Oshkosh is a city in
Winnebago County,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, of which it is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020,
making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the
Town of Oshkosh.
History
Oshkosh was named for
Menominee Chief Oshkosh, whose name meant "claw" (cf.
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
''oshkanzh'', "the claw").
Although the
fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
attracted the first European settlers to the area as early as 1818, it never became a major player in the fur trade. The 1820s mining boom in southwest Wisconsin along with the opening of the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing ...
shifted commercial activity away from the
Fox River Valley and
Green Bay. Soon after 1830, much of the trade moved west, as there had been over-trapping in the region.
Following the publicity caused by the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...
in 1832, there was increased interest in settling Wisconsin by whites from the East Coast, especially New York,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
, and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, and by 1836 the cities of
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
,
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
,
Janesville,
Beloit, and
Fond du Lac were founded, with Madison the capital of a new
territorial
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or an ...
government, setting the stage for the economic and political importance of the southern part of the state. However, Oshkosh would continue to be one of Wisconsin's top five largest cities into the twentieth century.
The establishment and growth of the
wood industry
The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry -- when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products (e.g. furnitu ...
in the area spurred development of Oshkosh. Already designated as the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
, Oshkosh was incorporated as a city in 1853. It had a population of nearly 2,800.
The lumber industry became well established as businessmen took advantage of navigable
waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary ...
s to provide access to both markets and northern pineries. The 1859 arrival of
rail transportation expanded the industry's ability to meet the demands of a rapidly growing construction market. At one time, Oshkosh was known as the "Sawdust Capital of the World" due to the number of lumber mills in the city, 11 by 1860.
During the Civil War, the 21st Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, of the Union Wisconsin Volunteers was organized at Oshkosh, taking in many new recruits. This was one of two units organized in the state; the other was the 6th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, organized at
Camp Randall
Camp Randall was a United States Army base in Madison, Wisconsin, the largest staging point for Wisconsin troops entering the American Civil War. At this camp fresh volunteers received quick training before heading off to join the Union Army. A ...
, Madison. The 21st mustered on September 5, 1862, marching to Ohio and
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, where it participated in the fortification of Louisville later that year. It was attached to the Army of the Ohio and later to the Army of the Cumberland.
By 1870, Oshkosh had become the third-largest city in
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, with a population of more than 12,000. The community attracted a range of professional teachers, attorneys, doctors, businessmen, and others who helped it flourish. The ''Oshkosh Daily Northwestern'' newspaper (now the ''
Oshkosh Northwestern
The ''Oshkosh Northwestern'' is a daily newspaper based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The ''Northwestern'' was owned by the Schwalm and Heaney families until 1998, when it was sold to Ogden Newspapers; Ogden traded the paper to Thomson Newspapers two m ...
'') was founded around this time, as was the Oshkosh State Normal School (now the
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
). Lumber continued as the mainstay of the city. By 1874, it had 47
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
s and 15
shingle mill
Shingle may refer to:
Construction
*Roof shingles or wall shingles, including:
**Wood shingle
***Shake (shingle), a wooden shingle that is split from a bolt, with a more rustic appearance than a sawed shingle
*** Quercus imbricaria, or shingle oa ...
s.
On April 28, 1875, Oshkosh had a "Great Fire" that consumed homes and businesses along Main Street north of the Fox River. The fire engulfed 70 stores, 40 factories, and 500 homes, costing nearly $2.5 million (or $67.3 million in 2022 money) in damage.
Around 1900 Oshkosh was home of the
Oshkosh Brewing Company, which coined the marketing slogan "By Gosh It's Good." Its Chief Oshkosh brand became a nationally distributed beer.
The population of the city in 1910 was 33,062, making it the state's fourth largest city, ahead of Madison and Green Bay.
The
Oshkosh All-Stars
The Oshkosh All-Stars were an American professional basketball team based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Founded in 1929 by Lonnie Darling, the team was a member of the National Basketball League, a forerunner to the NBA, from 1937 until 1949.
History ...
played in the
National Basketball League from 1937 to 1949, before the NBL and the
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA absorbed most of National Basketball League (NBL) and rebranded as the National Ba ...
merged to become the
NBA. Oshkosh reached the NBL's championship finals five times.
