(The following history was taken from an unknown publication. It was page 122, headed “Green Bay: Gateway to the Great Waterway.”)
Just over 100 years ago, on March 29, 1882, a small group of east side businessmen gathered to organize the area's first business organization, which became the ancestor of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.
It was called the Green Bay Businessmen's Association, and its 72 charter members pledged to “advance the commercial, mercantile, and manufacturing interests of Green Bay ... and to promise the general prosperity of the city...” The first president was F.W. Hurlbut, a wholesaler of coal, oil, cement, fish, pork, and salt.
Among the organization's most important activities was developing community support for construction of the waterworks in 1886, unification of Green Ban and Fort Howard, and the location of the State Reformatory. It also purchased and platted a tract of land along the Fox River as the community's first industrial park.
In 1908 the association was reorganized as the Green Bay Commercial Club, with John F. Martin as president. Among the community projects it helped initiate were the laying of the first concrete pavement in the country, along Cedar Creek Road, now University Avenue. It also directed the Perry Centennial Celebration in 1913.
The club was dissolved eight years later when, on November 13, 1916, the Green Bay Association of Commerce was incorporated. A. E. Burrall, Joseph P. Neugent, and Nic Bur as officers. Frank H. Smith was employed as the first full-time secretary. There were 173 firms and individuals on the original roster.
The association soon took on the task of leading the community's war effort. The first Liberty Loan Drive, the City War Garden program, the Brown County War Board, the Fuel and Food Administration, and the fight against the influenza epidemic were among the group's efforts.
As the country moved out of the Great Depression, the association helped organize the biggest community celebration since the Perry Centennial, the Tercentennial Celebration marking the 300th anniversary of the visit of the first European, Jean Nicolet. The highlight of the festivities was the appearance of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1941 the country was again at war, and the Association of Commerce spearheaded war loan drives, raising more than $5 million annually.
Following World War II the city resumed its growth and development, becoming the state's third-largest retail center and second-largest wholesale center. The association's efforts were directed at the construction of a new airport, post office, federal building, and veterans' memorial arena. In 1948 the association formed an Industrial Development Corporation, which sparked interest in formation of what is now the Packerland Industrial Park.
The organization relocated its offices in 1957 to the former Milwaukee Road depot at 400 South Washington Street, its present office. In the 1960s the group made a major effort to change its course and on August 30, 1966, became the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.
Benjamin J. Teague has been president of the Chamber since 1975. During his tenure the group has been involved in a major downtown redevelopment program, support for local government reorganization, and consolidation and formation of an aggressive legislative program, including a Political Action Committee to stimulate the participation of members in the legislative process.
