Waupaca County, Wisconsin

Waupaca County, Wisconsin
Waupaca County Courthouse
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Waupaca County
Location in the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Map of the United States highlighting Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location in the U.S.
Founded 1853
Seat Waupaca
Largest city New London
Area
 • Total 765 sq mi (1,981 km2)
 • Land 748 sq mi (1,937 km2)
 • Water 17 sq mi (44 km2), 2.3%
Population
 • (2010) 52,410
 • Density 70/sq mi (30/km2)
Congressional district 8th
Time zone Central: UTC−6/−5
Website www.co.waupaca.wi.us

Waupaca County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 52,410.[1] The county seat is Waupaca.[2] The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1853.[3] It is named after the Waupaca River, a Menominee language name meaning 'white sand bottom', 'pale water', or 'tomorrow river'.[4][5]

History

Ancient indigenous peoples constructed earthworks that expressed their religious and political concepts. An early European explorer counted 72 such earthen mounds in what is now Waupaca County, many of them in the form of effigy mounds, shaped like "humans, turtles, catfish and others."[6] There were 52 mounds constructed around what is now called Taylor Lake. Most mounds were lost to agricultural development. One mound, shaped like a catfish, is still visible in a private yard along County Hwy. QQ, just east of Taylor Lake. The site was marked by a local women's club with a commemorative plaque installed on a large stone.[6]

Under pressure from European-American development, the Menominee people ceded their title to the United States for these lands by treaty in 1852. Following that, the flow of new migrant settlers greatly increased from the East, with people moving from New England, New York, and Ohio. They developed the land primarily for agricultural use in the early decades, also quickly establishing sawmills on the rivers.

In the 1870s railroads were constructed in the county: the Wisconsin Central in 1872 and the Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad (later known as Green Bay, Minnesota & St. Paul) in 1873. These improved the county's connections to markets for its lumber and other products. For a period, entrepreneurs and merchants gained high profits from the lumber industry, establishing many fine homes in the larger cities.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 765 square miles (1,980 km2), of which 748 square miles (1,940 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (2.3%) is water.[7] The water includes 43-acre Taylor Lake, one of a chain of lakes in the county. It has bluegill, brook trout, largemouth bass, muskellunge (muskie), Northern Pike, Tiger Muskellunge (Tiger Muskie) and Walleye fish.

Major highways

Airports

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Waupaca County
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18608,851—
187015,53975.6%
188020,95534.9%
189026,79427.9%
190031,61518.0%
191032,7823.7%
192034,2004.3%
193033,513−2.0%
194034,6143.3%
195035,0561.3%
196035,3400.8%
197037,7806.9%
198042,83113.4%
199046,1047.6%
200051,73112.2%
201052,4101.3%
Est. 201651,533[8]−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 51,731 people, 19,863 households, and 13,884 families residing in the county. The population density was 69 per square mile (27/km2). There were 22,508 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.93% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 53.1% were of German, 8.5% Norwegian and 6.8% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.6% spoke English, 1.4% Spanish and 1.3% German as their first language.

There were 19,863 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

By age, 25.70% of the population was under 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.40 males.

Government

County offices

  • County board chairman - Dick Koeppen
  • Vice Chair - Jim Loughrin
  • County clerk - Mary Robbins
  • County sheriff - Brad Hardel

Politics

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 62.1% 16,209 32.4% 8,451 5.5% 1,435
2012 54.2% 14,002 44.8% 11,578 1.0% 260
2008 48.0% 12,232 50.8% 12,952 1.3% 327
2004 59.1% 15,941 40.0% 10,792 0.9% 241
2000 56.9% 12,980 38.5% 8,787 4.5% 1,037
1996 45.1% 8,679 40.5% 7,800 14.4% 2,764
1992 44.3% 10,252 28.8% 6,666 27.0% 6,241
1988 61.6% 11,559 37.7% 7,078 0.6% 120
1984 68.3% 13,097 30.8% 5,895 0.9% 175
1980 61.7% 12,568 31.4% 6,401 6.9% 1,397
1976 60.1% 10,849 38.0% 6,857 1.9% 337
1972 70.1% 11,040 28.1% 4,418 1.8% 284
1968 67.1% 10,606 25.2% 3,978 7.7% 1,215
1964 54.5% 8,381 45.4% 6,990 0.1% 18
1960 72.6% 12,247 27.3% 4,606 0.1% 14
1956 78.6% 11,798 20.9% 3,133 0.5% 72
1952 81.4% 13,693 18.5% 3,105 0.2% 28
1948 67.5% 8,764 31.0% 4,020 1.5% 198
1944 74.4% 11,495 25.1% 3,879 0.4% 68
1940 70.0% 11,099 29.1% 4,616 1.0% 151
1936 45.9% 6,680 47.5% 6,920 6.6% 961
1932 37.5% 5,082 60.4% 8,179 2.0% 275
1928 72.3% 8,928 26.8% 3,307 0.9% 110
1924 33.9% 3,654 6.2% 665 59.9% 6,462
1920 83.0% 8,302 8.9% 888 8.1% 807
1916 69.9% 4,492 26.8% 1,720 3.4% 219
1912 37.7% 2,204 26.7% 1,563 35.6% 2,086
1908 71.9% 4,785 22.3% 1,483 5.8% 384
1904 81.3% 5,471 14.0% 942 4.7% 313
1900 76.3% 5,284 20.0% 1,383 3.7% 259
1896 75.2% 5,472 21.7% 1,577 3.2% 229
1892 57.2% 3,397 36.8% 2,186 5.9% 353

Communities

Waupaca County Fairgrounds

Cities

Villages

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Here's How Iron Got Its Name". The Rhinelander Daily News. June 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent. December 28, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  14. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-08-14.

Coordinates: 44°29′N 88°58′W / 44.48°N 88.97°W / 44.48; -88.97

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