Historic districts
The city has a total of 33 listings on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. Some area entrepreneurs and businessmen made their fortunes in the lumber industry. Many made significant contributions to the community, in both politics and supporting
philanthropic organizations. Following devastating fires in the mid-1870s, new buildings were commissioned in Oshkosh that expressed a range of good design: for residential, commercial, civic and religious use.
The many structures which make up the city's historic areas are largely a result of the capital and materials generated by the lumber and associated wood manufacturing industries. Oshkosh had six historic districts as of October 2011. They include the Algoma Boulevard, Irving/Church, North Main Street,
Oshkosh State Normal School on the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh campus, Paine Lumber Company, and Washington Avenue historic districts.
The city had 27 historic buildings and sites individually listed on the NRHP as of October 2011. Eleven are houses, four are churches, and the remainder include schools, colleges, a bank, a fire house, an observatory, the
Winnebago County Courthouse, and a cemetery where many of the entrepreneurs are buried.
Geography
Oshkosh is located at (44.024983, −88.551336).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Climate
In the most recent climatological normal has a hot-summer
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
(
Köppen: ''Dfa'') near the 22 °C threshold (the average of the hottest month is 22.2 °C). Summer days are warm to hot with cool to mild nights. Winters are cold and long with moderate snowfall. Precipitation peaks from late spring to early fall.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
census of 2020,
the population was 66,816. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was . There were 29,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.0%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 5.3%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 4.4%
Asian, 0.8%
Native American, 1.3% from
other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 4.4%
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race.
The 2020 census population of the city included 3,045 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 2,767 people in student housing.
According to the
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $51,282, and the median income for a family was $70,534. Male full-time workers had a median income of $47,470 versus $37,319 for female workers. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $25,625. About 8.0% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Of the population age 25 and over, 91.3% were high school graduates or higher and 26.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher.
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 66,083 people, 26,138 households, and 13,836 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 28,179 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 3.1%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.8%
Native American, 3.2%
Asian, 0.7% from
other races, and 1.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.
There were 26,138 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.1% were non-families. Of all households, 34.4% were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 18.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile (1,028.0/km
2). There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile (415.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.73%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 2.19%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.52%
Native American, 3.03%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.53% from
other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.69% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race. 52.2% were of German and 6.3% Irish ancestry according to
Census 2000.
There were 24,082 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. Of all households, 32.4% were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.
Transportation
Major highways
Bus
Oshkosh is also served by the
GO Transit
GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...
(formerly Oshkosh Transit System), which runs nine fixed-route bus routes throughout the city from 6:15 am until 6:45 pm Monday through Saturday. One of these routes also connects Oshkosh with
Neenah, Wisconsin
Neenah () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, in the north central United States. It is situated on the banks of Lake Winnebago, Little Lake Butte des Morts, and the Fox River, approximately forty miles (60 km) southwest of Gree ...
, and the Fox Cities' transit system,
Valley Transit.
Airport
Oshkosh's airport, Wittman Field or
Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH), opened in 1927 as Oshkosh Airport Inc. The airport had commercial traffic starting in 1928 when Northwest Airways delivered mail to Oshkosh and the Fox Cities. In 1972, the airport was renamed after race pilot
Steve Wittman, who was the airport manager for 38 years.
Wittman Field had commercial service on a number of airlines until 2003. Wittman was served at various times by
Wisconsin Central Airlines
North Central Airlines was a regional airline in the Midwestern United States. Founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, the company moved to Madison in 1947. This is also when the "Herman the duck" logo was bo ...
,
North Central,
Republic
A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
,
Air Wisconsin, American Central,
Midstate Airlines,
Northwest Airlink,
United Express
United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights.
On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...
,
Midway Connection,
Skyway, and
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
. Service on the final carrier, Great Lakes, was terminated in 2003 following the FAA's termination of a federal subsidy.
