Menasha

City in Winnebago and Calumet counties, eastern Wisconsin; population (1990) 14,700. Menasha is located 6 km/4 mi south of Appleton, at the place where the Fox River flows out of Lake Winnebago.

Part of Menasha is located on Doty Island, where it adjoins its sister city, Neenah. The two cities are economically linked, and the river, which falls some 4 m/12 ft at this point, generates hydroelectric power for both. Permanent settlement began in the 1840s; since the late 19th century, Menasha has been a major manufacturer of paper and paper products. In addition, flour, machinery, wood and metal products, and textiles are made here. Lake Winnebago is a major leisure site, and the city is also a popular summer resort. A plaque marks the site where Jean Nicolet, the French explorer, visited the lake outlet (in around 1634).