While traveling the Indian trail between Green Bay and Milwaukee as a trader for the American Fur Co., Solomon Juneau noticed an Indian Settlement and the beautiful Rock River. The Indian Trail between Milwaukee and the lower end of Lake Winnebago was later known as the Yellow Stone Trail (now Highway 175). In 1833 Juneau built a Trading Post, now a private residence, used for buying furs and selling goods to the Indians. Other settlers soon followed, many of them German. Juneau founded the Village of Theresa in 1846. In 1847 the Juneau's built a home here and left Milwaukee to live in Theresa.
Theresa became a flourishing Village with several hotels with restaurants, general stores, blacksmiths, and lumber and grain mills. The village also had a number of breweries, distilling and canning factory. With the invention of the automobile, garages were also a part of the business community. As time passed, a bank and cheese factory were established, both of which are still flourishing.
For leisure time there were several dance halls, a bowling alley and numerous taverns. Picnics in local parks were and still are venues for recreation.
After World War II, with the advent of shopping malls and a more mobile society many of the businesses closed.
Very early, two churches were organized, along with a third that was organized more recently, and are still serving the Christian community. Schools were an important part of society, both parochial and public. The public school has grown to a 4K-5th grade facility of 260 students.
