In 1849, the Native American lands of central Wisconsin were opened, by way of treaty, for land claims by settlers. The area of eastcentral Wisconsin was a favorite to men from Vermont. Vermont men had settled the wild country from Poy Sippi to Waupaca—a stretch of about 15 miles. That year, the county's earliest pioneers set out from Sheboygan to stake a claim for their homesteads. Told of a place called "the Falls," now known as Waupaca, they mapped out three 80-acre plots after their arrival. As more settlers came to the area, Waupaca was formed into a village and incorporated in 1857. The accumulation of vintage photographs that appear in Waupaca depict the town's old way of life in a vivid manner.
