Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Blue Mounds is a village in Dane County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 708. The population was estimated at 766 in 2009. The village is adjacent to the Town of Blue Mounds
and is part of the Madison
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
. It is bordered by Brigham Park, the Cave of the Mounds
, and Blue Mound State Park
, the highest point in southern Wisconsin.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.8 square miles (1.9 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 708 residents, 289 occupied housing units, and 201 families residing in the village. The population density
was 938.4 people per square mile (364.5/km²). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 393.6 per square mile (152.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.88% White, 0.42% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.14% from other races
, and 0.85% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 289 households out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 39.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,568, and the median income for a family was $52,895. Males had a median income of $37,574 versus $25,188 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $25,895. About 1.4% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.
New development was begun in 2006 which added more housing units and a commercial area to the community. The industrial park has grown to include a half-dozen businesses ranging from farm fertilizer to high-tech prototyping.
Each year the village is the starting point for the Horribly Hilly Hundreds bike ride along area roads which ends in a long, tough climb to the top of Blue Mound State Park. Riders can choose either a 100K or 200K course. The ride is held the Saturday before Father's Day and begins at 6 a. m. for 200K riders and 7 a.m. for 100K riders.
Starting in 2010 the Village of Blue Mounds began being a food stop on the 100K route for the annual Centurion race, which starts and ends in Middleton, Wisconsin
. All the 100K racers can either stop and get something to eat or grab it as they zoom through downtown.
The Festival of the Mounds, held in September, includes a chicken wing cook-off, softball tournament, chicken barbecue
, and bands. This event takes place at Mounds View Park in Blue Mounds.
The Step Into The Past Rendezvous, sponsored by the Blue Mounds Area Historical Society, is held each October. It includes tepees, wall tents, a period weapons display, demonstrations of spinning and tanning, a tomahawk throw, and a candy cannon for children.
Each winter nearby Blue Mound State Park
holds a Candlelight Ski and Hike the first Saturdays of both January and February.
; the Cave of the Mounds
, a National Natural Landmark; Tyrol Basin
Ski and Snowboard Area; and Little Norway
, a living museum
devoted to the region's Norwegian influence. The Blue Mounds Fort
historical site is just south of the village but not currently easily accessible.
Dane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
, 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...
. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 708. The population was estimated at 766 in 2009. The village is adjacent to the Town of Blue Mounds
Blue Mounds (town), Wisconsin
Blue Mounds is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 842 at the 2000 census. The Village of Blue Mounds is located within the town.-Geography:...
and 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
Blue Mounds is located 25 miles (40.2 km) west of MadisonMadison, 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....
. It is bordered by Brigham Park, the Cave of the Mounds
Cave of the Mounds
Cave of the Mounds, a natural limestone cave located near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, USA, is named for two nearby hills called the Blue Mounds. It is located in the southern slope of the east hill. The cave's beauty comes from its many varieties of mineral formations called speleothems...
, and Blue Mound State Park
Blue Mound State Park
Blue Mound State Park is a state park of Wisconsin, USA, located atop the largest hill in the southern half of the state, near the village of Blue Mounds...
, the highest point in southern Wisconsin.
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 0.8 square miles (1.9 km²), all 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 708 residents, 289 occupied housing units, and 201 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 938.4 people per square mile (364.5/km²). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 393.6 per square mile (152.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.88% White, 0.42% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.14% 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 0.85% from two or more races. 0.99% 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 289 households out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% 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, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the village the population was spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 39.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,568, and the median income for a family was $52,895. Males had a median income of $37,574 versus $25,188 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 $25,895. About 1.4% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.
New development was begun in 2006 which added more housing units and a commercial area to the community. The industrial park has grown to include a half-dozen businesses ranging from farm fertilizer to high-tech prototyping.
