Darboy, Wisconsin
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| Darboy, Wisconsin | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| Counties | Outagamie, Calumet |
| Surrounding Towns | Appleton, Kimberly, Kaukauna, Menasha |
| Settled | 1830's |
| Post Office Establishment | 1877-1901 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Unincorporated- governed by town boards of Harrison and Buchanan |
| Elevation | 790 ft (241 m) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - City | 14,114 (Total of Buchanan and Harrison- Sanitary District slightly less) |
| - Metro | 360,000 (Fox Valley) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP Code | 54915 |
| Area code(s) | 920 |
| Sources: The Post-Crescent, The Junk Journal | |
| Website: Town of Buchanan[1], Town of Harrison [2] | |
Darboy is an unincorporated community in Calumet and Outagamie Counties in the Fox Cities area of the U.S. state of Wisconsin, near Kimberly and Appleton. It is located within the towns of Harrison and Buchanan. The area has grown rapidly lately, since the establishment of the Darboy Sanitary District in 1984. The area is now home to about 10,000 people.
Contents |
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,756 people, 1,998 households, and 1,646 families residing in the Town of Harrison. And as of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,827 people, 1,846 households, and 1,583 families residing in the Town of Buchanan. Although Darboy is made up of sections of both townships, it is regarded as only being the areas of both townships that is more densely populated or suburban in nature, near the intersections of County Road N with both County Roads CE and KK. The actual population of Darboy can be disputed.
[edit] General History
Darboy is a community in the Fox River Valley that does not exist as a separate legal entity from its townships.
In the pioneer age of Wisconsin, French fur traders and Native Americans frequently traveled through the area now known as Darboy. The first wave of German settlers arrived in the area around 1842 and settled near Old Plank Road, then the only road in the area, running from Lake Winnabego to Kaukauna. A wave of Dutch settlers arrived in 1848 (the same year Wisconsin became a state).
The two townships that make up the area known to us as Darboy also have rich histories. Buchanan was chartered in 1858, then defined as all of Kaukauna south of the Fox River, which was a large area. It was later whittled down to the town it is today. Harrison was founded in 1853 as the town of Lima, but was renamed in 1858 to honor the president who had recently died, William Harrison.
The town was named after Catholic Archbishop Georges Darboy, who was martyred during the Franco-Prussian War. A post office was established in 1877, but was discontinued in 1901. In the early 1900's, many business sprouted up in Darboy: Van Vorst's Hall (Now the Silver Spur), Darboy Butter and Cheese Company, Les Stumpf Ford, Lamers Dairy, Darboy Refrigeration Sales and Service, a Cobbler shop, a Blacksmith shop, and the George Mader Hall.
The History of Holy Angels and the Darboy Community, a book published for Holy Angels Church's 150th anniversary, says "Our ancestors worked hard, but they always enjoyed a good time." Darboy citizens enjoyed life, but worked hard. Several bands and singing groups are part of Darboy's history, as well as baseball teams, taverns, as well as 4-H, Boy Scout, and Girl Scout Troops.
Music is also a rich part of Darboy's history. Several singing groups and bands have formed over the years, including the Darboy Orchestra, the Ken Schmalz Band, the Mader singing group, and various groups that sang at Holy Angels Church throughout the years.
[edit] Darboy: A Catholic Community
The most historical building in Darboy is Holy Angels Catholic Church, originally called St. Martin's of Manhattan Church. The first mass was held in 1839. The Orth family donated a 5-acre parcel of land to the parish in 1850, and a church was built in 1855. The parish was renamed to honor the Guardian Angels in 1857. The church, which still exists today, was built in 1874 on County KK (now considered downtown Darboy). A Catholic school was built in 1883.
[edit] Holy Angels Recently
The Catholic School functions today thanks to a renovation in 1996. Both the church and school are still operational today. The church, Holy Angels Catholic Church, merged with Holy Name of Jesus Parish of Kimberly recently, however, and it is now called Holy Spirit Parish. [2]
[edit] Darboy changes: Post-1984 history
The area was stagnant for most of the 20th century until the 1970s, when a group of farmers, concerned about the area's future, decided to petition for a sanitary district. Construction, began in the early 1980s, and was completed in 1984. Rows upon rows of new houses began to sprout up. "This little crossroads has always been a good place to raise cows and eat chicken, but in recent years hundreds of people have also decided that it is a fine place to build a house," noted a Post-Crescent article on the development on Sunday, July 1, 1990. Farmers in the Darboy area, which traditionally had been a farming community, turned into developers and sold land to families who could hook up their houses to the new Sanitary District.
