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A HISTORY OF NEENAH
ham, whose book covers, in a conversational fashion, the story of this
area from its earliest days to 1878.
  For instance, many citizens of Neenah have asked why it is that
Menasha celebrated its centennial in 1953 and Neenah must wait
twenty years longer, till 1973, to celebrate hers. The answer is that
Menasha's centennial in 1953 dated from the incorporation of
Menasha as a village in 1853, whereas Neenah awaits the recognition
of her hundred years of cityhood in 1973.
  (Incidentally, the hope is expressed that when Neenah's turn to cele-
brate comes around, something more original than the growing of
beards may be thought up.)
  The comparative dates of village and cityhood are:
      Menasha-incorporated as a village--July 5, 1853
      Menasha-incorporated as a city-March 5, 1874
      Neenah-incorporated as a village-March 28, 1856
      Neenah-incorporated as a city--March 13, 1873
  The village of Winnebago Rapids, which was the name given to
Neenah in the early days, was established by the Circuit Court of Win-
nebago County on April IO, i 85o. Winnebago Rapids was absorbed by
the village of Neenah when it incorporated on March 28, i856. Officers
and trustees elected at that time were: J. B. Hamilton, President;
A. G. LaGrange, Clerk; J. R. Kimberly; Jeremiah Cummings; Ed
Smith; D. R. Pangborn; H. G. Crane; and A. H. Kronkite (above data
taken from Harney's History of Winnebago County, chapter 52).
  To bring the full picture into view, let us roll the years back to the
'I reaqy of the Cedars in 1836, wherein the Menominee tribe ceded to
the United States all lands lying within what is now Winnebago
county, whereupon the government set aside as "Indian Lands" an
area bounded on the north by the channel of the Fox River flowing
t .rough Neenah; on the east by Lake Winnebago, and on the south by
the Fox River flowing through Oshkosh. The western limits appear to
be somewhat nebulous, but it is assumed that the Wolf River formed
the western boundary. The Menominees were settled on this tract.
  During the middle i83o's, the Federal Government undertook a
civilizing project in behalf of this tribe. A grist mill, a saw mill and
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