising over 3,000 pieces. It concentrates in historic paperweights and Germanic glasswork. Interstate 41 runs south to north through

1248-403: The city. The population density was 2,971.7 people per square mile (1,147.4 people/km ). There were 10,198 housing units at an average density of 1,236.6 units per square mile (477.5 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 96.08% White , 0.34% Black or African American , 0.55% Native American , 0.96% Asian , 0.86% from other races , and 1.20% from two or more races. 2.02% of

1296-443: The estimated 25,000 Native Americans who lived in what is today Wisconsin. The first Europeans to reach the Fox were French , beginning with explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634. In 1673 explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet canoed up the river as far as Portage. Here they made the short portage from the Fox to the Wisconsin River and then canoed on toward the Mississippi River . They established an important water route between

1344-412: The federal Clean Water Act was passed in 1972. Much effort has since been put into cleaning the Fox, but problems still exist. According to some measures of pollution (e.g. dissolved oxygen , pollution-tolerant worm counts), the Lower Fox River is much cleaner than it was before 1972. However, according to other measures of pollution (e.g., phosphorus , estrogenic compounds, discarded pharmaceuticals ),

1392-473: The forests. The Lower Fox proved an ideal location for paper production, owing to its proximity to lumbering areas that could supply wood pulp to make paper. Several well-known paper companies were founded in cities along the river, including Kimberly-Clark , Northern Paper Mills (makers of Quilted Northern), and the Hoberg Paper Company (manufacturer of Charmin ). The Volcan Street Plant on

1440-486: The population was 4.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 88.0% White , 2.3% Asian , 1.8% Black or African American , 0.7% Native American , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.5% from other races , and 5.8% from two or more races. According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for

1488-423: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Thirty-five percent of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

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1536-441: The population. There were 10,694 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

1584-597: The proximity of the area to the Fox River. Kimberly-Clark corporation was formed here in 1872. It founded a major paper mill here in 1873, as the region had become a center of lumbering. Profits from lumber stimulated the development of businesses and a variety of professions. Some people relocated to Neenah after the disastrous fire in Oshkosh in 1875. Neenah is located at 44°10′26″N 88°28′6″W  /  44.17389°N 88.46833°W  / 44.17389; -88.46833 (44.174035, −88.468508). According to

1632-447: The recession of the glaciers that once covered much of Wisconsin , the Fox River has supported several Native American cultures, and has been important for its fisheries, waterfowl, wild rice , forests, and water. Archaeologists have claimed that indigenous peoples lived in the Fox River area as early as 7000 BC. Prior to European settlement in the late 17th century, the shores of the Fox River and Green Bay were home to roughly half

1680-593: The records for Striped bass , Shortnose gar and Northern hogsucker have all been caught in the river. Neenah, Wisconsin Neenah ( / ˈ n iː n ə / NEE -nə ) is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin , United States. It is situated on the banks of Lake Winnebago , Little Lake Butte des Morts , and the Fox River approximately 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Oshkosh and 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Green Bay . Neenah's population

1728-481: The rich soil and plentiful water supply. The 25-mile (40 km) Fox River State Recreational Trail is part of the Brown County Park System. The trailhead is in the city of Green Bay where 7 miles (11 km) of paved trail follow the Fox River south through the city of De Pere . Biking, walking, jogging, and rollerblading are among the most popular activities on the trail. The trail also has

1776-430: The river waters are slightly more contaminated than before 1972. As a result, debate over the river's contamination continues between environmentalists, the paper industry, Indian tribes, and elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels. While not officially designated as a U.S. Superfund site, the Lower Fox River bottom has some sections contaminated with toxic chemicals. These contaminated sediments are

1824-457: The river's current environmental problem. One contaminant of special concern is a group of chemicals called Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. The largest deposits of contaminated sediments are traceable to the local paper recycling mills. Beginning in the 1950s, many mills along to Fox River began producing and recycling carbonless copy paper . The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources explains that carbonless copy paper caused PCB pollution in

1872-468: The river, where it follows a former railroad bed through Rockland , Wrightstown , Greenleaf , Holland , and ends at Ott Road in Hilbert ( 44°10′08″N 88°09′35″W  /  44.16889°N 88.15972°W  / 44.16889; -88.15972 ). At the north end, it connects with the City of Green Bay Trail which continues north along the Fox and East Rivers to Monroe Street. The total length of

1920-550: The trail is approximately 26.3 miles. The northern 12 miles is paved, the southern 14 miles is crushed limestone . The trail is open year-round from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm. Walking and bicycling is permitted the entire length. Rollerblading is permitted on the paved portions. Horseback riding is permitted from Klaus Street in Greenleaf south to the Brown County / Calumet County line. Leashed dogs are also permitted. The fee

1968-430: Was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 24,507 people, 9,834 households and 6,578 families living in

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2016-407: Was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males. The median income for a household in

2064-576: Was 27,319 at the 2020 census. Neenah is within the geographic boundaries of the Town of Neenah , but is politically independent. The city is the southwesternmost of the Fox Cities of northeast Wisconsin. It is a principal city of the Oshkosh–Neenah metropolitan statistical area , which consists of all of Winnebago County and had 171,730 residents in 2020. It is sometimes referred to as a twin city with Menasha , with which it shares Doty Island . Neenah

2112-417: Was developed instead as a center of riverfront industry. During the mid-19th century, when Wisconsin was a leading producer of wheat , several flour mills were built along the river to harness its abundant water power. During the 1860s, as Wisconsin's wheat production declined, these flour mills were replaced by a growing number of paper mills , which processed the great amount of timber being harvested from

2160-465: Was founded in Neenah and maintains significant operations there, though its headquarters moved to Irving, Texas in the 1980s. Manhole covers manufactured at Neenah Foundry can be found throughout the central and southern United States and parts of Europe. Neenah is the headquarters of Plexus, a developer and manufacturer of electronic products, which also has engineering and manufacturing operations in

2208-577: Was hoping to establish Green Bay as a port city to rival Chicago by making the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway into the principal shipping route between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. This goal was never achieved, as the Upper Fox remained too shallow for significant shipping even after damming and dredging. In addition, the lakes that the narrow, winding stream flows through were frozen solid for five months every year. The Lower Fox

2256-598: Was named by Governor James Duane Doty from the Hoocąk word for "water" or "running water". It was the site of a Ho-Chunk village in the late 18th century. It is Nįįňą in the Hoocąk language. The government initially designated this area in 1835 as an industrial and agricultural mission to the Menominee Indians of the area. Early settlement by European Americans began a few years later, stimulated in large part by

2304-430: Was the dumping of hazardous material byproducts of the paper mills. To repair the ecological damage from this toxic waste, there has been a widespread effort to clean the Fox River. Dredging of the chemicals in the river began on April 28, 2009 and capping started soon after during the summer of 2009. The cleaning project concluded in 2020 and cost an estimated $ 1 billion. The Fox River will continue to be monitored by

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