Neenah, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Lake Winnebago
Lake Winnebago is a freshwater lake in eastern Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest lake entirely within the state.-Statistics:...
in Winnebago County
Winnebago County, Wisconsin
Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 163,370. Its county seat is Oshkosh. Winnebago County is included in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin-Neenah, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, 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...
. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah
Neenah (town), Wisconsin
Neenah is a town in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,657 at the 2000 census. The City of Neenah is adjacent to the town, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities
Fox Cities
The Fox Cities of northeastern Wisconsin are the cities, towns and villages along the Fox River as it flows from Lake Winnebago northward into Green Bay. Together they form the core of the third largest metropolitan area of Wisconsin, with a population exceeding 360,000...
of Northeast Wisconsin. It is the smaller in population of the two principal cities of the Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
-Neenah, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Appleton
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
-Oshkosh-Neenah Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
. The city is on the banks of Lake Winnebago
Lake Winnebago
Lake Winnebago is a freshwater lake in eastern Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest lake entirely within the state.-Statistics:...
, Little Lake Butte des Morts
Little Lake Butte des Morts
Little Lake Butte des Morts is a lake in the state of Wisconsin, USA, eight miles north of Lake Butte Des Morts. It is part of the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway and receives its inflow from a short segment of the Fox River which drains from the north end of Lake Winnebago around Doty Island. The north end...
, and the Fox River
Fox River (Wisconsin)
The Fox River is a river in eastern and central Wisconsin in the United States. Along the banks is a chain of cities, including Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, Appleton, Little Chute, Kimberly, Combined Locks, and Kaukauna. Except for Oshkosh, these cities refer to themselves as the Fox Cities...
. Neenah is sometimes called a twin city with the City of Menasha
Menasha, Wisconsin
Menasha is a city in Calumet and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,331 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly in the Town of Menasha in Winnebago County; only a small portion is in the Town of Harrison in Calumet County. Doty Island is located...
. Neenah shares Doty Island
Doty Island (Wisconsin)
Doty Island is an island in the state of Wisconsin in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Doty Island is between the cities of Menasha, and Neenah on the Fox River at Lake Winnebago at .-History:...
with Menasha.
History
Neenah was named for the Winnebago word for "water" or "running water" by Governor James Duane DotyJames Duane Doty
James Duane Doty was a land speculator and politician in the United States who played a large role in the development of Wisconsin and Utah Territory.-Legal career:...
. The area was first designated an industrial and agricultural mission to the Menominee Indians in 1835, and early settlement by Americans of European descent began a few years later, stimulated in large part by the proximity of the area to the Fox River.
Geography
Neenah is located at 44°10′26"N 88°28′6"W (44.174035, -88.468508).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 8.6 square miles (22.2 km²), of which, 8.2 square miles (21.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (3.85%) 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 24,507 people, 9,834 households and 6,578 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 2,971.7 people per square mile (1,146.9/km²). There were 10,198 housing units at an average density of 1,236.6 per square mile (477.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.08% White, 0.34% Black or African American
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...
, 0.55% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.86% 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 1.20% from two or more races. 2.02% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
Thirty-five percent of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% 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, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,773, and the median income for a family was $55,329. Males had a median income of $39,140 versus $25,666 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 $24,280. About 3.3% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Neenah hosts significant steel and paper industries. Kimberly-ClarkKimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include "Kleenex" facial tissue, "Kotex" feminine hygiene products, "Cottonelle", Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, "KimWipes"...
was founded in Neenah and maintains significant operations there, though its headquarters moved to Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
in the 1980s following a dispute over taxes between the CEO and the governor of Wisconsin. Business process outsource organizations have also contributed to the economic health of the city, such as Alta Resources, which is currently headquartered in Neenah.
Neenah is well-known for producing manhole cover
Manhole cover
A manhole cover is a removable plate forming the lid over the opening of a manhole, to prevent anyone from falling in and to keep unauthorized persons out....
s at Neenah Foundry, which can be found throughout the world.
Culture
Neenah's Bergstrom-Mahler Museum has a world-renowned collection of glass art, comprising over 3,000 pieces, concentrating in historic paperweights and Germanic glasswork.Neenah is the subject of the song "Where the hell is Neenah?" by Wisconsin band Cheeseheads with Attitude.
Notable people
- Jack AnkersonJack AnkersonA native of Neenah, Wisconsin, Jack Ankerson attended Ripon College where he played football, tennis, and basketball, earning all-conference honors in 1963 and 1964 and ranked as one of the small school’s all-time leading scorers....
, NFL player - George BergstromGeorge BergstromGeorge Edwin Bergstrom was an American architect most noted for his design work on the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia.-Background:...
, designer of The Pentagon - Robert D. BohnRobert D. BohnRobert D. Bohn was a Major General in the United States Marine Corps.-Biography:Bohn, a native of Neenah, Wisconsin, graduated with a B.D. from the University of San Diego and a M.D. from George Washington University...
, U.S. Marine Corps Major General - John A. BryanJohn A. BryanJohn Alexander Bryan was an American diplomat and politician from New York and Ohio.-Biography:...
