Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin
, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort
city located on Geneva Lake
, it is southwest of Milwaukee
and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago
and Milwaukee.
built on the lake during the heyday of the Roaring 20s. The city was then known as "The Newport
of the West." The city is also known today as "The Hamptons
of the Midwest." In the automobile era, the city's fortunes at first declined, and it became a haven for Al Capone
and other mobsters.
Hugh Hefner
built a Playboy Club
in Lake Geneva. Guns N' Roses
lead singer, Axl Rose
, also owned property on the southwest side of Geneva Lake from 1988 until 1998. The popular song "Paradise City
" was written about the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva. The club was closed in 1981 and converted into the Americana Resort, and later to the present Grand Geneva Resort. Lake Geneva was also home to Dungeons and Dragons creator Gary Gygax
until his death in 2008. George Lucas (Star Wars) has a residence on the south shore of Geneva Lake.
In 1954, Lake Geneva was named as one of the three finalists for the location of the new United States Air Force Academy
, but ultimately lost to Colorado Springs, Colorado
.
The city operates under a mayor-council form of government. Lake Geneva recently annexed a large tract of land that will expand the city around the south shore of Geneva Lake.
Originally called "Muck-Suck" (Big Foot) for a Potawatomi
chief, the city was later named Geneva after the town of Geneva, New York
, located on Seneca Lake, to which early settler John Brink saw a resemblance. Geneva, to avoid confusion with the nearby town Geneva, Illinois
, was renamed Lake Geneva; later the lake was renamed Geneva Lake. In practice both forms are used for the lake but never for the city.
Royal Records is a Lake Geneva recording studio where artists such as Ministry, Cheap Trick, Queensryche, Crash Test Dummies, Iron Maiden and Skidrow recorded.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15.0 km²), of which, 5.0 square miles (13.0 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (13.77%) is water.
of 2000, there were 7,148 people, 3,053 households, and 1,801 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,425.1 people per square mile (549.8/km²). There were 3,757 housing units at an average density of 749.0 per square mile (289.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.81% White, 0.90% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.16% from other races
, and 1.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.75% of the population.
There were 3,053 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,924, and the median income for a family was $54,543. Males had a median income of $38,930 versus $25,671 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,536. About 4.7% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Walworth County, Wisconsin
Walworth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 102,228. Its county seat is Elkhorn.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
city located on Geneva Lake
Geneva Lake
Geneva Lake is a body of freshwater in southeastern Wisconsin in Walworth county. On its shores are the city of Lake Geneva, and the villages of Fontana-on-Geneva-Lake, and Williams Bay....
, it is southwest of Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Milwaukee.
History
Railroad access from Chicago made the area a popular summer retreat for the barons of wealth in lumber, cattle, oil, steel, cement, manufacturing, and durable goods (e.g., Morton Salt, Wrigley Chewing Gum, etc.), with mansions and large homes such as Stone Manor and Black PointBlack Point (estate)
Black Point is an estate on the south shore of Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, built in 1888 as a summer home by Conrad Seipp, a beer tycoon from Chicago...
built on the lake during the heyday of the Roaring 20s. The city was then known as "The Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
of the West." The city is also known today as "The Hamptons
Hamptons
The Hamptons may refer to several villages and hamlets in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on the far east end of Suffolk County in Long Island, New York. These townships occupy the South Fork of Long Island, stretching into the Atlantic Ocean. The Hamptons form a popular seaside resort,...
of the Midwest." In the automobile era, the city's fortunes at first declined, and it became a haven for Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
and other mobsters.
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
built a Playboy Club
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
in Lake Geneva. Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
lead singer, Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
, also owned property on the southwest side of Geneva Lake from 1988 until 1998. The popular song "Paradise City
Paradise City
-Personnel:* Axl Rose - lead vocals, synthesizer, whistle* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, percussion* Slash - lead guitar, backing vocals* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums-Live:...
" was written about the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva. The club was closed in 1981 and converted into the Americana Resort, and later to the present Grand Geneva Resort. Lake Geneva was also home to Dungeons and Dragons creator Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
until his death in 2008. George Lucas (Star Wars) has a residence on the south shore of Geneva Lake.
In 1954, Lake Geneva was named as one of the three finalists for the location of the new United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
, but ultimately lost to Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
.
The city operates under a mayor-council form of government. Lake Geneva recently annexed a large tract of land that will expand the city around the south shore of Geneva Lake.
Originally called "Muck-Suck" (Big Foot) for a Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
chief, the city was later named Geneva after the town of Geneva, New York
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
, located on Seneca Lake, to which early settler John Brink saw a resemblance. Geneva, to avoid confusion with the nearby town Geneva, Illinois
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
, was renamed Lake Geneva; later the lake was renamed Geneva Lake. In practice both forms are used for the lake but never for the city.
