Manitowoc-Two Rivers

Understand

Inhabited by the Menominee, Manitowoc was historically called Manetōwak or "place of the spirits." The presence of the Menominee lasted until 1836 when they ceded this land to the U.S. Government, and Manitowoc County was formed later that year. The immediate Manitowoc area was chartered as a village in 1851 and became a city in 1870, though the first schooner was built in the area in 1847 by Joseph Edwards. The shipbuilding industry continues, with the previously Manitowoc-based company, The Manitowoc Company Inc, building 31 submarines during World War II. Two Rivers (locally called "Trivers") on the other hand is known for fishing, the place where the ice cream sundae was first made in 1881 (though it has been in a dispute over the birthplace with Ithaca, New York), the local beaches, and even the place where some professional football teams trained in the 1930s and 40s. Two Rivers was settled in the 17th century by French Canadian fishermen; fishing in the area became a major source of income and many of the fishermen's houses can be seen along the banks of the East Twin where it flows into Lake Michigan.

Get in

By car

Highways

• Interstate 43 (I-43) comes in from Milwaukee and Sheboygan from the south and heads north to Denmark and ending in northwestern Green Bay. County Highways R and CR are the remnants of I-43's predecessor, US Highway 141 (US 141) and are alternate routes when I-43 is closed.
• US Highway 10 (US 10) comes in from Appleton to the west northwest and continues through Manitowoc onto the S.S. Badger Ferry for Ludington, Michigan.
• US Highway 151 (US 151) enters from the southwest, connecting Manitowoc to Fond du Lac and Madison, and ending at I-43 in southwestern Manitowoc.
• Wisconsin Highway 42 (WIS 42) also arrives from the southwest, albeit on a lightly traveled course. This highway connects the two cities, as well as Howards Grove and Sheboygan to the south, and Sturgeon Bay to the north.
• Wisconsin Highways 147 and 310 (WIS 147 and WIS 310 respectively) connect Two Rivers to I-43; WIS 310 links Two Rivers towards Appleton while WIS 147 connects Two Rivers with Green Bay.
• Several other county highways connect the two cities to other parts of the county. County Highways O and V are the main highways into Point Beach State Park while County Road LS is a lakeshore county highway from Cleveland to Manitowoc.

By boat

Get around

As with many other American cities, the best method of transportation is either by car or by foot travel. There are biking opportunities, such as the Mariner's Trail running in between WIS 42 and Lake Michigan.

Stay safe

Of the two cities, Two Rivers is safer than Manitowoc, though the area crime rate is lower than in other nearby cities like Appleton, Green Bay, and Sheboygan. That said, it is not hard to stay safe in the area as exercising basic common sense will likely guarantee your safe passage.