You can still visit some of the oldest towns in Wisconsin. Here's where they are

For thousands of years, the area that is now known as Wisconsin was inhabited by various Native American tribes before European explorers arrived to the region in the 1600s.

By 1836, the Wisconsin territory was organized and included parts of what is now Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas. More than a decade later, in 1848, Wisconsin became the 30th state to be accepted into the Union.

Now, Wisconsinites can still visit some of the towns and cities that date back to the state's founding. The following are Wisconsin's oldest towns that still exist today and were established by 1836, when Wisconsin first became a territory, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society .

Green Bay (1765)

For thousands of years , ancestors of Menominee , Ho-Chunk and other native people lived in the area before French explorer Jean Nicolet met with the Ho-Chunk in 1634, in one of the earliest documented exchanges between Europeans and Native Americans in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Arriving around 1745, the first permanent white settlers were the Charles de Langlade family. In 1763, the British took control of Green Bay until 1783, when the Americans won the American Revolution.

While railroads expanded in the 1870s, Green Bay became known for iron smelting, lumber milling and paper products. The city is also the location of the first newspaper in Wisconsin, " The Green Bay Intelligencer ."

Prairie du Chien (1785)

According to the city's website , French Canadians partook in the fur trade in the region and settled on the island by the river, and later, the British took over most of the fur trade in Prairie du Chien.

By the early 1800s, Americans had built Fort Shelby. During the War of 1812, the British and Americans fought over control of the fort. By July 1814, they fought in The Battle of Prairie du Chien, the only battle of the war in Wisconsin, where the fort was burned.

La Pointe (1795)

Located near the town of Bayfield, the Ojibwe and other tribes lived in the area before Europeans arrived to what is now known as La Pointe . Between 1693 and 1698, the town was a fortified French trading post, according to the town's website.

In the late 18th century, the town was founded as an American Fur Company outpost with leadership from Michel Cadotte . Visitors to La Pointe can learn more about the town's history at the Madeline Island Museum .

Shullsburg (1820)

Founder Jesse Shull and other settlers started mining lead in the area now known as Shullsburg . The town's population grew in the 1820s as a result of the lead mining boom, where the mine became one of the most productive in the region, manufacturing the musket balls used in the Civil War, according to the city's website.

By 1881, the railroad expanded to Shullsburg, allowing the export of lead around the country. Its last lead mine closed in Shullsburg in 1980.

Platteville (1825)

Located in southwestern Wisconsin, Platteville started to boom in the 1820s with the discovery of lead in the area. The growing economy resulted in the establishment of the Platteville Academy in 1839, and in 1907, the Wisconsin Mining Trade School, which merged in 1959 to form the predecessor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: You can still visit some of the oldest towns in Wisconsin. Here's where they are