Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

's Fond du Lac

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, which includes all of Fond du Lac County (2020 population: 104,154). Fond du Lac is the 348th largest

(MSA) in the United States.

History

"Fond du Lac" is French for the "bottom" or the "farthest point" "of the lake," so named because of its location at the bottom (south end) of Lake Winnebago. Native American tribes, primarily the

Winnebagos The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hoocągra or Winnebago (referred to as ''Hotúŋe'' in the neighboring indigenous Iowa-Otoe language), are a Siouan-speaking Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iow ...

but also the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

, Kickapoo, and

Mascoutin The Mascouten (also ''Mascoutin'', ''Mathkoutench'', ''Muscoden,'' or ''Musketoon'') were a tribe of Algonquian-speaking Native Americans located in the Midwest. They are believed to have dwelt on both sides of the Mississippi River, adjacent to ...

lived or gathered in the area long before European explorers arrived. Although the identity of the first European to explore the southern end of Lake Winnebago is uncertain, it was probably Claude-Jean Allouez, followed by French fur trappers. James Doty, a federal judge for the western part of the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

, thought the land at the foot of Lake Winnebago might be a good location for a city, so he and his partners bought land in the area. In 1836, during the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature, John Arndt proposed making Fond du Lac the new capital. The motion failed, and Doty convinced the legislature to choose

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

instead. Colwert, Fanna Pier and Alex Tomasik were the first white residents of the area. In 1835, the construction of the

Military Ridge Road The Old Military Road was a road built by the U.S. Army in 1835-36, connecting Fort Howard ( Green Bay) Wisconsin with Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien) via Fond du Lac, Fort Winnebago (Portage), and Dodgeville. This first military road was a begi ...

began. It passed through Fond du Lac, connecting the forts in Wisconsin and

Fort Dearborn Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River, in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War ...

in Illinois. The first school in Fond du Lac was built in 1843. The first railroad came to the community in 1852. About 1856, the first English newspaper in Fond du Lac, the ''Fond du Lac Commonwealth'', was founded. Logging and milling were primary industries in the late 1880s, with access to the lake as the engine of the industry. From June 1944 to August 1944, the

Fond du Lac County Fair The Fond du Lac County Fair is an annual county fair that takes place every July in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA. The first Fond du Lac County Fair took place on September 29, 1852 in Rosendale. The Fond du Lac County Fairs' motto is "Education ...

grounds was the site of an Allied

prisoner of war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

that held 300 German

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

guarded by 39 U.S. soldiers. The prisoners worked on peas farms and in canneries that summer.

Historic districts

Fond du Lac has 20 listings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, including four historic districts: the South Main Street Historic District, the North Main Street Historic District, the Linden Street Historic District, and the East Division Street-Sheboygan Street Historic District. Other listings include six houses, two

octagon house Octagon houses were a unique house style briefly popular in the 1850s in the United States and Canada. They are characterised by an octagonal (eight-sided) Floor plan, plan, and often feature a flat roof and a veranda all round. Their unusual s ...

s, two hotels, a church, a fire station, a

train depot A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing su ...

, an apartment building, a commercial building, and a prehistoric site. Most of the buildings listed in the register were a result of economic prosperity following the lumber industry boom in the Fox Valley and the newly rich building residences in the area.

Geography

Fond du Lac is at (43.775, −88.445). According to the

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Fond du Lac lies on the southern shore of Lake Winnebago. The east and west branches of the Fond du Lac River connect in the city and the river then flows into Lake Winnebago near Lakeside Park.

