Winnebago, WI

Winnebago is a city located in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 27,521 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The city was founded in 1836 by Solomon Juneau and named for the Winnebago people who had recently settled there. The first settler arrived in 1835 and the first store opened in 1837. In 1840, a post office was established and by 1850 there were over 100 residents. The city grew rapidly as settlers came from Illinois and other parts of Wisconsin Territory looking for land to farm or purchase as homesites. By 1860, Winnebago had a population of 1,000 and boasted two churches, three schools, four stores, two hotels and several mills.

In 1871-72 Winnebago experienced an economic depression that caused many businesses to close their doors. However, by 1880 the city had recovered sufficiently to host its first state fair that year. In 1886-87 it hosted its second state fair which drew an estimated 150,000 visitors over the two-day event. That same year saw the construction of what is now known as City Hall which served as both a public meeting place and administrative center for the growing community until 1912 when a new building was erected on State Street adjacent to City Hall Plaza (now known as Pioneer Park).

During World War I (1914-18) Winnebago became home to Camp Randall (later renamed Fort Randall), one of America's largest training camps with more than 50 000 soldiers stationed there at one time or another during its history. After World War II (1939-45), growth continued as new families moved into town and businesses expanded; this period also saw significant development within City limits with new residential neighborhoods being constructed on both sides of Highway 151 ( Wisconsin Avenue) between University Avenue/Highway 51/ Nelson Road on the north side and Main Street/West Broadway on the south side; these neighborhoods include: Highland Park Estates (1948), Arbor Hills Estates (1950), Glenview Terrace (1953), Northwoods Estates (1960) Westgate Village(1966).

The 1990s brought about changes in how people shopped; previously downtown merchants had relied heavily on sales generated from tourists visiting area attractions such as Lake Monona or Camp Randall but with increased competition from big box stores located outside of town near Interstate 94 Exit 15A - now referred to locally as "the mall" - business began to decline resulting in many closures including those of Woolworth's department store at State Street Plaza which closed its doors for good in 1997 after more than 80 years in operation; this event signaled the end of an era for downtown Winnebago which up until then had been characterized by small independent businesses rather than chain stores catering primarily to local consumers..

Today downtown remains vibrant with numerous restaurants & bars along State Street Plaza serving everything from pizza to sushi while other commercial areas such as Nelson Road boast specialty shops such as art galleries & jewelers along with several financial institutions including Wells Fargo Bank & Trust Company which has been headquartered here since 1906..

Winnebago continues to grow steadily thanks largely to its strong economy anchored by manufacturing & technology sectors while maintaining its small town feel where residents are proud of their community spirit & friendly attitude towards newcomers..