Neenah

Neenah Lighthouse

Neenah, city, Winnebago county, east-central Wisconsin, U.S. It lies on Lake Winnebago and the Fox River, just south of Appleton. The city, with adjoining Menasha to the north, forms one economic and social community. Menominee, Fox, and Ho-Chunk Nation (Winnebago) Indians were early inhabitants of the area, which was visited by French explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634. In 1673 the French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet traveled southward down the Fox and through Lake Winnebago on their journey to the Mississippi River. The city was first settled in 1835, but permanent settlement did not begin until 1843. It was originally called Winnebago Rapids and later renamed Neenah (a Native American word for “water”). Flour milling was an early enterprise, but, with the westward shift of wheat growing, the city turned to the manufacture of paper products, which continues to be a major industry. Other manufactures include packaging, electronics, and cast-iron products; printing and publishing are also important. The Bergstrom-Mahler Museum exhibits glass paperweights. Neenah Lighthouse (1945) stands on ground where Native American tribes once held powwows. Inc. 1873. Pop. (2000) 24,507; Oshkosh-Neenah Metro Area, 156,763; (2010) 25,501; Oshkosh-Neenah Metro Area, 166,994.