Manitowoc County takes its name from a small river within its boundaries. The origin of this Indian word is variously given. The first constituent, "manito," is conceded by all to be the Indian word for spirit, or mysterious influence; hence "spirit land," "devil's den," etc., have been assigned as its meaning; Wis. Hist, Colls., i, p. 117; iii, p. 337; Gannett, Place Names, p. 170.

Rev. E. P. Wheeler (Ms. in Society's library) gives its significance as "spirit woods;" which appears to be borne out by Henry R. Schoolcraft, who says it signifies "a standing or hollow tree that is under a mysterious influence.'' This would seem to point to the erection of a wooden cross on the banks of this river, allusion to which we find in the journal of Father J. B. Buisson St. Cosme, dated 1699-1700. He declares that such a cross was reared in this locality in the latter part of the seventeenth century. His words are: "the 4th of October we came to another small village of Poux [Potawatomi] on a little river where Rev. Father Marais had wintered with some Frenchmen and planted a cross"; J. G. Shea, Early Voyages (Albany, 1861), p. 50.

Description from John W. Hunt's 1853 Wisconsin Gazetteer: "MANITOWOC, County, is bounded on the nortlh by Brown and Kewaunee, on the east and southeast by the State line in Lake Michigan, on the south by Sheboygan, and on the west by Calumet and a portion of Outagamie. ¿ The general formation of the surface is moderately undulating, and in some parts very agreeably diversified with hills and valleys. The soil is good and well watered, with springs and creeks, and is well adapted to tillage and grazing. The county is densely timbered with maple, oak, elm, birch, ash, pine, and hemlock. ¿ The population in 1840 was 235; 1842, 263; 1846, 629; 1847, 1,285; 1850, 3,713; at present estimated, 7,000. Dwellings, 16; fairms, 37; and mnanufactories, 22."

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[Source: Kellogg, Louise Phelps. "Derivation of County Names" in Proceedings of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin for 1909, pages 219-231.]