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CHistory
History · Grand Chute

Grand Chute dates to 1849

More historic than 33% of U.S. towns · #275 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it

Most of Grand Chute was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1955 on and the census since 2000.

1849founded
0on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: RyanRetza · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Grand Chute began

When was Grand Chute founded?

1849

Grand Chute dates its founding to 1849 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 2000.

First census: 18,392 in 20002020 census: 23,831177 years

How historic is Grand Chute?

C

More historic than 33% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Grand Chute’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Grand Chute is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #275 of 362 in Wisconsin. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Grand Chute’s overall grade.
Founding era1849, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19401.7% of homes (±0.9) · typical WI town 12.1% · U.S. 8.4%C−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical WI town 3.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 33%
NewerOlder
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 24%

Wisconsin towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Wisconsin town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Grand Chute’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1849.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B−. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Grand Chute’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Grand Chute are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1849: 177 years of Grand Chute.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Grand Chute’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Grand Chute’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

Grand Chute, 1849 to 1955

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1849
    FoundingGrand Chute is established
  3. 1877Born hereGeorge J. Schneider is born here
  4. 20th century
  5. 1908Born hereJoseph McCarthy is born here
  6. 1955On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How Grand Chute came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Grand Chute.

Read it all →

The Town of Grand Chute was formed on April 3, 1849 inside what was then Brown County. By state legislative act, Grand Chute was split off of the Town of Kaukaulan (later Kaukauna). The Town of Grand Chute's boundary at its establishment comprised a much larger area than it has today, formed by what today are the towns of Dale, Hortonia, Greenville, Ellington, and present-day Grand Chute. By 1850, due to a large influx of new settlers, the towns of Hortonia (which included Dale at the time), Greenville, and Ellington had all been split away from Grand Chute to form new towns.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Grand Chute, decade by decade

Today7 recent
Neuroscience Group Field 20142014Neuroscience Group Field 2014ATC Power Line - panoramio (10)2012ATC Power Line - panoramio (10)Grand Chute Tower 12009Grand Chute Tower 1WIS47GrandChute2006WIS47GrandChuteGrandChuteWisconsinWaterTower2006GrandChuteWisconsinWaterTowerGrandChuteWisconsinCityHall2006GrandChuteWisconsinCityHallWIMap-doton-Grand Chute2004WIMap-doton-Grand Chute
On the map

Grand Chute on the map, 1955 to 1992

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Grand Chute. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Grand Chute on the 1955 USGS mapGrand Chute on the 1975 USGS mapGrand Chute on the 1984 USGS mapGrand Chute on the 1992 USGS map1955Appleton sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Grand Chute.

People over time

Grand Chute, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00020002020Peak: 23,831

Between 18,392 and 23,831 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Grand Chute’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Grand Chute

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Joseph McCarthyAmerican politician · b. 1908
George J. SchneiderAmerican politician · b. 1877
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Gone or out of use
Triangle Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Grand Chute
Saint Mary

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Appleton21 historic placesALittle Chute2 historic placesB+Greenville3 historic placesBFox CrossingIts storyDCenter1 historic placeB−VandenbroekIts storyC−FreedomIts storyC+

Questions about Grand Chute’s history

What year was Grand Chute founded?

In 1849, according to Wikidata. the census of 2000 counted 18,392 people here.

How does Grand Chute rank for history?

Grand Chute is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #275 of 362 in Wisconsin. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Grand Chute?

2% of Grand Chute’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1989.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.