Climate

The record low was −41 °F (−41 °C) on January 30, 1951. The record high was 111 °F (44 °C) on July 13, 1936; the days immediately before and after that date hit 109 °F and 110 °F, respectively.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the city population was 44,678. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 19,936 housing units at an average density of . Ethnically, the population was 8.6%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 82.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 4.5%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.0% Asian, 0.7% Native American, 4.1% from other races, and 6.3% from two or more races. The 2020 census population of the city included 1,109 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 609 people in student housing. According to the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household in the city was $54,587, and the median income for a family was $70,061. Male full-time workers had a median income of $49,226 versus $38,715 for female workers. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $28,555. About 8.1% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 90.6% were high school graduates or higher and 23.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 43,021 people, 17,942 households, and 10,395 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 19,181 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.6%

, 2.5%

, 0.7% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 2.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6.4% of the population. There were 17,942 households, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.1% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 36.9 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 42,203 people, 16,638 households, and 10,282 families residing in the city. The

was 2,501.3 people per square mile (965.9/km²). There were 17,519 housing units at an average density of 1,038.3 per square mile (401.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.59%

, 1.86%

, 0.51% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.27% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 2.92% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 16,638 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were

living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,113, and the median income for a family was $50,341. Males had a median income of $35,682 versus $22,492 for females. The

for the city was $18,996. About 4.6% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the

, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Fond du Lac has a city manager-council form of government. The city council is composed of seven individuals, who are elected to two-year terms. The current city manager is Joseph P. Moore and the council president is Kay Miller. Fond du Lac is represented by Dan Feyen in the 18th district of the Wisconsin Senate, and by

Jeremy Thiesfeldt Jeremy Thiesfeldt (born November 22, 1966) is an American educator and politician from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for 12 years, representing Wisconsin's 52nd Assembly district from 2011 thr ...

and Michael Schraa in the 52nd and 53rd districts of the Wisconsin Assembly. At a federal level, Fond du Lac falls within

Wisconsin's 6th congressional district Wisconsin's 6th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in eastern Wisconsin. It is based in the rural, suburban and exurban communities between Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. It also ...

and is represented by

Glenn Grothman Glenn S. Grothman (; born July 3, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to his seat in 2014. Grothman r ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Religion

The

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwauk ...

has four churches in Fond du Lac: Redeemer Lutheran Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, St. Peter's Lutheran Church, and Faith Lutheran Church. Fond du Lac's population is about one-third

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

. In 2000 the six Catholic parishes merged into a single entity called Holy Family Catholic Community. St. Louis Catholic Church burned down in 2007 and the building was demolished. The St. Patrick and St. Joseph churches closed, while Sacred Heart, St. Mary, and St. Peter remain open. Agnesian HealthCare

The motherhouse of th
Congregation of Sisters of Saint Agnes
is in Fond du Lac. The order founded and continues to sponso
Marian University
in Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac is the

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

of the

Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac The Diocese of Fond du Lac is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the northeastern third of Wisconsin. The diocese contains about 3,800 baptized members worshiping in 33 locations. It is part of Prov ...

St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gra ...

is the diocese's mother church. Fond du Lac also has a synagogue, Temple Beth Israel. Although Jewish people first came to Fond du Lac in the late 19th century, the first synagogue was not established until 1914. The

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

maintains a local ward meetinghouse.

Education

Fond du Lac is served by the Fond du Lac School District. Its schools include: * Chegwin Elementary School (grades K–5) * Evans Elementary School (grades K–5) * Lakeshore Elementary School (grades K–5) * Parkside Elementary School (grades K–5) * Pier Elementary School (grades K–5) * Riverside Elementary School (grades K–5) * Roberts Elementary School (grades K–5) * Rosenow Elementary School (grades K–5) * Waters Elementary School (grades K–5) * STEM Academy (grades 5-12) * Sabish Middle School (grades 6–8) * Theisen Middle School (grades 6–8) * Woodworth Middle School (grades 6–8) * Fond du Lac High School (grades 9–12
St. Mary's Springs Academy
is Fond du Lac's Catholic school system. It educates students in K3 through grade 12. Fond du Lac also has four Lutheran primary schools. The original Fond du Lac High School, built in 1922, was Fond du Lac's only public high school to 2001. The name of the high school changed to L.(owell) P.(ierce?). Goodrich High School, . The original part of the high school, located solely on Linden St., was torn down about the time the new high school was built. When the current Fond du Lac High School on Campus Dr. was built (which is still Fond du Lac's only public high school), the addition part of the former building (opened 1965), located mostly on 9th St. became partially the administration building for the school district (9th St.) and partially Riverside Elementary School (Linden St.). Private secondary schools in Fond du Lac include: Winnebago Lutheran Academy, a Lutheran (

) high school; St. Mary Springs High School, a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

high school; Fond du Lac Christian School, an

interdenominational Interdenominationalism is an evangelical Protestant movement of cooperation among various Christian denominations. History The movement has its origins in the founding of the London Missionary Society, a missionary society, in 1795 by various ...

