Since the 1800s, the Fox Cities have been known as the Paper Valley, where dozens of mills once lined the Fox River, powering jobs, commerce and community life. But beginning in the late 20th century, one by one, the mills closed. Some that remain have found a new purpose.
Appleton began making paper in 1848, and by the 1870s, the city boasted the highest concentration of paper mills in the world, fueled by water power, nearby forests and labor.
“This was the Paper Valley, it’s what we’re known for,” said Sheila Brucks from the Appleton Historical Society…