"One of the first match factories of the world was started in Hortonville. It was located on the corner of Lincoln and Nye Streets. The one story building had high windows and was unpainted because there was no paint available.

A gas plant, which was located on Mill Street just on the north side of Black Otter Creek, furnished the power to light the lamps that were on poles on the streets. These were replaced by electric lights in 1918.

The first road leading from Hortonville was the road to Appleton, built by Reeder Smith, a resident of Appleton. First it was a corduroy road, which means a road made of long pole, then it was planked, and later replaced by concrete.

In 1873, Hortonville was serviced by its first railroad, built by the Milwaukee Lake Shore & Western Railroad Company from Manitowoc. In 1885 it was purchased by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.

Hortonville became a popular railroad town. There were five passenger trains going north and five going south every day except Sunday, and almost countless freight trains on the Chicago & Northwestern line. Besides, there were two passenger trains arriving and leaving here on the Oshkosh Branch Line.

The first newspaper, The Weekly Review, was printed in 1893. It was a paper that had no headlines, and nearly all the advertisements were on the front page.

The first settlers traveled by foot to Appleton and Oshkosh to purchase food, as there was no regular transportation." (Village Directory and Commemorative History June 1976)