Waupaca, WI, USA is a really fun place to visit and live. It has rivers and lakes in which to swim, boat, fish and float. It has a great library with computers, planned activities and a special children's department. In the winter, many families come to Waupaca to skate on the lakes or on the ice inside the Waupaca EXPO.
Things to Do
History: Chief Waupaca, 'The Falls', Indian Mounds, Yellowstone Trail
Friends across the Sea: Nio, Japan and Hochheim, Germany
Requst more information
(click on the map of Wisconsin to see where Waupaca is located)
"Waupaca" is an Indian word that has been translated a number of different ways. Most feel the word comes from "waubuck seba", which means pale or clear water. A Potowatomi chief who lived in the area, Chief Wapuka, may also be the source of the name.
Chief Waupaca, better known as Sam Wapuka, was friendly to early settlers, although his tribesmen were very opposed to the white man's invasion of this area. Once on a trip with several warriors, he stopped where the present City of Waupaca is. His men were eager to massacre the whole settlement, but Waupuka argued long and well against it. He won, but when he began to ride away, he suddenly fell dead from his horse.
His companions hurriedly buried him almost where he fell. Later, relatives purchased several acres of land south of Marion, along present-day Hwy. 110, and took the body there. In 1957, an historical marker was erected to mark the spot. Watch for the marker if you ever drive on Hwy. 110 north and east of Waupaca.
More history: www.waupacalibrary.org/commserv/waucounthis.htm
Waupaca Historical Society:
www.waupacahistory.org
Historic photographs:
www.mainstreet-marketplace.com/pages/historic_photos_of_waupaca.htm
The first non-Native American settlers came to the Waupaca area in June 1849. They found a beautiful piece of land that the Indians called "the falls" on the Waupaca River. Menominee and Chippewa tribes had campsites throughout the area, including the sites of today's city hall/library and South Park.
Of course, Waupaca did not exist yet, but other settlers soon followed. By 1852 a post office had been established and the settlement was officially named "Waupaca". The Village of Waupaca was incorporated with the election of a president and trustees on May 4, 1857.
First businesses included flour and saw mills. Other businesses soon joined the early pioneers.
The City of Waupaca was organized on April 6, 1875.
Today, the City of Waupaca has more than 5,600 residents and 25,000 more live within 15 miles. The Waupaca County seat, Waupaca is home to the county courthouse and county government. Other large businesses include ThyssenKrupp Waupaca, Wisconsin Veterans Home, Add Inc., the School District of Waupaca and Riverside Medical Center.
City of Waupaca website: www.cityofwaupaca.org
More years ago than anyone knows, long before the time of Wisconsin's woodland Indians, Native American mound builders roamed the Waupaca area. Later, the first non-Native American settlers to visit the Waupaca Chain of Lakes found many raised earth mounds. These were often shaped like animals. One early explorer counted 72 mounds. Fifty-two of these were around Taylor Lake. Shapes included humans, turtles, catfish and others.
Most earthen mounds were lost long ago to the farmer's plow and new development. Trees sprouted from the mounds and grew large. But one mound, shaped like a catfish, can be seen easily today. It is along County Hwy. QQ, just east of Taylor Lake. You have to look for it closely because it is in the yard of an area home. Years ago, a local women's club marked the site with a commemorative plaque on a large stone.
The Yellowstone Trail
In the early days of automobile travel, people found that they need ways to drive across our country. The car was a new invention that let people travel longer distances, but there were no roads like we have today. There weren't even any road signs!
In 1912, the Yellowstone Trail became America's first trans-continental highway, the first highway people could use to drive across the country, from the East Coast to Yellowstone Park. The route was marked with yellow paint on stones, trees, fence posts or other possible visible markers they called "hoodoos". The trail was first made of mud (unpaved). Later it was covered with gravel, and finally paved. It ran along today's Hwy. 10, right through the center of Waupaca.
Some Waupaca students get to host and possibly visit students from other lands. Every summer a group of junior high school students from Nio, Japan comes to Waupaca to stay with area families for a week or two. Waupaca students fly, then take a train, to visit families in Nio, Japan. The trip takes nearly 24 hours.
Nio-town is on the island of Shikoku, just south of the biggest Japanese island, Honshu. It is located on Japan's inland sea. Nio has many steep hills and is very beautiful. Thanks to this Sister City program, Waupaca people have made many fine friends in Nio.
For many years, German students at Waupaca High School have been able to visit Hochheim, Germany. German students visit Waupaca on alternate years. Students from both countries correspond via e-mail. They tell each other much about their hometowns and schools. When the German students come to Waupaca, they stay with Waupaca families and attend Waupaca High School classes. When the Waupaca students visit Hochheim, they stay with German families and attend school there.
Hochheim is located just south and west of Frankfurt, near the Frankfurt airport. It is an old and very charming city.
Through these youth exchange programs we see that people are pretty much the same all over the world. Their language, dress and customs may differ from ours, but we greatly enjoy getting to know our friends from around the world.
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