K–12 school; and Trinity Baptist School, a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...

K–12 school. Fond du Lac is the home of three colleges: Marian University, a private Catholic four-year university; the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Fond du Lac Campus, a two-year campus in the

University of Wisconsin Colleges The University of Wisconsin Colleges, established in 1971 was a unit of the University of Wisconsin System composed of 13 local two-year campuses and one online campus, University of Wisconsin Colleges Online. These campuses offered a liberal arts ...

; and

Moraine Park Technical College Moraine Park Technical College (Moraine Park Tech or MPTC) is a Public technical college in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. It was established in 1912 and is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. It has campuses in Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam, and ...

, a two-year

technical college An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...

in the

Wisconsin Technical College System Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is a system of 16 public technical colleges administered by the state of Wisconsin. The system offers more than 500 programs, awarding two-year associate degrees, one- and two-year technical diplomas, and ...

Media

Newspapers

* '' The Reporter'' – Daily newspaper, owned by

Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Action Advertiser Action Advertiser, originally Action Advertising Co. and now officially known as Action Publications, is a newspaper based out of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin which features only "good news" along with retail, display and classified advertising. All Acti ...

'' – Free newspaper printed on Wednesdays and Sundays, also owned by Gannett.

Radio

* KFIZ – One of the oldest radio stations in Wisconsin, broadcasts out of Fond du Lac. KFIZ first went on the air in 1922 when Oscar Huelsman turned on the transmitter. Branded as News-Talk 1450 KFIZ. *

WFON WFON (107.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The station is owned by RBH Enterprises, Inc. History The station was originally owned by Lola Beckmann, and the original WFON studios were in the building that now houses ...

– Sister station to KFIZ. Country format. Branded as 107.1 The Bull. * WFDL-FM – Sunny 97.7 FM is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format.

Television

WIWN WIWN (channel 68) is a television station licensed to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States (in the Green Bay market), but primarily serving the Milwaukee area as an affiliate of Cozi TV. It is owned by CNZ Communications as sister to Milwa ...

– A television station (virtual channel 68, physical channel 5) carrying Cozi TV; transmits from Milwaukee rather than its

city of license In American, Canadian, and Mexican broadcasting, a city of license or community of license is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator. In North American b ...

to receive market-wide coverage (although Fond du Lac is part of the Green Bay television market).

Business and industry

The largest employer in Fond du Lac is

Mercury Marine Mercury Marine is a marine engine division of Brunswick Corporation headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The main product line is outboard motors. It also produces the MerCruiser line of sterndrives and inboard motors. Some manufacturi ...

, a division of the Brunswick Corporation. Mercury Marine, which has its world headquarters in Fond du Lac, is the largest maker of outboard motors in the world, employing approximately 2,500 people in its factory and offices. Other industry includes Giddings & Lewis, a manufacturer of machine tools, owned by the Fives Group; Brenner Tank, a builder of transport tankers; Chicago Tube & Iron, a division of Olympic Steel; Saputo Cheese; and J. F. Ahern, a mechanical and fire protection company. Fond du Lac is also home to a Nielsen Corporation data gathering center. Other businesses include Charter Communications, Society Insurance and an office of

Anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short s ...

. Fond du Lac has one hospital, St. Agnes Hospital.

Shopping

The main retailers in Fond du Lac include Kohl's,

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

T.J. Maxx TJ Maxx (stylized as T•J•maxx) is an American department store chain, selling at prices generally lower than other major similar stores. It has more than 1,000 stores in the United States, making it one of the largest clothing retailers in ...

, Mills Fleet Farm and Menards. The primary grocery stores consist of

, Pick-n-Save,

Aldi Aldi (stylised as ALDI) is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 10,000 stores in 20 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946, when ...

