Barneveld, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Barneveld is a village in Iowa County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. It is the fourth most populous community in Iowa County, while the second largest village, and largest village located fully within the county. The population was 1,088 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Madison
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,088 people, 396 households, and 298 families residing in the village. The population density
was 805.7 people per square mile (311.2/km²). There were 400 housing units at an average density of 296.2 per square mile (114.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.71% White, 0.28% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.09% Asian, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.09% of the population.
There were 396 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. Households made up of individuals numbered 22.2% and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.16
In the village the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 39.8% from 25 to 44, 14.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 1000 males
The median income for a household in the village was $56,000, and the median income for a family was $58,393. Males had a median income of $34,107 versus $25,480 for females The per capita income
for the village was $22,009. About 4.7% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over
tore through Barneveld. It was part of a large outbreak of storms that started the evening before with tornadoes also touching down in Kansas
, Missouri
, Iowa
, and Minnesota
. Although a tornado watch had been issued, most residents were unaware that a storm was approaching until they were awoken by sounds of thunder and bright lightning. The 0.4-mile (0.60-km) wide tornado caused F5 damage, the highest level on the Fujita scale
. The human and property toll was extensive. Two hundred of the village's 584 residents were injured, and nine were killed. Seventeen of the 18 businesses in Barneveld were destroyed, including all the government offices; the fire station
, library
, post office
and the town's three churches were all flattened. The churches were the Congregational United Church of Christ (the Rev. Jann Cather Weaver ), Barneveld Lutheran Church (ELCA), and Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church. The only church to also lose their parsonage was the Congregational United Church of Christ. In all, about 170 of the village's 225 commercial
, agricultural and residential buildings were either destroyed instantly or damaged seriously enough that they were unable to be rebuilt. In fact, the only remaining and largely undamaged structure was the water tower
, which has since been repainted. Damage to the village of Barneveld was estimated at $25 million with damage to the surrounding area put at about $40 million. Rebuilding began immediately, and by 2000, the population of Barneveld was almost exactly double what it was at the time the tornado nearly destroyed the town. The thunderstorm that created the tornado also put on one of the brightest lightning shows in recorded history generating 200 strikes per minute.
Little, if any, warning of the storm was received by the public that night, as an official Tornado Watch was not issued by the Weather Service until after the 10:00 news ended (when many people would have been watching television), and only a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Iowa county (Wisconsin State Journal, 9 June 1984.)
Iowa County, Wisconsin
Iowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 22,780. Its county seat and largest city is Dodgeville.Iowa County is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the fourth most populous community in Iowa County, while the second largest village, and largest village located fully within the county. The population was 1,088 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Madison metropolitan area
The Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Wisconsin, anchored by the city of Madison. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 568,593.-Definitions:...
.
Geography
Barneveld is located at 43°0′51"N 89°53′44"W (43.014223, -89.895551).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,088 people, 396 households, and 298 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 805.7 people per square mile (311.2/km²). There were 400 housing units at an average density of 296.2 per square mile (114.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.71% White, 0.28% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.09% Asian, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.09% of the population.
There were 396 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. Households made up of individuals numbered 22.2% and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.16
In the village the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 39.8% from 25 to 44, 14.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 1000 males
The median income for a household in the village was $56,000, and the median income for a family was $58,393. Males had a median income of $34,107 versus $25,480 for females The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $22,009. About 4.7% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over
1984 F-5 Tornado
At approximately 12:50 am CDT on June 8, 1984, a powerful tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
tore through Barneveld. It was part of a large outbreak of storms that started the evening before with tornadoes also touching down in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Although a tornado watch had been issued, most residents were unaware that a storm was approaching until they were awoken by sounds of thunder and bright lightning. The 0.4-mile (0.60-km) wide tornado caused F5 damage, the highest level on the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
. The human and property toll was extensive. Two hundred of the village's 584 residents were injured, and nine were killed. Seventeen of the 18 businesses in Barneveld were destroyed, including all the government offices; the fire station
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and the town's three churches were all flattened. The churches were the Congregational United Church of Christ (the Rev. Jann Cather Weaver ), Barneveld Lutheran Church (ELCA), and Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church. The only church to also lose their parsonage was the Congregational United Church of Christ. In all, about 170 of the village's 225 commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, agricultural and residential buildings were either destroyed instantly or damaged seriously enough that they were unable to be rebuilt. In fact, the only remaining and largely undamaged structure was the water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
, which has since been repainted. Damage to the village of Barneveld was estimated at $25 million with damage to the surrounding area put at about $40 million. Rebuilding began immediately, and by 2000, the population of Barneveld was almost exactly double what it was at the time the tornado nearly destroyed the town. The thunderstorm that created the tornado also put on one of the brightest lightning shows in recorded history generating 200 strikes per minute.
Little, if any, warning of the storm was received by the public that night, as an official Tornado Watch was not issued by the Weather Service until after the 10:00 news ended (when many people would have been watching television), and only a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Iowa county (Wisconsin State Journal, 9 June 1984.)