Royal Records is a Lake Geneva recording studio where artists such as Ministry, Cheap Trick, Queensryche, Crash Test Dummies, Iron Maiden and Skidrow recorded.
Geography
Lake Geneva is located at 42°35′33"N 88°26′4"W (42.592380, -88.434424).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 city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15.0 km²), of which, 5.0 square miles (13.0 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (13.77%) is water.
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 7,148 people, 3,053 households, and 1,801 families residing in the city. 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 1,425.1 people per square mile (549.8/km²). There were 3,757 housing units at an average density of 749.0 per square mile (289.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.81% White, 0.90% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.75% of the population.
There were 3,053 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,924, and the median income for a family was $54,543. Males had a median income of $38,930 versus $25,671 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 city was $21,536. About 4.7% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Margaret H. BairMargaret H. BairMargaret H. Bair is a Brigadier General in the United States Air National Guard and is the Chief of Staff of the Wisconsin Air National Guard.-Biography:Bair is married to Jim Bair, who is also in the National Guard. They have three children...
- U.S. Air National Guard general - Hiram Barber, Jr.Hiram Barber, Jr.Hiram Barber, Jr. was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born in Queensbury, New York, Barber moved to Horicon, Wisconsin in 1846. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He studied law in Albany, New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1856 and commenced practice at Juneau, Wisconsin...
- U.S. Representative from IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - Bobby CookBobby Cook (basketball)Robert Bernard "Bobby" Cook was a player in the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association. He played with the Sheboygan Red Skins from 1948 to 1950...
- NBA player - Sal DimiceliSal DimiceliSal Dimiceli is a real estate businessman from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin who writes a column on charity for the . Dimiceli's column, The Time is Now to Help, has been likened to a "a 'Dear Abby' for the down and out", but is perhaps more akin to the Percy Ross column, Thanks a Million...
, noted philantropist - Gary GygaxGary GygaxErnest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
- writer and game designer; co-creator of Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997... - John Brayshaw KayeJohn Brayshaw KayeJohn Brayshaw Kaye was an English-born American poet, lawyer and politician.-Life and works:John Brayshaw Kaye was born in Yorkshire, England, June 10, 1841, the fifth child and the fourth son of Abram and Mary Kaye, in a family of fourteen children...
- poet and politician, wrote Songs of Lake Geneva (1882) - Mary L. Kirchoff - author of more than ten published works, including the DragonlanceDragonlanceDragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
novels - Kerwin MathewsKerwin MathewsKerwin Mathews was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , The Three Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer .-Life and career:...
- actor - Ryan MathewsRyan Mathews (racer)Ryan Mathews , is an American racecar driver from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He is currently the part-time driver of the #75 Ray Hackett Racing Ford in NASCAR.-Background:...
- NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver - Buddy MelgesBuddy MelgesHarry "Buddy" Melges, Jr., is one of the most successful competitive sailors in history, with dozens of national and international championships in many different classes, including ice-boating as well as conventional sailing...
- OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist, member of the America's Cup Hall of FameAmerica's Cup Hall of FameThe America's Cup Hall of Fame, located at the Herreshoff Marine Museum of Bristol, Rhode Island, USA, honors individuals for outstanding achievement in the America's Cup sailing competition... - Baby Face NelsonBaby Face NelsonLester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Gillis was known as Baby Face Nelson, a name given to him due to his youthful appearance and small stature...
- bank robber - John R. PowersJohn R. PowersJohn R. Powers is an American novelist and playwright. Powers has written four successful books of fiction, The Last Catholic in America , Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? , The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God , and The Junk Drawer, Corner Store, Front Porch Blues...
- author who wrote "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Reflect Up" and a nationally known speaker. - Margaret WeisMargaret WeisMargaret Edith Weis is a fantasy novelist who, along with Tracy Hickman, is one of the original creators of the Dragonlance game world and has written numerous novels and short stories set in fantastic worlds.-Early life:Margaret Weis was born in 1948 in Independence, Missouri, and later attended...
- author of many fantasy series, most popularly the DragonlanceDragonlanceDragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
novels
External links
- VIDEOS of Lake Geneva
- Lake Geneva Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Geneva Junior Chamber of Commerce
- Geneva Lake Museum of History
- Images of Lake Geneva : Over 500 souvenir-quality photographs and postcards, at the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. - Interactive Walworth County Plat Map (1857)
- Everts, Baskin, and Stewart. Combination Atlas Map of Walworth County, Wisconsin 1873