Sheboygan History dates back several centuries and includes tales of many explorers. There are some differing opinions on how the city got the name of Sheboygan. Some believe it comes from the Chippewa Indian word that means “passage between the lakes.”

There was an Indian village that sat where Sheboygan now sits in today’s times. It was the epicenter of three major routes used for trading. Another theory on the name is that the Potawatomi Indians said it was “Shab-wa-wa-go-ning.” This was said to mean waters that disappear under the ground. 

The history of Sheboygan, Wisconsin goes back a long way, but some of the written history starts in the 1635-1645 range when French explorers first came to the shores of Sheboygan. Some believe they were first non-Native Americans to ever come to Sheboygan. Later in 1699, Father St. Cosme came to the Pottawatomie Indian village just off the Sheboygan River. In the century of the 1700s, this area was a hot spot for fur traders from France and England. It wasn’t until 1818 that Sheboygan got its first permanent resident with William Farnsworth, who is said to be the founder of Sheboygan.

The Sheboygan, WI background also includes an influx of a large German population. These new settlers came as religious conflict ripped across Europe. Many German settlers came to this area and called it home. Their influence on the area has had a significant shaping of its destiny.