Phone: (920) 834-6206
Address: 915 Park Ave, Oconto, WI

Category: Historic Timeline

1870s

Posted on by packerlandteam

Kelly Brook/Kelly Lake
An Indian Trail was the only route from what is now the city of Oconto, through the center of today’s Lena and into Kelly Brook, which was named after an interesting early resident, Pat Kelly.  Nearby Kelly Lake, also named after Pat Kelly, was originally called Christy Lake.
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In 1875 when the C. Bartletts, who were survivors of the Peshtigo Fire, moved from Hart’s Switch to Kelly Brook there were few settlers, but among them were the James Marlett, the Stanislaus (Dennis) Martineau, the Jeff Tessier, the Abe Tourtillot, the William Morrison, the J. A. Schweiberg, and the Wolf Babka families.
Taken from Recollections of Oconto County, printed by the Oconto County Historical Society, 1954.

1870

Posted on by packerlandteam

Originally known as the Maple Valley settlement, Lena owes its location to the railroads. The first white settlers in this vicinity arrived in the late 1870s and consisted primarily of French Canadian immigrants. As was common in other areas populated by French-Canadians during this era, most of the Maple Valley residents engaged in small-scale logging, concentrating their work and their homes along Jones Creek, a tributary of the Little River. By 1879 the community had become large enough to support a post office and, since the name “Maple Valley” had already been assigned to another Wisconsin post office, the recommendation of a new name fell to Oconto Postmaster George R. Hall. Hall submitted the first name of his future wife to the federal postmaster, and the choice was approved.
Coordinates: 44°59′7″N 88°3′22″W