Manitowoc was founded in 1837 by Daniel K. Polk and James W. Hill, two of the first white men to settle in the area. The town was named for Manitowoc Lake, which at that time lay east of present-day Manitowoc. In 1851, the WI legislature passed a bill granting township status to Manitowoc; this made it one of only a handful of townships in Wisconsin to have this distinction. The town's population rapidly grew during the late 1800s and early 1900s, thanks in large part to agricultural production and its location close to various natural resources. In 1911, Manitowoc became an incorporated city with full voting rights; however, it remained a small community until World War II when it exploded into growth as an industrial center due to its location near both the military base at Fort Leavenworth and Milwaukee's breweries. After the war, many new businesses were born within the city limits; today, much of downtown is still occupied by older businesses that were once part of what is now known as "the old downtown."