, Save-Alot, Festival Foods, and Piggly Wiggly, along with smaller and ethnic supermarkets. Forest Mall was torn down in the summer/fall of 2020, with Kohls remaining. As of early 2021, a Meijer is announced to replace a portion of the old mall, and a Big Lots and Hobby Lobby now replace the former Shopko.

Culture

Fond du Lac is the county seat of Fond du Lac County and the site of the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds. The Fond du Lac County Fair takes place annually in late July. Fond du Lac is also host to Walleye Weekend, an annual summer festival centered around the Mercury Marine National Walleye Fishing Tournament. Walleye Weekend, usually hosted on the second weekend in June is a "Free Family Fun Festival" held in Lakeside Park on the south shore of Lake Winnebago. An annual fall festival is also held in September, called Fondue Fest. The festival was first held in September 2007 when a collaboration project between The Melting Pot and Brenner Tank created and set the Guinness World Record for the world's largest fondue set. The festival has been held since. Fond du Lac has a children's museum, which displays rotating child-centric exhibits.

Sports

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Marian University have teamed up to create the

Fond du Lac Dock Spiders The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League (a collegiate summer baseball league). Based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, the Dock Spiders play their home games at Herr-Baker Field on the campus of Marian Uni ...

baseball team in 2017. The Dock Spiders won the Northwoods League Championship in 2018 and 2020. The team uses Herr-Baker Field on the Marian University campus.

Parks

The largest park in Fond du Lac, Lakeside Park has more than of open recreational space on the south end of Lake Winnebago. Year-round activities include a whitetail deer exhibit. Summer activities include flower displays, boating, picnics, and weddings within the park. April 15 to October 15, the Lakeside Park Lighthouse(built 1933) and its observation tower are open to people. Visitors can ride on a miniature train and an antique carousel. The park also has four jungle gyms and a petting zoo. A steam locomotive stands at the Main Street entrance to the park, donated by the Soo Line in 1955. Lakeside Park hosts a holiday event featuring a "dancing lights" display, decorations and music. Buttermilk Creek Park is a large, grassy, hilly park containing an amphitheater, tennis courts, two jungle gyms, and a sledding hill. Other parks include: Taylor Park and Pool, Butzen (Danbury) Park, Jefferson Park, Fairgrounds Park and Pool, and Playmore Park.

Transportation

Airport

* Fond du Lac County Airport Commercial

airline An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in wh ...

service for Fond du Lac is provided by Appleton International Airport in Greenville and

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is a civil–military airport south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States., effective May 21, 2020. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

Rail

Canadian National Railway operates the only railroad in Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac was the headquarters of the Wisconsin Central Railroad until 2001. It was part of the Soo Line until 1987.

Mass transit

Fond du Lac Area Transit is the city's local public transit operator. The first public transit in Fond du Lac was a privately owned streetcar service in the 1880s; it converted to buses from 1944 to 1967. After several private operators, the bus system ceased operations in December 1967. In August 1968 the Fondy Area Bus Cooperative was established to provide bus service by support of private citizens and businesses, in lieu of a municipal one; however, it asked the city for financial support in 1970. The current city-owned transit system began operations on January 15, 1973, following the successful passing of the referendum on November 7, 1972. It operates eight bus routes (with one of those routes operating only in the morning and afternoon to service K–12 schools), as well as a

Paratransit Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...

service and taxi service for areas that the bus system does not reach.

Roads and highways

Notable people

Politics and law

* William Aldrich, U.S. Representative from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

* Warren Braun, Wisconsin State Senator * Thomas Cale, U.S. Congressional Delegate from

Alaska Territory The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. The territory was previously Russian America, 1784–1867; th ...

* Flora Cheney, Illinois State Representative * Theodore Conkey, Wisconsin State Senator * John P. Dobyns, Wisconsin State Representative * Harrison H. Dodd, Mayor of Fond du Lac *

Mary Beth Dolin Mary Elisabeth Dolin (January 25, 1936 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin – April 9, 1985) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 1981 as a New Democrat, and was a cabinet minister in the gov ...