In the 21st century, Wittman Field continues to host the
EAA AirVenture Air Show and Expo (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In up to 1998). The
EAA was founded in 1953 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
, by
Paul Poberezny. The event was first held at
Timmerman Field. In 1959, it was moved to
Rockford, Illinois. By 1969, the EAA had grown too big for Rockford Municipal Airport, and the convention voted on moving to Oshkosh. During the Airshow, Wittman Regional Airport becomes the busiest airport in the world: more than 500,000 people and 10,000 airplanes attend AirVenture each year.
The closest airport with commercial service is
Appleton International Airport in
Appleton, Wisconsin.
Government and infrastructure
Oshkosh had a mayor-alderman form of government from it's charter in 1853. It abolished the position of mayor and implemented the
council-manager form of government in 1957. The city-wide elected office of "mayor" was subsequently restored in 2005, but is more akin to president of the city council. Executive power in the city still resides with the city manager.
The current city manager is Mark Rohloff, who was selected by the city council in 2008. The mayor is
Lori Palmeri, elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021.
For representation in the state legislature, Oshkosh has been primarily represented by the
54th Assembly district since the 1983 redistricting law. Since 1992, the
53rd district has also represented parts of the city of Oshkosh, but the bulk of that district is rural and suburban areas of Winnebago and counties.
The current Assembly representatives are
Michael Schraa (R–53rd district) and
Gordon Hintz
Gordon N. Hintz (born November 29, 1973) is an American public servant and Democratic politician from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was the minority leader in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2017 through 2021. He was a member of the Assembly for eig ...
(D–54th district).
In the State Senate, Oshkosh is part of the
18th Senate district, represented by
Dan Feyen (R).
Federally, Oshkosh falls within
Wisconsin's 6th congressional district
Wisconsin's 6th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in eastern Wisconsin. It is based in the rural, suburban and exurban communities between Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. It also ...
, which is represented by
Glenn Grothman
Glenn S. Grothman (; born July 3, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to his seat in 2014.
Grothman r ...
(R) since 2015. Wisconsin's United States senators are
Ron Johnson (R) and
Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Wisconsin since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms in the Wisconsin St ...
(D).
The
Oshkosh Correctional Institution, a
Wisconsin Department of Corrections prison, is located in Oshkosh.
Business and industry
Oshkosh Corporation is headquartered in Oshkosh. Oshkosh Corporation, formerly Oshkosh Truck, is the leading manufacturer and marketer of specialty vehicles and bodies in four primary business groups: Access Equipment, Defense, Fire & Emergency, and Commercial. Plastic packaging is also a major industry, with Amcor, formerly Bemis, as a major employer. There are two well known chocolate companies located in Oshkosh, Hughes and Oaks.
Oshkosh is known for
OshKosh B'Gosh, a manufacturer of
overalls and children's clothing founded in the city in 1895. Originally a small-town manufacturer of adult work clothing, it became best known for its children's lines. The original children's overalls, dating from the early twentieth century, were intended to help children dress like their fathers. According to the company, sales increased dramatically when Miles Kimball, an Oshkosh-based
mail-order catalog, featured a pair of the overalls in its national catalog. As a result, OshKosh B'Gosh began to sell their products through
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appe ...
s and expanded their children's line. Their office is now based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Oshkosh is the home of
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, ...
, "The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration" held by the
Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. ("EAA"). AirVenture is the world's largest
airshow. During AirVenture, air traffic at
Wittman Regional Airport exceeds that of any other airport in the world. EAA is a non-profit member organization, dedicated to
home-built aircraft, restored aircraft, and
Light-sport Aircraft, and fostering an interest in flying in children 8–18 years old through its
Young Eagles program.
Tourism and events are part of the local economy. Recreational fishing and boating on
Lake Winnebago includes many active fishing tournaments, an annual sturgeon spearing season, and frequent yacht and boat races. Music festivals include the summer-long WaterFest downtown and major summer music festivals for country, Christian, and rock music. December features a drive-through lights show that brings in visitors from the surrounding area.
Oshkosh is also home to two regional hospitals and the
Winnebago Mental Health Institute located in nearby
Winnebago, Wisconsin.
Education
Oshkosh has 14 public elementary schools, five public middle schools, and two high schools operated by the
Oshkosh Area School District. The high schools in the Oshkosh Area School District are
Oshkosh North High School
Oshkosh North High School is a public secondary/high school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Part of the Oshkosh Area School District, the school serves students in grades 9 through 12. As of 2021, there are 1,193 students enrolled at the school. ...
and
Oshkosh West High School.
