Sheboygan was once a flourishing cultural center, an educational leader, an industrial and commercial pacesetter for the state of Wisconsin, if not the entire Midwest. A substantial part of the city's population was German-derived. The city stands on the western shores of Lake Michigan, about midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay. The setting was endlessly scenic as the Great Lake changes its panorama with the hours and the seasons.

It was the lake that brought our earliest settlers here and brought the original Indian holders of the lands, as well. The lake still brings many visitors but far fewer newcomers to Sheboygan. Yet, it is only one among a host of assets and advantages. Nearness to metropolitan economic centers like Milwaukee and Chicago is one. A deeply ingrained respect for productive labor is another. A wealth of attractive homesites is a third; and recreational and cultural riches, a fourth.Sheboygan once had superb city streets and rail system, clean waterways and superior schools.

The Bratwurst Capitol of the World once had responsible and responsive municipal government, which was very visible then but has since disappeared. The Neighborhood Improvement Program forming part of the Plaza 8 project is one such example; the bubbling Bicentennial Fountain in the project is another.There were less obvious evidences of concern, also. The fact that the new buses acquired for the city's interurban transportation system "kneel" at bus stops to make boarding and alighting easier and safer for the elderly is a good example.

The city was governed by a popularly elected mayor and 16-member Common Council. The mayor had appointive powers over most department heads. Today, the city is governed by a City Administrator while the responsibilities and power of the mayor and now 10-member council were reduced.City government was instrumental in the advancement of Sheboygan. Yet, with all its forward steps and civic improvements, the city is in decline.