The 1850’s brought an influx of Belgian, German, Scandinavian, Irish and Holland immigrants as word spread of America’s cheap land and good soil. The greatest concentration of newcomers came from Belgium. They cleared land to farm and build their homes. They planted wheat, oats and vegetables and raised dairy herds. Growing numbers of settlers found a livelihood in commercial fishing and hunting. Thousand of pounds of lake trout, whitefish, sturgeons, chubs, perch and herring were caught. These were either smoked or salted and packed for shipment of Midwestern markets.

Schools in 1854 out on the frontier was far different than today. The schools had only one room and all the kids were taught together. The children did not start school in September either. The fall time was harvest and the kids had to pick apples, husk corn, carry water, and cook for the men working in the fields. They also gathered firewood and helped preserve the fruits and vegetables. Children worked until November when the harvest was over and then they went to school. Schools were only open in the winter and summer. The children had to plant and plow in the spring and help harvest in the fall. The older boys often didn’t go to school in the summer because of farm work. Sometimes in the winter, the boys stayed home and worked on the farm also.

Students of all ages were in the same class. Some of the younger students were 3 or 4 years old and other students were sometimes older than the teacher! The students weren’t grouped by age; they were grouped by what book they were using. They all worked together on the same subject. They had to memorize verses and important dates in history and then recite them in front of the class or quietly to the teacher.

1854 brought legislative enactment of February 27, 1854, that Green Bay was incorporated as a city. It was the ninth city in Wisconsin. And on October 13, 1856 the village of Fort Howard became a borough consisting of 664 acres.