Our chapter is named in honor of Jean Nicolet de Bellebourne, a French interpreter and clerk for a fur trading company. In 1634, Nicolet is believed to have been the first European to explore what is now Wisconsin. He lived among Native American tribes, learning their languages and cultures, and became a skilled mediator. That same year, Governor Samuel de Champlain sent him to meet with the “People of the Sea” to promote the fur trade and form alliances. While the exact landing site is still debated, it’s commonly believed he arrived near present-day Green Bay, where he participated in a feast, brokered a treaty, and then returned to Canada.
The Jean Nicolet Chapter, NSDAR, was founded on May 16, 1906, in De Pere, Wisconsin, with 12 charter members. Our first regent was Frances Lawton Dunham, who served from 1906 to 1913.
Our chapter has also placed several historical markers throughout the Green Bay area.
Jean Nicolet Chapter, NSDAR 