Appleton is a city in and the county seat of Outagamie County. The first settlement in the area where Appleton now resides was the White Heron Inn, built in 1835 by Hippolyte Grignon. His intention was to raise his family running the inn and a trading post where he could barter with local Indians for pelts and furs. The area around his inn was settled in 1847 and incorporated as the village of Appleton in 1853. The city is home to Lawrence University (originally the Lawrence Institute) that was founded in 1847 and named after its financial backer, Amos A. Lawrence. The city was named after Lawrence's father-in-law, Samuel Appleton, who donated money to fund the construction of Appleton's first library (even though he never visited Wisconsin). Today, Appleton is a popular destination for hosting regional events such as Memorial Day and Christmas celebrations, and the Mile of Music Festival.