, Canadian politician *

F. Ryan Duffy Francis Ryan Duffy (June 23, 1888 – August 16, 1979) was a United States senator from Wisconsin, a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a United States district judge of the United State ...

, U.S. Senator and Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals * William H. Ebbets, Wisconsin State Representative * Charles A. Eldredge, U.S. Representative * L. J. Fellenz, Wisconsin State Senator * Louis J. Fellenz, Jr., Wisconsin State Senator * Maurice J. Fitzsimons, Jr., Wisconsin State Representative * Rudolph W. E. Fritzke, Wisconsin State Representative * Edwin H. Galloway, Wisconsin State Representative * Earl Gilson, Wisconsin State Representative * J. Herbert Green, Wisconsin State Senator * Herbert J. Grover, educator and politician * Corwin C. Guell, Wisconsin State Representative * E. Harold Hallows, Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court * Joseph H. Hardgrove, Wisconsin State Representative * William Hiner, Wisconsin State Senator and Mayor of Fond du Lac * Charles Hoeflinger, Wisconsin State Representative * Paul O. Husting, U.S. Senator * Edward H. Jenison, U.S. Representative from

* Raphael Katz, Wisconsin State Representative * Gaines A. Knapp, Wisconsin State Representative * Louie Augustus Lange, Wisconsin State Representative *

Peg Lautenschlager Peggy Ann Lautenschlager (November 22, 1955 – March 31, 2018) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who was the first chair of the Wisconsin Ethics Commission from 2016 to 2017, the 42nd Attorney General of Wisconsin from 2003 t ...

, Wisconsin Attorney General * Rensselaer Morse Lewis, Wisconsin state legislator * William H. Loucks,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

State Representative * John B. Macy, U.S. Representative, drowned on the steamer Niagara *

Scott McCallum James Scott McCallum (born May 2, 1950) is an American businessman and former politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 43rd governor of Wisconsin, ascending from the Lieutenant Governorship when Tommy Thompson resigned in 2001 t ...

, Governor of Wisconsin * Earl F. McEssy, Wisconsin State Representative * Carlton W. Mauthe, Wisconsin State Representative * Robert W. Monk, Wisconsin State Senator * Charles Henry Morgan, U.S. Representative from

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

* Ronald E. Nehring, Utah Supreme Court Associate Justice * Morgan Noble, Wisconsin State Representative * William J. Nuss, Wisconsin State Representative * Leo P. O'Brien, Wisconsin State Senator * George B. Perkins, Iowa state legislator and businessman *

Tom Petri Thomas Evert Petri (born May 28, 1940) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1979 to 2015; he is a member of the Republican Party. Early life Petri was born in Marinette, Wisconsin. When he was a toddler, his fat ...

, U.S. Representatives * Kate Hamilton Pier, lawyer * John Abner Race, U.S. Representative * Michael K. Reilly, U.S. Representative *

Henry Rollman Henry Rollmann (February 9, 1853 – August 23, 1927) was a Wisconsin pharmacist and businessman who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate. Biography Rollmann was born on February 9, 1853, in Calvar ...

, Wisconsin State Senator * Samuel M. Smead, Wisconsin State Senator * Thomas Wilson Spence, legislator and lawyer * Samuel B. Stanchfield, Wisconsin State Senator * George Eaton Sutherland, Wisconsin State Senator * Nathaniel Tallmadge, U.S. Senator from New York * David Taylor, judge * Alfred L. Thwing, Minnesota State Senator and judge * William K. Van Pelt, U.S. Representative * Thomas S. Weeks, Wisconsin State Representative * Owen A. Wells, U.S. Representative

Sports

* Ed Aspatore, NFL player * Bob Blewett, MLB player * Ken Criter, NFL player *

Drake Diener Drake Richard Diener (born December 19, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball at DePaul University. College career Diener joined the DePaul Blue Demons in 2001, where he was nominated ...

, professional basketball player * Travis Diener, assistant coach for Marquette, former pro basketball player, cousin of

* Jim Dilling, track & field high jumper * Paul Erickson, MLB player * Jim Gantner, MLB player * Bill Guilfoile, baseball public relations * Bert Husting, MLB player *

Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who is a free agent. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt ...

