Cedarburg, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Cedarburg is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
, United States
with Cedar Creek running through it. The city is bordered by the Village of Grafton
to the east and the Town of Cedarburg
elsewhere. Cedarburg is a suburban community with a population of 11,101, about 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Milwaukee and near the shores of Lake Michigan.
s". Soon afterwards, he built the Columbia Mill on that site.
In 1845, Frederick Hilgen and William Schroeder founded the village of Cedarburg. A year earlier, they had built a gristmill
on Cedar Creek. After eleven years of operation, they replaced the original structure with the five-story, stone Cedarburg Mill
. This became the focal point of the new community. Five dam
s and mills were eventually built along the creek in what are now the city and town of Cedarburg. The Hilgen Spring Park, begun in 1854, was a 74 acres (299,467.6 m²) resort, that attracted visitors from all over the Midwest
.
The Cedarburg Woolen Mill, was founded in 1864, and by 1893 it was the largest woolen mill west of Philadelphia. In 1897 a generator was installed, producing the first electricity in the town. In 1901, the city contracted an electric plant with steam engine
s running two 75 kW generators
, and in 1909 the Cedarburg Electric Light Commission was formed to run the utility
. In 1923, responsibility for water and sewer
age was given to the utility, and it was renamed the Light & Water Commission. The utility is still in business today, and is one of 82 municipally
owned electric utilities in Wisconsin.
In September 2008, Senator John McCain started his presidential campaign in downtown Cedarburg the day after he accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention. Law enforcement officials estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people were present for his speech.
. Known as the Cedar Creek Settlement, the rest of the space was rented out to shops, studios and restaurants.
This began a tourism boom in Cedarburg. As the city became a quaint and pleasant place to visit, more galleries and studios opened, as well as souvenir shops and other attractions. Business associations started weekend festivals, which attracted even more people to the city.
Beginning in 1974, many buildings in the city of Cedarburg have been added to the National Register of Historic Places
. The individual sites, combined with the Historic Districts, include 216 buildings.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), of which, 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.08% water, which, along with the soil, is highly contaminated with PCBs.
of 2000, there were 10,908 people, 4,432 households, and 3,022 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,960.1 people per square mile (1,141.4/km²). There were 4,593 housing units at an average density of 1,246.4 per square mile (480.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.17% White, 0.25% Black or African American
, 0.13% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races
, and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 4,432 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% 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 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $56,431, and the median income for a family was $66,932. Males had a median income of $51,647 versus $30,979 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $27,455. About 1.8% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
Parochial Schools
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...
with Cedar Creek running through it. The city is bordered by the Village of Grafton
Grafton, Wisconsin
Grafton is a village in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,312 at the 2000 census. The village is adjacent to the Town of Grafton and the City of Cedarburg.-History:...
to the east and the Town of Cedarburg
Cedarburg (town), Wisconsin
Cedarburg is a town in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,744 at the 2000 census. The City of Cedarburg is located partially within the town. The unincorporated community of Hamilton is also located in the town....
elsewhere. Cedarburg is a suburban community with a population of 11,101, about 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Milwaukee and near the shores of Lake Michigan.
History
The first person to settle in the area was Joseph Gardenier, who built a log shanty on Cedar Creek, in what is now Hamilton. The shanty was his headquarters for surveying for the construction of the Green Bay Road. Frederick August Leuning, who immigrated to the area in 1843, built a cabin near Cedar Creek on what was later the east end of the city. He called the cabin "Cedarburg", which meant "the castle of the CedarThuja occidentalis
Thuja occidentalis is an evergreen coniferous tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is widely cultivated for use as an ornamental plant known as American Arbor Vitae. The endemic occurrence of this species is a northeastern distribution in North America...
s". Soon afterwards, he built the Columbia Mill on that site.
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
on Cedar Creek. After eleven years of operation, they replaced the original structure with the five-story, stone Cedarburg Mill
Cedarburg Mill
The Cedarburg Mill is a gristmill in Cedarburg, Wisconsin that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1855 by Frederick Hilgen and William Schroeder to replace the wooden gristmill they had built in 1844. The architect and builder was Burchard Weber...
. This became the focal point of the new community. Five dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s and mills were eventually built along the creek in what are now the city and town of Cedarburg. The Hilgen Spring Park, begun in 1854, was a 74 acres (299,467.6 m²) resort, that attracted visitors from all over the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
The Cedarburg Woolen Mill, was founded in 1864, and by 1893 it was the largest woolen mill west of Philadelphia. In 1897 a generator was installed, producing the first electricity in the town. In 1901, the city contracted an electric plant with steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s running two 75 kW generators
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
, and in 1909 the Cedarburg Electric Light Commission was formed to run the utility
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
. In 1923, responsibility for water and sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
age was given to the utility, and it was renamed the Light & Water Commission. The utility is still in business today, and is one of 82 municipally
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
owned electric utilities in Wisconsin.
