Antigo is the county seat of Langlade County. It was founded in 1878 by Francis A. Deleglise. The name "Antigo" comes from the Chippewa Indian name for the river that flows through the area, "Nequi-Antigo-sebi" meaning "spring river" or "evergreen". Antigo sits on a plateau about 1500 feet above sea level. The city gained its charter in 1883. By 1886, Antigo had grown into a full-fledged town.
In the early part of the 1900s, Antigo was best known for its sawmills. At the turn of the century, the city's economy had a good balance of industry and agriculture. High on the list were potatoes, dairy farms, fur, shoes, fertilizer, steel and aluminum products, along with the lumber and wood product industries established in the earlier years.
More pictures of early Antigo:
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| bird's eye-view 1886 |
farmer making soap 1884 |
Railroad depot date unknown |
drugstore date unknown |
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| Catholic school date unknown |
St. John's Catholic Church approx 1940 |
Antigo High School date unknown |
Langlade County Courthouse date unknown |
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| 5th Ave. looking east from Clermont St. - date unknown | same view in winter date unknown |
Langlade County Courthouse 1900 |
5th Ave. looking west 1920's? |