The Fox River is a river in eastern and central Wisconsin. Geographers divide the Fox into two distinct sections, the Upper Fox River that flows from central Wisconsin into Lake Winnebago, and the Lower Fox River that links Lake Winnebago with Green Bay. Together, the two sections give the Fox River a length of 200 miles.

The Upper Fox River begins as a small stream northeast of Pardeeville. It flows southwest towards Portage and comes within 2 miles of the Wisconsin River before quickly turning north. After flowing past Montello, the river goes northeast until reaching Lake Butte des Morts. Here it is joined by the tributary Wolf River before entering Lake Winnebago at Oshkosh. The Lower Fox begins at the north end of Lake Winnebago, where it flows north past Neenah, Menasha, and Appleton as it begins its 39 mile course towards the Bay of Green Bay. The river drops around 164 feet over this short stretch, and prior to the construction of European-style dams after 1850, the river had many sizable rapids. The Lower Fox ends after flowing through downtown Green Bay and into the Bay of Green Bay.

Prior to European settlement in the late 1600s, the shores of the Fox River and Green Bay were home to roughly half the 25,000 Native Americans who lived in what is today the State of Wisconsin. The first Europeans to reach the Fox were the French, beginning with Jean Nicolet in 1634. In 1673 explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet canoed up the river as far as Portage. Here they made the short portage from the Fox to the Wisconsin River and then canoed on towards the Mississippi River, establishing an important water route between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River known as the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway. This route was used frequently by fur traders during the French colonization of the Americas. The French-Canadian men who established homes on the Fox River married First Nation women, producing a mixed-blood population similar to the Metis of Canada.

The Fox-Wisconsin Waterway's importance continued into the 1850s, when the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement Company built locks and dams on the Fox and a canal to connect it to the Wisconsin River at Portage. The company was hoping to establish Green Bay as a port city to rival Chicago by making Fox-Wisconsin Waterway into the principal shipping route between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. However, this goal was never reached, largely because the Upper Fox remained too shallow for significant shipping even after damming and dredging.

Instead of developing as a transportation corridor, the Lower Fox became a center of industry. During the mid 1800s, when Wisconsin was a leading producer of wheat, several flour mills sprang up along the river to harness its abundant water power. During the 1860s, as Wisconsin's wheat production declined, these flour mills were replaced by a growing number of paper mills. The Lower Fox proved an ideal location for paper production, owing to its proximity to lumbering areas that could supply wood pulp to make paper. Several well known paper companies were founded in cities along the river, including Kimberly-Clark, Northern Paper Mills (creator of Quilted Northern), and the Hoberg Paper Company (creator of Charmin).

The Fox River offers an endless venue for year-round water recreation to Winnebago County residents. Spring fishing, hiking and natural exploring of all sorts is abundant. In summer, camping in the many nearby state, local and private parks along the banks is popular, as is swimming, diving, spelunking and fishing and hiking. Of course, the incredible fall leaves make all of the above a spectacular experience to be enjoyed over and over again. In winter, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and nature photography are added to the mix. In all, the Fox River and it's adjacent communities will never cease to keep you occupied should you choose to "Come Home to the Fox River Region."

For more information on activities in and around the Fox River region, Wisconsin, visit:

• Winnebago County, WI
• Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce
• The State of Wisconsin
• Fox River, Wisconsin on Wikipedia.com

For more information on activities in and around the Fox Cities area in East Central Wisconsin visit:

• Leading Indicators for Life Excellence in the Fox Cities (LIFE)
• Fox River Mall
• Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• Fox Cities Online
• Fox Cities of Wisconsin
• Barlow Planetarium
• Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)

Fox River Region Homes, Properties and Special Feature Real Estate

Fox River real estate includes a wide variety of homes for sale, condos for sale, water access properties (waterfront or scenic view), active adult communities, hobby farms and executive properties. Whether you're presently a buyer or seller, we're confident we can help you achieve your real estate goals. Sellers who have been in the area for a while know our reputation for knowledgeable advice, enthusiastic service, creative marketing and professional networking. We mine every source for suitable properties so you can feel at ease that your search will produce the right kind of solution for you.

For buyers new to the area, CENTURY 21 First Realty will provide the specialized services you deserve: a strong work ethic, personal real estate expertise to help define your needs, help with selecting and securing standard financing for your purchase, special technology, constant communication throughout the transaction, and more. Our many years living and working in the area, combined with our cumulative years of experience in real estate, means we can cover all aspects of your search - from existing homes for sale, properties for sale, lots, vacant land, new construction, 55-plus and retirement communities, investment properties, waterfront, golf and recreational properties, golf course lots - all the way to luxury villas, estates and executive homes.

So when you're ready to buy or sell real estate in or around the Fox River region in Wisconsin, please let CENTURY 21 First Realty help you find the home or property of your dreams. Contact CENTURY 21 First Realty today!

Other nearby communities have similar real estate characteristics as Fox River and may also be of interest to you in your home search. Please feel free to ask CENTURY 21 First Realty about homes for sale, lakeside/riverside properties and other real estate listings for nearby communities, such as Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, Kaukauna, Little Chute, Combined Locks, Kimberly, Greenville, Darboy, Hortonville, Winneconne, Winchester, Fox Valley, Fox Cities, Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet, Lake Winnebago, Fox River [the one here, not near Chicago], Lake Poygan, Little Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Butte des Mortes and much more.

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