[11] The first settlers of the area came from Manitowoc in 1851, the town's first mill and store opened in 1855, and regular river travel from the port started in 1856.

[12] The village of Ahnapee was incorporated in 1873, and got its first mayor in 1879, Samuel Perry.

[4] The town is bordered to the north by Door County, to the east by Lake Michigan, and to the southeast by the city of Algoma.

[12] After incorporation of the village of Ahnapee (subsequently renamed Algoma in 1897), census information showed 978 residents remaining in the surrounding town of Ahnapee in 1880, peaking at 2,082 in 1910, before decreasing to 1,911 in 1920.

[12] Settlers who grew the population of the region were of several nationalities: English, Bohemian, German, Irish, Dutch, Danish, Belgian.

19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.