Pepin, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Pepin is a village in Pepin County, Wisconsin
, United States
. The population was 837 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Pepin
.
and Saint Lawrence River
. King Louis XIII of France
is believed to have granted a huge piece of land in the Upper Mississippi River
Valley to two brothers, Etiene Pepin de la Fond and Guillaume dit Tranchemontagne. Two of Guillaume’s sons, Pierre Pepin and Jean Pepin du Cardonnets, later explored and traded in this area, and their surname became attached to the lake, and ultimately to the village and the county.
The author Laura Ingalls Wilder
was born in the Pepin area, near Lund, Wisconsin
, where her family lived. The village celebrates this every September with traditional music, craft demonstrations, a "Laura look-alike" contest, a spelling bee
, and other events. The Little House Wayside
is located seven miles northwest of the village, in the Town of Pepin
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 878 people, 381 households, and 241 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,238.1 people per square mile (477.5/km²). There were 430 housing units at an average density of 606.4 per square mile (233.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.29% White, 0.11% Black or African American
, 0.34% Native American, 0.57% Asian, and 0.68% from two or more races.
There were 381 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the village the population was spread out with 17.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $36,319, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $31,393 versus $22,875 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,755. About 2.0% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
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...
. The population was 837 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Pepin
Pepin (town), Wisconsin
Pepin is a town in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 580 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Barry Corner, Devils Corners, Hawkins Corners, and Lakeport are located in the town...
.
History
By the mid-17th century, the French had begun to send expeditions into Wisconsin via the Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. King Louis XIII of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
is believed to have granted a huge piece of land in the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
Valley to two brothers, Etiene Pepin de la Fond and Guillaume dit Tranchemontagne. Two of Guillaume’s sons, Pierre Pepin and Jean Pepin du Cardonnets, later explored and traded in this area, and their surname became attached to the lake, and ultimately to the village and the county.
The author Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
was born in the Pepin area, near Lund, Wisconsin
Lund, Wisconsin
Lund is an unincorporated community located in two counties of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It lies on the county line between Pepin County, in the town of Pepin, and Pierce County, in the town of Maiden Rock, in central western Wisconsin, along the junctions of county highways "SS", "CC" , and "J"...
, where her family lived. The village celebrates this every September with traditional music, craft demonstrations, a "Laura look-alike" contest, a spelling bee
Spelling bee
A spelling bee is a competition where contestants, usually children, are asked to spell English words. The concept is thought to have originated in the United States....
, and other events. The Little House Wayside
Little House Wayside
The Little House Wayside is a rest area located in Pepin County, Wisconsin approximate seven miles northwest of Pepin, Wisconsin, in the town of Pepin, and approximately one mile southeast of Lund, on County Highway CC , on the plot where Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867.The site...
is located seven miles northwest of the village, in the Town of Pepin
Pepin (town), Wisconsin
Pepin is a town in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 580 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Barry Corner, Devils Corners, Hawkins Corners, and Lakeport are located in the town...
.
Geography
Pepin is located at 44°26′33"N 92°8′52"W (44.442724, -92.147884).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 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
Census
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 878 people, 381 households, and 241 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 1,238.1 people per square mile (477.5/km²). There were 430 housing units at an average density of 606.4 per square mile (233.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.29% White, 0.11% 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...
, 0.34% Native American, 0.57% Asian, and 0.68% from two or more races.
There were 381 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% 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, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the village the population was spread out with 17.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $36,319, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $31,393 versus $22,875 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 $17,755. About 2.0% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.