Fondly referred to as the "City of Sculpture," Waupun celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2014. From its inception, the decisions, hard work, and determination of Waupun's first citizens were integral in developing the Waupun of today. In 1839, Seymour Wilcox ventured from Green Bay with his family and two friends to the unsettled area of Wisconsin known as Oak Openings. The surveyor of the land, John Bannister, described it "the most beautiful and fertile land he] had ever seen." The land Wilcox purchased bordered the Rock River and lay in both Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties. This division of counties eventually caused some tension within the fledgling town, although it did not deter the town from uniting and prospering in agriculture, business, industry, faith, public works, and play.