[edit] Darboy gets a public school
The Kimberly School District, which encompasses most of Darboy, decided that Darboy's growth called for a school in Darboy. Sunrise Elementary School was built on the southern side of Darboy off of County Highway N in 1996. This fueled even more growth, as the sanitary district continued to expand.
[edit] Darboy today
In 2005, the Kimberly School District finished construction on a second public school in Darboy. The school which was named Woodland Elementary School is on the south side of Darboy in the Town of Harrison. More subdivisions began to pop up immediately around the school, and as a Post-Crescent article says, "Rows of houses began to replace rows of corn" in this traditional farming community. Farmland is growing scarce, as Darboy continues to grow rapidly.
[edit] Business in Darboy today
Before the sanitary district, one could count the number of businesses in Darboy on one hand. But commercial businesses began to move in after the increase in population. The first commercial development took place on the corner of Hwy. N and Hwy. KK. in the center of Darboy, when the Darboy Plaza was first developed. Larger stores and businesses began to move in on the west side of Darboy as well, on the edge of Appleton. This growth was fueled by the completion of Wisconsin Highway 441, which was completed in September 1993. Running on the western border of the Town of Harrison and Buchanan the highway provided and easy link from west Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, Kimberly, and Grand Chute, which turned the area close to the highway into valuable commercial land. However, soon after the growth of these new businesses Appleton annexed a large portion of the Town of Harrison.
Darboy now has a thriving commercial district, made up of many high-profile businesses, including 7 large stores, 8 banks, and countless shops, convienience stores, and other small businesses.
[edit] Known for its church and chicken
Darboy is primarily known for two things: its church and its chicken. Both are showcased in summer Darboy events.
Darboy's most famous and longest lasting business' is the Darboy Club, a banquet hall known well in the area for its chicken and fish fry as well as weddings and other events. This reception hall has prompted many to ask, "Which came first, the chicken or the community?"
Two of Darboy's signature events are the Holy Angels Church Picnic and Chickenfest. The Holy Angels Church Picnic is an annual event that has been a Darboy staple since 1885. Every summer, the community gathers to celebrate its town and parish's heritage with a day of fun, food, and raising money for their parish on the third Sunday of August. There is often live music, games, bingo, an auction (normal and silent), along with many other activities. Though Holy Angels has now merged with Holy Name Parish of Kimberly (forming Holy Spirit Parish), the picnic continues to be an annual event due to its immence popularity with the community.
Chickenfest takes place every summer at the Darboy Community Park in the town of Harrison, behind Sunrise Elementary School. Chicken, games, and fireworks help celebrate the history of Darboy. This festival was introduced 4 years ago and is sponsored and run primarily by the Darboy Kiwanis. Next years Chickenfest will be held on June 20 and June 21, 2008.
[edit] Other Darboy information
In 2000 as part of Holy Angels Church's 150th anniversary celebration, Holy Angels parish published a book called The History of Holy Angels and the Darboy Community. The book has a complete printed history of the area known as Darboy today.
Area news sources include The Post-Crescent (Appleton), The Times-Villager (Kaukauna), Around Town (Darboy and Sherwood), and The Junk Journal (Darboy).
Darboy today extends from Manitowoc Road on the south, CE on the north, State Park Road on the east, and Highway 441 on the west.
[edit] Sources
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Holy Spirit Parish, Retrieved January 2007
- The History of Holy Angels and the Darboy Community, Published in 2000 by Print Source Plus. Written by Celine Romenesko, Margaret Killa, Kris Van Roy, and Joyce Wittmann
- Darboy's Past, Present, and Future, Published in 2007 by The Junk Journal.
- Darboy Chickenfest Website [3]
- Town of Harrison Website [4]
- Town of Buchanan Website [5]
- Holy Spirit Parish Website [6]
- Darboy Kiwanis [7]
- Post Crescent [8]
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