OSHKOSH

city, seat (1847) of Winnebago county, east-central Wisconsin, U.S. It lies on the west shore of Lake Winnebago at the mouth of the upper Fox River, 80 miles (130 km) north-northwest of Milwaukee. The French were active in the area from the late 17th century, and the lake and river formed an important link in a main route from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. Permanent settlement did not begin until 1836, when the Menominee Indians ceded their claims to the area. First called Athens, in 1840 it was renamed for a Menominee chief. In its early years, lumbering was the main occupation. The city's industries are now primarily service-oriented, although manufacturing is important. Its products include trucks and transportation equipment, plastic packaging, paper products, and apparel. The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, was founded in 1871 as a state normal school. Each summer the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), headquartered in Oshkosh, hosts the EAA Fly-In Convention at Wittman Regional Airport. The EAA also maintains an aviation museum there. Inc. village, 1846; city, 1853. Pop. (1990) city, 55,006; Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah MSA, 315,121; (1994 est.) city, 56,229; Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah MSA, 332,348.