The 1880’s were known for the lumbering industry. Although Green Bay was not a lumber town like Oshkosh or Saginaw, Michigan, it did have it’s sawmills in neighboring communities, Principally a shingle marketing, shipping and service center, the City, including Fort Howard, prospered throughout the lumber era. Besides serving as a rail-shipping center for lumber products, it supplied lumber camps with machinery, fuel and food.

In 1884 the first telephone came to the city. A switchboard job was very necessary for the first 75 years of the telephone. Women were the major employees with a bank of 25 or more operators placing calls.