In September 2008, Senator John McCain started his presidential campaign in downtown Cedarburg the day after he accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention. Law enforcement officials estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people were present for his speech.
Tourism
The woolen mill closed in 1968, and sat vacant for several years, until an offer was made to buy the buildings. The prospective owner intended to tear them down and build a gas station and mini-mart. Then mayor, Stephan Fischer, told him he'd need a demolition permit. There was no such thing, but it bought enough time that the buildings could be saved. William Welty bought the buildings on the corner and street, opening a restaurant. Jim Pape then bought the mill buildings on the creekside, opening a wineryWinery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
. Known as the Cedar Creek Settlement, the rest of the space was rented out to shops, studios and restaurants.
This began a tourism boom in Cedarburg. As the city became a quaint and pleasant place to visit, more galleries and studios opened, as well as souvenir shops and other attractions. Business associations started weekend festivals, which attracted even more people to the city.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The individual sites, combined with the Historic Districts, include 216 buildings.
- Cedarburg MillCedarburg MillThe Cedarburg Mill is a gristmill in Cedarburg, Wisconsin that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1855 by Frederick Hilgen and William Schroeder to replace the wooden gristmill they had built in 1844. The architect and builder was Burchard Weber...
, added 1974 (NHRPNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
ref #74000115) - Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mill, 1978 (NHRP ref #78000124)
- Wayside HouseWayside HouseThe Wayside House was built in 1846, in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, USA, by Fredrick Hilgen, who later was the co-owner of The Cedarburg Mill. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1982....
, 1982 (NHRP ref #82000694) - Washington Avenue Historic DistrictWashington Avenue Historic District (Cedarburg, Wisconsin)Washington Avenue Historic District in Cedarburg, Wisconsin is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
, 1986 (NHRP ref #86000218) - Columbia Historic District, 1992 (NHRP ref #91001980)
- Friedrich and Louisa Hilgen House, 1992 (NHRP ref #92001027)
Geography
Cedarburg is located at 43°17'56" North, 87°59'13" West (43.29896, -87.987209).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 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), of which, 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.08% water, which, along with the soil, is highly contaminated with PCBs.
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 10,908 people, 4,432 households, and 3,022 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 2,960.1 people per square mile (1,141.4/km²). There were 4,593 housing units at an average density of 1,246.4 per square mile (480.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.17% White, 0.25% 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...
, 0.13% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% 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 0.58% from two or more races. 0.86% 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 4,432 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% 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, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% 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 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $56,431, and the median income for a family was $66,932. Males had a median income of $51,647 versus $30,979 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 $27,455. About 1.8% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public Schools- Cedarburg High SchoolCedarburg High SchoolCedarburg High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, USA. The high school is part of the Cedarburg School District and has an enrollment of 1117 students.-Curriculum:...
- Parkview Elementary School
- Thorson Elementary School
- Webster Transitional School
- Westlawn Elementary School
Parochial Schools
- First Immanuel Lutheran School
- St. Francis Borgia School
Attractions
- Cedar Creek Settlement
- Cedarburg Cultural Center
- Cedarburg Cycling Classic
- Cedarburg General Store Museum
- Ozaukee County Fair
- Ozaukee Historical Society
- Ozaukee Interurban TrailOzaukee Interurban TrailThe Ozaukee - Sheboygan Interurban Trail is a roughly long rail trail in Ozaukee, and Sheboygan Counties, in Wisconsin. The south end of the trail is in Milwaukee County but only runs 1 mile through the county....
- Strawberry Festival
- Washington Avenue Historic DistrictWashington Avenue Historic District (Cedarburg, Wisconsin)Washington Avenue Historic District in Cedarburg, Wisconsin is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
- Wine and Harvest Festival
- Winter Festival
Notable people
- Janine P. GeskeJanine P. GeskeJanine P. Geske was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1993 to 1998. She is a distinguished professor of law at Marquette University Law School and director of the school's Restorative Justice Initiative. She served as interim dean of the law school from 2002 to 2003.Geske was born in...
, Justice of the 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...
Supreme Court - Edward H. JanssenEdward H. Janssen-Biography:Born in Germany in 1815, Janssen moved to Mequon, Wisconsin in 1840. He was a delegate to the first Wisconsin Constitutional Convention in 1846 and served as Treasurer from 1852 to 1856. Later, he moved to Cedarburg, Wisconsin and became Superintendent of Schools of Ozaukee County,...
, Treasurer of Wisconsin - Ralph E. SuggsRalph E. SuggsRalph E. Suggs is a retired Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.-Biography:A native of Whiteville, North Carolina, Suggs is a graduate of North Carolina State University. He is the Director of Field Service Operations of Harley-Davidson and resides in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.-Career:Suggs was...
, U.S. Navy admiral - Josh ThompsonJosh Thompson (singer)Josh Thompson is an American country music artist signed to Columbia Records Nashville. On July 27, 2009, he released his debut album Way Out Here in January 2010...
, country singer