, U.S. diplomat - Elmer J. BurrElmer J. BurrElmer J. Burr was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - Charles B. ClarkCharles B. ClarkCharles Benjamin Clark was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Theresa, New York, Clark attended the common schools.He moved to Wisconsin in 1855 with his widowed mother, who settled in Neenah, Wisconsin....
, U.S. Representative - Kenneth John ConantKenneth John ConantKenneth John Conant was an American architectural historian specializing in medieval architecture.Conant was born in Neenah, Wisconsin and studied at Harvard University in 1911...
, architectural historian, professor at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... - Samuel A. CookSamuel A. CookSamuel Andrew Cook was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Ontario, Canada, Cook moved with his parents to Calumet County, Wisconsin, in 1856.He attended the common schools in Fond du Lac and Calumet Counties....
, U.S. Representative - Philip DalyPhilip DalyPhilip Ernest Daly was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton.-Biography:...
, Edmonton, Alberta Alderman - Harold P. ForsytheHarold P. ForsytheHarold P. Forsythe served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the Battle of Saipan.His award citation reads:...
, Navy CrossNavy CrossThe Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
recipient - Jim HallJim Hall (boxer)Montague James Furlong , commonly known as Jim Hall, was an Australian middleweight boxer. He won the Australian middleweight title in 1887 before moving to the United States in an attempt to capture the World title from Jack Dempsey...
, professional boxer - Marcus Lee HansenMarcus Lee HansenMarcus Lee Hansen was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian. He won the Pulitzer Prize for History for The Atlantic Migration, 1607–1860.-Biography:...
, historian and Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner, born in Neenah - Howard HawksHoward HawksHoward Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
, film director - Frank Bateman KeefeFrank Bateman KeefeFrank Bateman Keefe , was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1939–1951, serving Wisconsin's 6th District....
, U.S. Representative - Kris KeldermanKris KeldermanKris Kelderman was a U.S. soccer defender who is currently the head coach for the UW–Green Bay Phoenix men's soccer team. Kelderman was a member of the U.S. team at the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship. He played professionally both indoors and out, including four seasons in Major League Soccer...
, MLSMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
player and assistant coach - Wayne KreklowWayne KreklowWayne R. Kreklow in is a former American professional basketball player.Born in Neenah, Wisconsin, Kreklow was a 6'4" guard from Drake University, Kreklow was a member of the 1980-81 Boston Celtics team...
, NBA player, head coach of the Missouri TigersMissouri TigersThe Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
women's volleyball team - Rich LoiselleRich LoiselleRichard Frank Loiselle , is a retired professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1996-2001. He was a pitcher over parts of six seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates....
, MLB player - Roger ReamRoger ReamRoger R. Ream is the President of The Fund for American Studies . The mission of TFAS is to “prepare young people for honorable leadership by educating them in the theory, practice and benefits of a free society.”- Education :Ream received his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in 1977...
, educator - Reid Ribble, politician
- Ernest J.G. RuschErnest J.G. RuschErnest J.G. Rusch was an officer in the United States Army during World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.His award citation reads:...
, Distinguished Service CrossDistinguished Service Cross (United States)The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
recipient - John SchnellerJohn SchnellerJohn Schneller was a player in the National Football League for the Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions from 1933 to 1936, playing end on offense and defense. As a player in 1935, the Detroit Lion's won their first NFL Championship, beating the NY Giants 26-7. He went to the University of Wisconsin...
, NFL player - John StrangeJohn Strange (Wisconsin politician)John Strange was a Wisconsin politician and businessman. He was born in Oakfield, Wisconsin in 1852, where he worked in various woodenware factories; as a young man he attempted various professions, including schoolteacher while travelling across the Midwestern United States...
, Lieutenant Governor of WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin 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... - Kenneth E. StumpfKenneth E. StumpfKenneth Edward Stumpf is a retired United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
, Medal of Honor recipient - Konrad TuchschererKonrad TuchschererKonrad Tuchscherer is an educator, scholar, writer, and public intellectual. Tuchscherer currently serves as the Co-Director of the Bamum Scripts and Archives Project in Cameroon and is Associate Professor of History and Director of Africana Studies at St...
, professor - Ryan G. Van CleaveRyan G. Van CleaveRyan Van Cleave is an American poet, editor, and creative writing teacher. In 2010, he published Unplugged: My Journey into the Dark World of Video Game Addiction, which was the first memoir on video game addiction; subsequently he became a popular speaker on digital addiction & recovery at...
, author and educator - John WhitlingerJohn WhitlingerJohn Whitlinger is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Whitlinger enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won one doubles title.-Doubles titles :...
, tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player, born in Neenah - Tami WhitlingerTami WhitlingerTami Whitlinger is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Prior to turning professional, Whitlinger was a two-time All-American at Stanford University. Her first tournament victory as a professional came in 1989 at a USTA Circuit event in Greensboro, North Carolina...
, WTAWomen's Tennis AssociationThe Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
player
External links
- Official city website
- Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, world-famous paperweight museum
- Neenah Public Library Local History Collection University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center
- Neenah Public Library Home Page