Part of the Gannett chain of newspapers, it is primarily distributed in counties surrounding the Appleton/Fox Cities area.

[2] Edna Ferber, later a famed writer and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, became a reporter at the Appleton Crescent at the age of 17 and worked there for about 18 months, approximately 1902-1903.

The Crescent's Jacksonian Democratic politics upset Republicans, and a second newspaper, The Appleton Motor, was formed by F.C.

When the Crescent suffered serious damage in 1863 from apparent arson, the Motor ran an article condemning the act.

[2] The Appleton Post-Crescent decided to purchase the Twin City News-Record, which had been formed when the Menasha Record and the Neenah News Times merged in 1949.