The Founding of Green Bay: Mission, Then Fur Trade

Green Bay, Wisconsin: From Jesuit Mission to Fur Trade Hub

Green Bay holds the distinction of being the oldest continuous settlement in Wisconsin. Its origins are twofold: a religious mission and a commercial enterprise.

1634: The Mission of St. François-Xavier

French Jesuit priest Jean Nicolet (often credited as the first European to reach the area) arrived in 1634 seeking the "Northwest Passage" to China. He was followed by Jesuit missionaries Claude Allouez and Jacques Marquette, who established the Mission of St. François-Xavier at Rapides Des Pères (near present-day De Pere) in 1671. The mission served the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Menominee, and other Algonquian peoples.

The Fur Trade Engine

Almost simultaneously, Green Bay became a critical node in the Great Lakes fur trade network. Its location at the mouth of the Fox River, connecting via the Fox-Wisconsin portage to the Mississippi River system, made it a natural gateway. The French established Fort La Baye (later Fort Edward Augustus) to protect trade interests.

• Key Trade: Beaver pelts were the currency of the empire.
• Métis Community: A mixed French-indigenous community (Métis) developed, centered on the Grignon, Porlier, and Langlade families.
• Continuity: The fur trade dominated the economy through the British period (1761–1783) and early American period until the 1830s, when lead mining and settlement overtook it.

Summary

Green Bay was founded as a Jesuit mission in 1634/1671, but it grew and persisted because of the fur trade. The mission provided the initial European presence; the fur trade provided the economic engine that sustained the settlement.