Wisconsin Public Television airs this special program at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. It's a documentary which examines the founding of the first settlement in Green Bay, Wisconsin,and the relationships between French missionaries, voyageurs and indigenous people. A preview of the program offers a look at the French who followed the northern waterways into a mysterious world.

Although accounts of the year and the actual happenings differ, it's widely accepted that Jean Nicolet was the first European to arrive in Wisconsin, possibly coming ashore in 1634 at Red Banks.

To take a closer look at some of the maps featured on the program, click on the name of the image file. This will open the image in a new window. These maps from the 1600s show a progression of the Great Lakes as the French learned more and more of this region. Maps are courtesy of George Parker.

Map from 1683
map1683.jpg (170kb)

Map from 1691
map1691.jpg (155kb)

Map from 1695
map1695.jpg (146kb)

Mik Derks produced "When Wisconsin Was New France," which is part of the Wisconsin Collection, a partnership between the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Public Television. The collection marries the research and archival resources of the Historical Society with the broadcast skills and reach of WPT so that statewide viewers can learn more about Wisconsin's people, culture and history.

The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters helped fund the project, with a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council.