Bios transcribed by Kay R. & History by Jan Cortez
Means of Communication
As is always the case, the water highways first served Oshkosh in opening up communication with other points. The steamer Manchester was built near Pipe Village, on the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago, and made her first appearance at this place in the fall of 1844. Capt. Hotaling was her commander, and Stephen Brooks, engineer. Her route included Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Winnebago Rapids, Pipe Village, and the trading-posts on the Fox. Her sphere of usefulness was soon extended up the Wolf River to the Gill's Landing and Shawano saw-mills. In 1849, a steamboat company was formed by Morgan L. Martin, M.C. Darling, Capt. A.B. Bowen, John Bannister, Theodore Conkey, Augustine Grignon and Joseph Jackson. The latter was President, and Capt. Hotaling was Admiral of the fleet of five boats. Since then the shipping interests of Oshkosh have grown and extended over Lake Winnebago and along the rivers which are tributary to her.
At this point it is fitting to say a word in regard to the trouble experienced in the replacement of the ancient ferry by a bridge - free to all - which finally connected the two portions of the village, so that the people felt as if they were of one kindred. The first bridge built across the Fox River at Oshkosh was commenced by the Fox River Bridge Company, the first team passing over it July 3, 1847. The old ferry went the way of all wood, and the new bridge took its place. One Abel Neff completed the structure in spite of the opposition of parties who wished the river spanned at other points. In 1850, Messrs. Weed, Gumaer & Coon built a bridge at Algoma, which was the "making of the place," although it did not get out of sight of Oshkosh in the race for supremacy. In the spring of 1854, the dispute over free bridge or toll waxed almost into a small civil war. The opponents of the free bridge measure served an injunction to restrain the city from issuing $2,000 bonds for the purchase of the Broad street bridge which was to be converted into a free thoroughfare. Commissioner Buttrick granted it, but Mayor Eastman refused to obey his order. The injunction was finally withdrawn as the majority of the citizens voted in favor of "no toll." The next morning a portion of the bridge was carried downstream at a kind of a "free-for-all" speed. It was recovered, placed in position, and used sometime before a new one was built.
But the great triumph of the city was complete when the first railroad reached its limits. The first through passenger train arrived at Oshkosh, over the Chicago & NOrthwestern road, October 13, 1859. This city remained the northern terminus until 1862, when the line was extended to Appleton. Its subsequent mighty extensions have opened up to Oshkosh and to all the cities along the road, the rich lumber and mineral regions of Northern Wisconsin and Michigan, and given them the benefit of communication with Milwaukee, Chicago, and all Southern points. In 1866, the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad Company was chartered to build a road from Oshkosh to the Mississippi. In 1872, twenty miles of it was constructed to Ripon, where it connected with the Chicago, MIlwaukee & St. Paul's main line, verging away off to the great wheat fields of the Northwest. There the people rested. The short line was leased to the Chicago, MIlwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, and for all practical intents and purposes Oshkosh has the benefit of a railroad to the Mississippi and far beyond. The branch of the MIlwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, built from Oshkosh in 1879, strikes the main line at Hortonville, which extends into the heart of the lumber country of Northern Wisconsin. Through the construction of this line the whole country to the north and west, over which stretch the Wisconsin Central and the Green Bay & Minnesota roads was placed in communication with Oshkosh, and the city entered into a new and more expanded career of prosperity.
