Neenah ( ) is a city in

Winnebago County, Wisconsin Winnebago County is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 171,730. Its county seat is Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Oshkosh. It was named for the historic Ho- ...

, United States. It is situated on the banks of

Lake Winnebago Lake Winnebago (, , ) is a shallow freshwater lake in the north central United States, located in east central Wisconsin. At , it is the largest lake entirely within the state, covering an area of about by with of shoreline, an average depth ...

Little Lake Butte des Morts Little Lake Butte des Morts is a lake in the US state of Wisconsin, eight miles north of Lake Butte des Morts. It is part of the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway and receives its inflow from a short segment of the Fox River which drains from the nor ...

, and the Fox River approximately northeast of Oshkosh and southwest of Green Bay. Neenah's population was 27,319 at the 2020 census. Neenah is within the geographic boundaries of the Town of Neenah, but is politically independent. The city is the southwesternmost of the

Fox Cities The Fox Cities of Northeastern Wisconsin are the cities, towns and villages along the Fox River as it flows from Lake Winnebago northward into Green Bay. The Fox Cities communities, as defined by its Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visit ...

of northeast Wisconsin. It is a principal city of the Oshkosh–Neenah metropolitan statistical area, which consists of all of Winnebago County and had 171,730 residents in 2020. It is sometimes referred to as a twin city with Menasha, with which it shares Doty Island.

History

Neenah was named by Governor

James Duane Doty James Duane Doty (November 5, 1799 – June 13, 1865) was an American land speculator, politician, and pioneer. He served as the 2nd Governor of Wisconsin, governor (1841–1844) of the Wisconsin Territory and 5th Governor of Utah, governor ...

from the Hoocąk word for "water" or "running water". It was the site of a

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...

village in the late 18th century. It is in the Hoocąk language. The government initially designated this area in 1835 as an industrial and agricultural mission to the

Menominee The Menominee ( ; meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recognized tribe of Na ...

people of the area. Early settlement by European Americans began a few years later, stimulated in large part by the proximity of the area to the Fox River.

Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational consumer goods and personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimb ...

corporation was formed here in 1872. It founded a major

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

here in 1873, as the region had become a center of lumbering. Profits from lumber stimulated the development of businesses and a variety of professions. Some people relocated to Neenah after the disastrous fire in Oshkosh in 1875.

Geography

Neenah is located at (44.174035, −88.468508). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 27,319. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 12,164 housing units at an average density of . Ethnically, the population was 4.8%

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 88.0%

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

, 2.3% Asian, 1.8%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.5% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. According to the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $59,778, and the median income for a family was $77,229. Male full-time workers had a median income of $52,352 versus $40,085 for female workers. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $33,420. About 8.6% of families and 11.8% 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 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 94.9% were high school graduates or higher and 32.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 25,501 people, 10,694 households, and 6,700 families living in the city. The

was . There were 11,313 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.7%

, 1.3%

, 0.7% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population. There were 10,694 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 24,507 people, 9,834 households and 6,578 families living in the city. The

was . There were 10,198 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.08%

, 0.34%

, 0.55% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.86% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 2.02% of the population were

or Latino of any race. Thirty-five percent of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,773, and the median income for a family was $55,329. Males had a median income of $39,140 versus $25,666 for females. The

for the city was $24,280. About 3.3% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the

, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

In popular culture

There is a song about Neenah called “Neenah, Wisconsin” by Enunci8 and one called “Neenah Menasha” by Sponge. The latter is on Spotify.

Economy

Neenah hosts significant paper and steel industries. Some paper companies include

Essity Essity AB (commonly known as Essity) is a Swedish multinational company specializing in hygiene and health products headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Established in 2017 through a spin-off from the forest products company Svenska Cellulosa ...

and

. Kimberly-Clark was founded in Neenah and maintains significant operations there, though its headquarters moved to Irving, Texas in the 1980s. Manhole covers manufactured at Neenah Foundry can be found throughout the central and southern United States and parts of Europe. Neenah is the headquarters of Plexus, a developer and manufacturer of electronic products, which also has engineering and manufacturing operations in the city. Also headquartered here are Cobblestone Hotel Group, J. J. Keller & Associates, Miron Construction, Menasha Corporation. Theda Clark Hospital, NM Transfer, and Checker Logistics.

Arts and culture

Founded in 1959, Neenah's Bergstrom-Mahler Museum has a collection of

glass art Glass art refers to individual works of art that are substantially or wholly made of glass. It ranges in size from monumental works and installation pieces to wall hangings and windows, to works of art made in studios and factories, including gl ...

comprising over 5,000 pieces. It concentrates in glass paperweights, Germanic drinking vessels, and contemporary studio glass sculpture.

Transportation

Interstate 41 runs south to north through the center of the city. Bus service is operated by Valley Transit. Appleton International Airport provides commercial airline service for the city.

Brennand Airport Brennand Airport, is a privately owned public use airport located southwest of the central business district of Neenah, a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States about halfway between Appleton and Oshkosh. The airport is home to ...

supports

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

service. Earlier served by the Chicago & Northwestern, the Soo Line and the

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

, Neenah today is on the Canadian National Railway's line from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

to International Falls.

Notable people

Images

File:NeenahPostOfficeWisconsin.jpg, Neenah Post Office File:NeenahLibraryWisconsin.jpg, Library File:ThedaClarkHospital.jpg, Theda Clark Medical Center File:1010Forest EastForestAvenueHistoricDistrictMenashaWisconsin.jpg, East Forest Avenue Historic District File:CharlesRSmithHouseNeenahWI.jpg, Charles R. Smith House File:HenrySpencerSmithHouse.jpg, Henry Spencer Smith House File:HavilahBabcockHouseNeenahWisconsin.jpg,

Havilah Babcock House The Havilah Babcock House is located in Neenah, Wisconsin, United States. History The house, designed by William Waters (architect), William Waters, was built for Havilah Babcock, a co-founder of Kimberly-Clark. It was listed on the National R ...

File:GeorgeOBergstromHouseSideNeenahWisconsin.jpg, George O. Bergstrom House File:EllisJenningsHouseNeenahWisconsin.jpg, Ellis Jennings House File:PerryLindsleyHouseNeenahWI.jpg, Perry Lindsley House File:HenrySherryHouseNeenahWisconsin.jpg, Henry Sherry House File:Neenah WI old post office.jpg, Former Post Office File:EdwardDVinShattuckBealsHouseNeenahWisconsin.jpg, Edward D. & Vina Shattuck Beals House File:FranklynCShattuckHouseNeenahWisconsin.jpg, Franklyn C. Shattuck House

References

External links

City of Neenah

Neenah Public Library Local History Collection
at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections center
Sanborn fire insurance maps
at the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of ...

Trade Worries Led Wisconsin Mill Town to Trump. It's Still Uneasy
– ''The New York Times'' {{Authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Winnebago County, Wisconsin Appleton–Fox Cities metropolitan area