Oconto Falls

History

The city was named for the original waterfalls on the Oconto River. According to Menominee storytelling, Manabozho threw a falls across the Oconto River "to protect the Menominee and to keep the sturgeon from getting to the Chippewa". John and Almira Volk are considered the first European settlers of Oconto Falls, having moved to the region in 1846. Most early settlers were of German, Polish, and French descent. The Volk family established a sawmill along the river, and the lumber industry became the main source of employment. A post office called Oconto Falls has been in operation since 1871, the same year the Peshtigo Fire destroyed a majority of buildings in the village. Later, a Methodist congregation was the first to build a church in 1889. The first bridge across the river was built in 1896, and in 1902, the falls was dammed to create a power source. Shortly thereafter, Oconto Falls incorporated as a village on July 3, 1903. Anton Gustin, of Austrian heritage, came to the village and established a new pulp mill in 1908. It was constructed using his improved sulphate pulping process, which made Oconto Falls the location of the first commercial production of kraft paper in the United States. The village became a city in 1919.

Geography

Oconto Falls is located at (44.874989, -88.1429). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The city is separated into eastern and western sides by the Oconto River.

Race & ethnicity