, NFL

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...

* Ann Klapperich, professional basketball player * Nubs Kleinke, MLB player * Polly Koch, professional football player *

Cory Raymer As a given name, Cory is used by both males and females. It is a variation of the name Cora, which has Greek origins and is the maiden name of the goddess Persephone. The name also can have origins from the Gaelic word ''coire'', which means "in ...

, center for

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

and San Diego Chargers * Eric Schafer,

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

fighter in UFC * Robert Windsor, NFL player * Braelon Allen, football player for the Wisconsin Badgers

Military

* Edward S. Bragg,

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

general, U.S. Representative,

U.S. Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U. ...

* Charles Henry De Groat,

general * Charles Smith Hamilton,

Major General * Edward McGlachlin, Jr., U.S. Army Major General * Hugh J. McGrath,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient *

James Megellas James Megellas (March 11, 1917 – April 2, 2020) was a United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as ...

, U.S. Army officer who commanded company "H" of 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from tho ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Lyman M. Ward Lyman Munson Ward (October 6, 1836January 19, 1909) was an American farmer, Republican politician, and Union Army colonel in the American Civil War. He served four years in the Michigan House of Representatives, and received an honorary brev ...

general * David E. Wood,

Union army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

colonel

Other

Jeanne Bice Jeanne Bice (July 20, 1939 – June 10, 2011) was an entrepreneur, businesswoman and television personality. Bice was the founder of the Quacker Factory clothing line, which led to frequent appearances on QVC beginning in 1995. Her company, Quac ...

, television personality, founder of Quaker Factory clothing line *

Brigid Bazlen Brigid Mary Bazlen (June 9, 1944 – May 25, 1989) was an American film, television and stage actress. Although she made only three Hollywood films, '' The Honeymoon Machine'', ''King of Kings'', and '' How the West Was Won'', she is still reme ...

, actress *

Jonathon Brandmeier Jonathon "Johnny B" Brandmeier (born July 15, 1956) is a Chicago radio personality and musician. Career Born John Francis Brandmeier to a German father and a Lebanese mother, Brandmeier started his radio career in 1973 at WFON in Fond du Lac, Wi ...

, Chicago radio personality on WGN-AM * Julia Colman (1828–1909), American temperance educator, activist, editor, writer * Alice Arnold Crawford (1850–1874), poet * Edward L. Doheny, oil tycoon * Jeanna Giese, first person known to have been successfully treated for

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...

without receiving a vaccine * King Camp Gillette, inventor of the safety razor and founder of the

Gillette Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gill ...

Company *

Don Gorske Donald A. Gorske (born November 28, 1953) is an American world record holder known as the "ultimate Big Mac fan," having eaten over 32,672 such hamburgers from the U.S. fast food chain McDonald's in his lifetime, earning him a place in the ''Gui ...

Big Mac The Big Mac is a hamburger sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. It was introduced in the Greater Pittsburgh area in 1967 and across the United States in 1968. It is one of the company's flagship products and sign ...

enthusiast and Guinness World Record holder of most Big Macs eaten in a lifetime *

Gordon Hammes Gordon G. Hammes (born 1934 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) is a distinguished service professor of biochemistry, emeritus, at Duke University, professor emeritus at Cornell University, and member of United States National Academy of Sciences. Hammes' ...

, professor * Carl Kiekhaefer, founder of

and

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

team owner. * Ronald W. Langacker, professor of linguistics * Christian Patterson, artist * Daniel Plainview, oil baron * Pablo Ervin Schmitz Simon, Roman Catholic bishop *

Darold Treffert Darold A. Treffert (March 12, 1933 – December 14, 2020) was a psychiatrist and research director who specialized in the epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders and savant syndrome. He lived in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He was on the staff at Ag ...

, psychiatrist

References

External links

City of Fond du Lac

Fond du Lac Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Early Fond du Lac County People and Places
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
188418921898190219081915
*
Around the Corner with John McGivern – Fond du Lac
Video produced by '' Milwaukee PBS'' {{authority control Cities in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin Populated places established in 1843 1843 establishments in Wisconsin Territory Cities in Wisconsin