Waupaca, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Waupaca County, Wisconsin
-Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 51,731 people, 19,863 households, and 13,884 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 22,508 housing units at an average density of...
in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. The city is believed to be named after Sam Waupaca (or Chief Wapuka) of the Potowatomi tribe.
The city is located mostly within the Town of Waupaca
Waupaca (town), Wisconsin
Waupaca is a town in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,155 at the 2000 census. The City of Waupaca is located mostly within the town, though it is politically independent.-Geography:...
, though it is politically independent. A portion extends west into the adjacent Town of Farmington
Farmington, Waupaca County, Wisconsin
Farmington is a town in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,148 at the 2000 census. The town includes the census-designated place known as King, and the unincorporated communities of Cobb Town, and Sheridan.-Geography:...
and there is also a noncontiguous area of the city in the Town of Lind
Lind, Wisconsin
Lind is a town in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.1 square miles , of which, 35.9 square miles of it is land and 0.2 square miles of it is...
to the south. The city is divided into natural areas, city areas, and industrial areas.
History
The area was settled by Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
mound builders prior to European settlement. The area was at one time home to over 72 mounds.
It was first settled by American settlers in June 1849, on a small waterfall along the Waupaca River. At the time, the area was home to the Menominee
Menominee
Some placenames use other spellings, see also Menomonee and Menomonie.The Menominee are a nation of Native Americans living in Wisconsin. The Menominee, along with the Ho-Chunk, are the only tribes that are indigenous to what is now Wisconsin...
and Potowatomi tribes. The name for the settlement came either from the Indian term "waubuck seba," meaning pale water, or from a Potowatomi man named Sam Wapuka, or Chief Waupaca.
Waupaca was incorporated as a village on March 5, 1857 by act of the Wisconsin State Legislature. This act was repealed in on April 7, 1862, but promptly revived on June 17 of the same year. Waupaca was incorporated as a city by the legislature on March 5, 1875. Beginning in the 1960s and continuing to the present, it has expanded through annexation.
Geography
Waupaca is located at 44°21′17"N 89°4′54"W (44.354922, -89.081775).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 6.1 square miles (15.9 km²), of which 6.0 square miles (15.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) (2.28%) is water.
Transportation
| U.S. 10 U.S. Route 10 U.S. Route 10 is an east–west United States highway formed in 1926. Though it never became the cross-country highway suggested by the "0" as the last digit of its route number, U.S... Eastbound US 10 to 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... . Westbound, US 10 routes to Stevens Point Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. Located in the central part of the state, it is the largest city in the county, with a population of 24,551 at the 2000 census... . |
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| WIS 49 Northbound to Iola Iola, Wisconsin Iola is a village in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,298 at the 2000 census. The village is located partially within the Town of Iola. A small portion lies within the adjacent Town of Scandinavia... Southbound, concurrent with US 10 routes to Berlin Berlin, Wisconsin Berlin is a city in Green Lake and Waushara Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,305 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly within the Town of Berlin in Green Lake County; only a small portion of the city extends into the Town of Aurora in Waushara... . |
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| WIS 22 travels north to Clintonville Clintonville, Wisconsin Clintonville is a city in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,736 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Clintonville is located at 44°37'27" North, 88°45'29" West .... and south to Wild Rose Wild Rose, Wisconsin Wild Rose is a village in Waushara County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 765 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wild Rose is located at .... . |
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| WIS 54 travels east to New London New London, Wisconsin New London is a city in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 7,295 at the 2010 census. The city has a Saint Patrick's Day Parade, Irish Fest, and week-long festivities, when the city's name is changed to "New Dublin" for the week. The American Water... , and west to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Wisconsin Rapids is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,435 at the 2000 census.According to the 2010 census, the Wisconsin Rapids micropolitan area was home to 54,362 people... . |
From 1899 to 1926 streetcar service was provided by the Waupaca Electric Light and Railway Company
Waupaca Electric Light and Railway Company
The Waupaca Electric Light and Railway Company was set up in 1898 as successor to the Waupaca Electric Light Association. It opened July 4, 1899 with regular service from July 9. Service was typically hourly....
