One of Appleton’s early founders, Eleazar Williams, claimed he
was the “lost Dauphin”—the rightful heir to the French throne.
Maybe it was royal blood that inspired him to devise a lofty
plan to lead an empire based in Wisconsin. In the 1820s he led a
host of Native Americans from New York to settle in the Fox
River Valley. His plans to become their emperor kind of fell
through, but he did succeed in accidentally establishing the
future location of Appleton and the Fox Cities. Local residents
added a personal touch to Appleton from the very beginning. When
the design for the city’s college building, Lawrence University,
was sent from Boston, Wisconsin builders thought it lacked a
certain je ne sais quois. To jazz it up a bit, they added a few
gables—four, to be exact. According to one story, Mr. Lawrence
was none too keen on their additions, but the college became a
source of local pride all the same. Many paper companies call
the Fox River Valley their home. In fact, the valley boasts the
world’s highest con