Manitowoc, Wis.

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Bird's-eye view of the city of Manitowoc with a population of 5,168 inhabitants as it appears in 1870, the year the village was granted a city charter by the state legislature. On the left, the Manitowoc River winds its way around a flat land formation known as Lueps Island, which is destined to become the shipbuilding peninsula, and flows eastward under the 8th Street bridge to Lake Michigan, in the distance. The city's homes, churches and industries expand on both sides of the river. Schooner masts line the harbor. A tall stand of evergreen trees in the middleground, right of center among the farmyards, is the approximate location of Westfield Park, today. The artist's elevated vantage point from Gerpheide's Park, a popular gathering and recreation spot, allows greater foreground details such as the park's rifle target on the right, stumps, logs along the river's edge and people in small boats. The partial bridge spanning the river is the artist's depiction of a decaying 1850's railroad bridge. Early efforts to bring rail service to the village were suspended shortly after the bridge's construction. In 1871, a new pile-type bridge was built to replace it, and railroad service finally began a year later. The bridge and rail bed remain in the same location, today. Holy Family Hospital stands on the hill, which was previously Gerpheide's Park.