Recreation
The Military Ridge State Trail, a 39 miles (62.8 km) bicycle trail built on a former railroad right-of-way, runs through the Village of Blue Mounds.Each year the village is the starting point for the Horribly Hilly Hundreds bike ride along area roads which ends in a long, tough climb to the top of Blue Mound State Park. Riders can choose either a 100K or 200K course. The ride is held the Saturday before Father's Day and begins at 6 a. m. for 200K riders and 7 a.m. for 100K riders.
Starting in 2010 the Village of Blue Mounds began being a food stop on the 100K route for the annual Centurion race, which starts and ends in Middleton, Wisconsin
Middleton, Wisconsin
Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It is a western suburb of the state capital, Madison but it was actually founded before Madison. It got its name from Middletown, Connecticut; the "w" being dropped was due to a paper work error made by long time historian Edward Kromrey...
. All the 100K racers can either stop and get something to eat or grab it as they zoom through downtown.
The Festival of the Mounds, held in September, includes a chicken wing cook-off, softball tournament, chicken barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
, and bands. This event takes place at Mounds View Park in Blue Mounds.
The Step Into The Past Rendezvous, sponsored by the Blue Mounds Area Historical Society, is held each October. It includes tepees, wall tents, a period weapons display, demonstrations of spinning and tanning, a tomahawk throw, and a candy cannon for children.
Each winter nearby Blue Mound State Park
Blue Mound State Park
Blue Mound State Park is a state park of Wisconsin, USA, located atop the largest hill in the southern half of the state, near the village of Blue Mounds...
holds a Candlelight Ski and Hike the first Saturdays of both January and February.
Attractions
Local tourist attractions include Blue Mound State ParkBlue Mound State Park
Blue Mound State Park is a state park of Wisconsin, USA, located atop the largest hill in the southern half of the state, near the village of Blue Mounds...
; the Cave of the Mounds
Cave of the Mounds
Cave of the Mounds, a natural limestone cave located near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, USA, is named for two nearby hills called the Blue Mounds. It is located in the southern slope of the east hill. The cave's beauty comes from its many varieties of mineral formations called speleothems...
, a National Natural Landmark; Tyrol Basin
Tyrol Basin
-Overview:Tyrol Basin is a ski and snowboard area located in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. It has both an equal mix of beginner and intermediate runs as well as a mix of advanced and expert runs. Tyrol Basin has 16 runs of average size for Midwest hills...
Ski and Snowboard Area; and Little Norway
Little Norway, Wisconsin
Little Norway is a tourist attraction and living museum of a Norwegian village located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Little Norway consists of a fully restored farm dating to the mid-19th century. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
, a living museum
Living museum
A living museum is a type of museum, in which historical events showing the life in ancient times are performed, especially in ethnographic or historical views, or processes for producing a commercial product in terms of technical and technological developments are shown, especially the craft...
devoted to the region's Norwegian influence. The Blue Mounds Fort
Blue Mounds Fort
Fort Blue Mounds, also known as Blue Mounds Fort, was located in Blue Mounds, Dane County, Wisconsin, USA.-History:The settlement of Blue Mounds was founded in 1828 by Ebenezer Brigham on the south slope of the eastern mound of the Blue Mounds...
historical site is just south of the village but not currently easily accessible.
Notable residents and natives
- Billy AdamsBilly AdamsWilliam Herbert Adams , better known as Billy Adams, was the 25th Governor of the State of Colorado, United States, from 1927 until 1933....
, Governor of ColoradoGovernor of ColoradoThe Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the... - Ebenezer BrighamEbenezer BrighamEbenezer Brigham was a 19th century American pioneer, businessman and politician. He was one of the first Americans to explore southwestern Wisconsin and the first permanent settler in present-day Dane County, Wisconsin...
, first permanent white settler in Dane CountyDane County, WisconsinAs of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile... - Mike WilkinsonMike WilkinsonMichael Joseph "Mike" Wilkinson is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6 ft 8¼ in 245 lb. power forward.-Amateur career:...
, professional basketball player