Butte des Morts, Wisconsin

The history of Butte des Morts, Wisconsin is a story of a community whichbegan as a Menominee village and developed, as many American frontiercommunities did, as European immigrants settled there. With its desirablelocation on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Wolf and Fox Rivers, andlocated on a major Native American trail running from Green Bay to Prairie duChien, the Menominee people established the village they called Mas-pay-quota-noh. The waterways and marshes produced...
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The history of Butte des Morts, Wisconsin is a story of a community whichbegan as a Menominee village and developed, as many American frontiercommunities did, as European immigrants settled there. With its desirablelocation on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Wolf and Fox Rivers, andlocated on a major Native American trail running from Green Bay to Prairie duChien, the Menominee people established the village they called Mas-pay-quota-noh. The waterways and marshes produced food and furs relied upon by theMenominee for their survival. The arrival of white traders who sought furs tofeed a demand in European markets would begin a transition which saw Buttedes Morts develop into a commercial center in the 19th Century and ultimatelyinto the quaint community it is today.The founding of a fur trading post at Butte des Morts by Augustin Grignon andJacques Porlier in 1818 began the transition of a Native American village into thecommunity of today. Settlers started to arrive after lands of the Menominee wereceded to the U.S. Government in a series of treaties. Commercial developmentfollowed, homes were built and Butte des Morts became a center of activity inwhat is now Winnebago County. Lands were platted, subdivided and sold. Bythe early 20th Century, the village had a number of businesses operating to servethe surrounding area. The location, with its abundant natural resources, attractedfisherman and hunters. Many seasonal and year-round homes were constructedto house them.Destination point eating establishments became an important part of the village.Real estate development proceeded to further plat and subdivide lands onwhich homes would be built to house the people who started moving into thearea in greater numbers. With its breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Buttedes Morts, the village was established as a cozy residential community, and anattractive slice of Americana.