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Long before European or American settlement, the area around the Root River was home to Native nations, including the Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), and Menominee peoples. These tribes lived, traded, hunted, and fished along the river and the Lake Michigan shoreline for generations. The Root River – known as Kipikawi in Potawatomi – was a vital resource and transportation route.

Following a series of treaties and forced removals in the early 19th century, much of this land was ceded to the United States, opening the way for white settlers. But the cultural and ecological imprints of Native nations remain a foundational part of the land’s story, one that predates Racine’s founding by thousands of years.

In November 1834, Captain Gilbert Knapp, a seasoned mariner turned settler, rode north from Chicago on horseback, guided by an Indigenous scout through Skunk Grove, a small trading post in what is now part of Kenosha County. When he reached the mouth of the Root River, he claimed a spot on the high south bank – near where Second Street ends today – and built a log cabin with help from two hired men. That cabin marked the beginning of permanent American settlement in the area now known as Racine.

Drawn by the promise of river access and fertile land, other settlers followed quickly. Early homesteads took root near the harbor and along the bluffs west of the river as pioneers cleared the dense forest and began farming. By the spring of 1835, the outlines of a small but growing settlement were in place.

In 1836, the Wisconsin Territory was created, and Racine County was officially carved out of Milwaukee County. Captain Knapp was elected to the first Territorial Council. That same year, the village of Racine was formally platted into lots and blocks.

Because legal land titles were still years away, Racine’s early settlers created their own system to manage claims and prevent disputes. In 1837, they adopted a community constitution that required anyone claiming land to build a home or farm of at least three acres within a year. A locally organized claims court handled disagreements, an early example of Racine’s practical, self-governed spirit.

During this period:

• The first post office was established in 1836.
• The first schoolhouse – just 16 feet square – opened that same winter.
• The first hotel, operated by Stebbins & Myers, stood in the middle of what is now Main Street.
• The first storefronts were built far inland from the river, prompting concerns they were “too deep in the woods for business to ever find them.”

The winters were harsh, food could be scarce, and getting salt sometimes meant a two-day journey on horseback. But the community was determined and growing.

By the 1840s, Racine had become a hub for trade. Plank roads connected the city to Janesville, Milwaukee, and the surrounding countryside, but the harbor remained shallow and underdeveloped. When Congress turned down a request for federal funding in 1844, Racine’s settlers raised $10,000 themselves, dredged the Root River by hand, and welcomed the first steamboat – the Chesapeake – into the harbor later that same year.

With improved access to Lake Michigan, the city’s economy took off. Local farmers supplied a variety of goods that were shipped east by steamboat, helping establish Racine as a key link in regional trade.

In 1842, Jerome Case arrived from New York with a steam-powered threshing machine that would revolutionize farming and lead to the founding of J.I. Case, a company that would become one of the most influential agricultural manufacturers in the world.

Other Racine-made products were also gaining ground. Horlick’s malted milk, first produced in the late 1800s, became an international sensation, famously packed on British expeditions to the South Pole and sold around the globe.

Racine was also a city that believed in infrastructure. Initially reliant on wells and cisterns, the city introduced a modern waterworks system in 1887, which drew water from Lake Michigan. With a towering standpipe, fire hydrants, and one of the first municipal chlorination systems in the country, Racine earned a reputation for having some of the cleanest drinking water in the U.S. by the early 20th century.

Racine’s commitment to beauty matched its investment in utility. As early as 1842, land was set aside for public parks: Monument Square, East Park, and West Park. By the 1890s,

those spaces had fountains, pergolas, and bandstands, thanks to the work of parks superintendent A.A. Fisk. Public gathering places weren’t just an amenity; they were a priority.

By the early 1900s, Racine had left its frontier roots behind and become an industrial powerhouse. The city was often called “The Machine Shop of the World,” and with good reason.

• J.I. Case produced tractors and harvesters used worldwide.
• InSinkErator, founded in 1927, invented the garbage disposal.
• Modine Manufacturing developed world-class heating and cooling systems.
• Twin Disc became a global transmission leader for maritime and military machinery.
• Horlick’s Malted Milk continued exporting to Europe and the British Empire, remaining a worldwide name in food science.
• S.C. Johnson & Son, founded in 1886, grew from a wax manufacturer into a global household products company, with a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed headquarters that is still in use.

This industrial rise brought new waves of immigrants: Germans, Italians, Poles, Czechs, and Danes filled Racine’s working-class neighborhoods. During the Great Migration, African American families arrived from the South, followed later by Mexican and Puerto Rican workers who helped power Racine’s postwar economy.

Racine’s cultural identity reflects the traditions, resilience, and creativity of its diverse population. Immigrants brought their customs, languages, and celebrations with them, and those influences took root in the city’s churches, neighborhoods, and civic organizations.

The arts have long been a source of pride. The Racine Art Museum – home to one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary craft – and the Racine Theatre Guild, a beloved community theater in continuous operation since 1938, both grew out of local passion and decades of volunteer support.

Even local food has a story to tell. Danish immigrants brought with them the flaky, fruit-filled pastry that became Racine’s most famous export: Kringle. Today, it’s so beloved that Racine holds the official title of “Kringle Capital of the World” – and in 2013, Kringle was

named the official state pastry of Wisconsin, thanks to legislation introduced by then–State Representative Cory Mason.

Sports, too, have played a role in community identity. In the 1940s, Racine was home to the Racine Belles, one of the original teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. They played their home games at historic Horlick Field, a local landmark that still hosts athletic events today. The Belles won the league’s inaugural championship in 1943 and were later featured in the 1992 film A League of Their Own. They remain a symbol of the city’s pioneering spirit and a proud chapter in the history of women’s sports.

Civic life in Racine has deep roots in activism. The city was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and that spirit of resistance carried forward through the labor movements of the early 20th century, the civil rights era, and into today’s work on housing, equity, and environmental justice. Generations of Racinians have built community through volunteerism, organizing, and public service. Here, culture and civic life have always gone hand in hand.

Over time, that same spirit of creativity and collaboration would take on a new kind of challenge – reimagining what Racine’s future could look like.

By the 1970s, Racine’s lakefront was no longer its crown jewel; it had become cluttered with old industrial sites and long-shuttered plants. But the city didn’t sit still.

In the mid-1980s, under the leadership of Mayor Bill Olson and County Executive Dennis Kornwolf, Racine began reclaiming its shoreline. Former industrial land was transformed into public spaces that are still vibrant gathering places today:

• Reefpoint Marina, with over 900 slips and a protective breakwater.
• Festival Park and Festival Hall, hosting numerous public events each year.
• Founders Square, a community-funded plaza honoring local families and institutions.

The city restored its waterfront not just as a scenic backdrop, but as a space for recreation, celebration, and connection, then and now.

From a log cabin at the mouth of the Root River to a lakefront city of innovation and reinvention, Racine’s story is one of resilience, community, and place.

It’s a city where people have always built homes, tools, schools, and movements. And where the past continues to shape the future: through restored parks, celebrated architecture, lakefront festivals, and the enduring spirit of collaboration that has defined Racine since the beginning.