HISTORIX Vintage 1867 Appleton Wisconsin Map Poster - 18x24 Inch Historic Bird's Eye View of Appleton Outagamie County Map of Wisconsin Wall Art Print

Produced and published only two years after the conclusion of the American Civil War, this depiction of Appleton, Wisconsin, shows the city in a period of significant growth and transformation as immigrants from Western and Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and the American South flocked to the region eager for economic opportunities. One of the so-called "Fox Cities," Appleton is situated on the banks of the Fox River, some 30 miles southwest of Green Bay. The first European settlers arrived in 1847, and a prominent paper milling industry developed, which dominated Appleton's economy by 1853. Appleton is home to the Hearthstone House, the first residence powered by hydroelectricity in 1881, and attracts tourists to this day. This bird's eye perspective was produced and illustrated by Albert Ruger, a prominent and prolific American lithographer who helped pioneer the style in the middle portion of the eighteenth century. Bird's eye perspectives were used to entice residents and merchants alike and featured prominent civic features as well as economic opportunities. Their unique style and distinctive aesthetic are immediately recognizable and transport the viewer back in time, creating an indelible bond between the past and present. Because they were not illustrated to scale, the artists often took considerable liberties to show the cities as bustling regions offering great opportunities. As America began the long process of reconstruction after the Civil War, towns and cities like Appleton began to grow and expand, with large numbers of immigrants establishing neighborhoods and communities along cultural lines, many of which exist today.