.
Demographics
At the 2000 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...
, there were 5,676 people, 2,364 households and 1,302 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 947.0 per square mile (365.9/km²). There were 2,543 housing units at an average density of 424.3 per square mile (163.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.26% White, 0.33% 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...
, 0.86% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.39% 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 0.88% from two or more races. 3.42% 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.
There were 2,364 households of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% 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, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 3.01.
Age distribution was 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $31,095, and the median family income was $45,128. Males had a median income of $32,488 versus $21,651 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 $18,890. About 7.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
Business and industry
ThyssenKruppThyssenKrupp
ThyssenKrupp AG is a German multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Duisburg Essen, Germany. The corporation consists of 670 companies worldwide. While ThyssenKrupp is one of the world's largest steel producers, the company also provides components and systems for the automotive...
Waupaca, formerly Waupaca Foundry, is the largest employer in the city, employing over 1500 workers in three plants in or around the city. Most of the employees live within 20 miles (32.2 km) of the city. Three other Waupaca Foundry plants exist in Marinette, Wisconsin
Marinette, Wisconsin
Marinette is a city in and the county seat of Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,749 at the 2000 census.Marinette is the principal city of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Marinette County, Wisconsin and Menominee...
, Tell City, Indiana
Tell City, Indiana
Tell City is a city in Troy Township, Perry County, Indiana, along the Ohio River, Indiana's southern border. The population was 7,272 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Perry County.-History:...
, and Etowah, Tennessee
Etowah, Tennessee
Etowah is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,663 at the 2000 census.-History:Etowah was founded in 1906, primarily as a location for a depot on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad line as part of a more direct route between Atlanta, Georgia and Cincinnati, Ohio...
. The foundry is one of the largest producers of gray, ductile, and compacted graphite iron castings, melting over 9,500 tons a day. ThyssenKrupp has owned the foundry since 2002.
Notable residents
- Edward E. BrowneEdward E. BrowneEdward Everts Browne was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Waupaca, Wisconsin, Browne attended the public schools and Waupaca High School....
, United States Representative - Annie BurgstedeAnnie BurgstedeAnnie Burgstede is an American actress.Annie initially began her run on Days of our Lives in October 2006 in a recurring capacity, but after only a few episodes was upgraded to contract status. Initially known only as Willow, the character's last name was revealed to be Stark in January 2007...
, actress - Clarence EkstromClarence EkstromClarence Eugene Ekstrom was a naval aviator and Vice Admiral in the United States Navy, who served during World War II.-Biography:...
, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral - Reid F. MurrayReid F. MurrayReid Fred Murray was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin, businessman, and educator.Born in Ogdensburg, Wisconsin, Murray attended the public schools and Manawa High School....
U.S. Representative - Clay PerryClay PerryClair Willard Perry , called Clay Perry, was an American writer and outdoorsman. He coined the term "spelunker".-Biography:Born in 1887 in Waupaca, Wisconsin, Perry moved to western Massachusetts as a young man. A novelist, short story writer, and journalist, in the 1930s he worked for the Federal...
, writer, coined the word "spelunkerCavingCaving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
" - Richard E. PetersonRichard E. PetersonRichard Ely Peterson was an American politician.Born in Waupaca, Wisconsin, Peterson served in the United States Army, in the 32nd Infantry Division, of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, during World War II. He served in the Wisconsin State Assembly 1951-1965 as a Republican and practiced law...
, legislator, lawyer - Brian RafalskiBrian RafalskiBrian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for...
, Former NHL Hockey Player, Clear Water Harbor Softball Champion
Fictional people
- Ryan Bingham, fictional character in the movie Up in the AirUp in the Air (film)Up in the Air is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and co-written by Reitman and Sheldon Turner. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name, written by Walter Kirn. The story is about a corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham and his travels...
. When visiting his old "northern Wisconsin" high school he shows a newspaper picture of himself. The word "Waupaca" appears on the masthead. (The movie's snow scenes were, however, filmed around Detroit.) He also goes to a wedding at a church supposedly in Waupaca Wisconsin. (This scene was shot in Saint Louis.)