Private schools in the city include Grace Lutheran School (Pre-K to 8th grade) and Martin Luther School (Pre-K to 8th grade) of the
WELS,
Lourdes High School, and Valley Christian School (Pre-K to 12)
The
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, the third-largest university in the state, is located in Oshkosh. The downtown campus serves approximately 15,000 students and employs 1,700 staff. Higher education is also served by a campus of the Fox Valley Technical College.
Culture and entertainment
Oshkosh has seen a recent resurgence in its cultural and entertainment options.
A downtown redevelopment plan led to the construction of the outdoor Leach Amphitheater on the Fox River. It hosts the weekly Waterfest concert series during the summer, as well as national touring musical acts and local community events. Also in downtown Oshkosh is the
Grand Opera House, a
performing arts center. Downtown Oshkosh has a farmers Market on Saturdays in the summer.
The Downtown Oshkosh Gallery Walk, held every first Saturday of the month year-round, surged in attendance through the warmer months of 2006. A number of downtown Oshkosh music venues have opened, and existing venues have tended to expand their schedules, following the trend of the area at large. The Jambalaya Art Cooperative and Art Space Collective have been long standing anchors of the Gallery Walk. In 2010, ''Chicago Magazine'' said The Jambalaya Cooperative, 413 N. Main St., was a "must see" destination when visiting Oshkosh.
Long-running community festivals, such as Sawdust Days in Menominee Park, was a popular event but discontinued in 2019. Menominee Park is also the site of the
Menominee Park Zoo. "Country USA" is an annual three-day festival in June that features entertainment from dozens of country music acts. "Rock USA" features many rock music acts as well.
Pub Crawl is an unsanctioned, unofficial event that happens twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring on the second weekend of April and October. Supposedly, according to the organizers, it was the largest and longest running college pub crawl. It is not officially sanctioned by the city, but it used to attract students across the state to the university area. Many area bars and restaurants reported an uptick in sales, though with the raised revenue also came higher incident rates for local police. The local university put in measures to keep students safe and control how people move throughout the campus.
From 1999 to 2019, the
Seventh-day Adventist-hosted International Pathfinder Camporee was held in Oshkosh, gathering tens of thousands youth and adults from all over the world every 5 years. The most recent Camporee in 2019 gathered over 56,000 Pathfinders, and is considered the largest Adventist youth event in history, with over 1,000 people being baptized. One of the main highlights of the camporees were the evening programs, specifically the plays which reenacted the stories of famous characters and stories from the Bible onstage. They were held in campgrounds close to the
EAA Aviation Museum, with some of the hangars being renovated to make room for booths where Pathfinders would get multiple honors. In 2021, it was announced that the International Pathfinder Camporee would be hosted in
Gillette, Wyoming
Gillette (, '' jih-LET'') is a city in and the county seat of Campbell County, Wyoming, United States. The town was founded in 1891 as a major railway town on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
The population was estimated at 32,030 ...
, in 2024.
Sports
The
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...
NBA basketball team placed their development team, the
Wisconsin Herd, in Oshkosh beginning with the 2017–2018 season. The team plays basketball at
Oshkosh Arena
The Oshkosh Arena, formerly the Menominee Nation Arena, is a indoor arena located in Oshkosh, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The facility is primarily used for basketball, but has also hosted a handful of conventions and concerts. It serves as ...
.
Other points of interest include:
*
EAA Aviation Museum
* Jambalaya Art Cooperative
* Military Veterans Museum
*
Oshkosh Airshow
*
Grand Opera House
*
Oshkosh Public Museum
*
Paine Art Center and Gardens
* Oshkosh Public Library
*
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
* The southern terminus of the
Wiouwash State Trail.
Notable people
References
External links
City of OshkoshOshkosh Chamber of CommerceOshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau*
{{Authority control
1853 establishments in Wisconsin
Cities in Winnebago County, Wisconsin
Cities in Wisconsin
County seats in Wisconsin
Logging communities in the United States
Populated places established in 1853