Curtiss, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Curtiss is a village in Clark County in the U.S. state
of Wisconsin
. The population was 198 at the 2000 census.
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.
Perhaps the most famous person to come out of the Village of Curtiss was Army Colonel Franklin Matthias
, who oversaw the construction and early operation of the Hanford Site
during World War II. The young Colonel Matthias was so proud of his work the he accompanied the first plutonium produced at Hanford to Los Alamos.
On June 8, 1905, a hail storm damaged nearly every building in the village.
On October 15, 1974, Curtiss was the site of a protest by the National Farmers Organization
. NFO farmers slaughtered and buried in a trench 638 calves, mostly less than two weeks old. The protest was in response to the low price of veal
. At the time, veal calves were selling for $0.17 per pound, resulting in a net loss to the farmer due to high feed costs. Public backlash against the NFO and the protest was great, with even President Ford weighting in to call it senseless.
In 1976, the US EPA aided the village with a grant to establish a municipal sewer and water system. The system has been expanded in the 1990s and again in the 2000s to account for industrial growth related to the meat packing industry.
of 2000, there were 198 people, 68 households, and 45 families residing in the village. The population density
was 288.8 people per square mile (110.8/km²). There were 70 housing units at an average density of 102.1 per square mile (39.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 64.65% White, 0.51% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 33.84% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.34% of the population.
There were 68 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples
living together, 2.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.70.
In the village the population was spread out with 35.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 12.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 108.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,250, and the median income for a family was $34,167. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $11,061. About 7.7% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 5.6% of those sixty five or over.
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 198 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Curtiss is located at 44°57′13"N 90°26′0"W (44.953574, -90.433228).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.
History
Curtiss was established as a rural railroad station in 1882 and is named after the chief engineer who built the railroad. The village of Curtiss was platted November 17, 1882, having been surveyed by Edwin Parks. The surrounding area was occupied primarily by Norwegian and German emigrants. The primary industries were dairy farming and lumber. By the 1890s, several cheese factories were established in the surrounding townships of Mayville, Hoard and Colby. Additionally, A. D. Bass operated a large sawmill in the southern part of the village. An application for incorporation of the village was made to the State of Wisconsin on October 14, 1914: however, actual incorporation was not granted until March 30, 1917 (Curtiss Centennial Booklet). A two-room school served elementary grades until 1966 when the school was consolidated with the nearby Abbotsford Public Schools.Perhaps the most famous person to come out of the Village of Curtiss was Army Colonel Franklin Matthias
Franklin Matthias
Franklin T. Matthias was an American nuclear engineer who directed construction of the Hanford nuclear site, a key facility of the Manhattan Project during World War II. As a 34-year-old lieutenant colonel with the Army Corps of Engineers, he was appointed to the Hanford project by General Leslie...
, who oversaw the construction and early operation of the Hanford Site
Hanford Site
The Hanford Site is a mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, operated by the United States federal government. The site has been known by many names, including Hanford Works, Hanford Engineer Works or HEW, Hanford Nuclear Reservation...
during World War II. The young Colonel Matthias was so proud of his work the he accompanied the first plutonium produced at Hanford to Los Alamos.
On June 8, 1905, a hail storm damaged nearly every building in the village.
On October 15, 1974, Curtiss was the site of a protest by the National Farmers Organization
National Farmers Organization
The National Farmers Organization is a producerist movement founded in the United States in 1955. Its greatest notoriety came in 1967 when it organized milk farmers to engage in a “holding action” to drive up the price of milk....
. NFO farmers slaughtered and buried in a trench 638 calves, mostly less than two weeks old. The protest was in response to the low price of veal
Veal
Veal is the meat of young cattle , as opposed to meat from older cattle. Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds...
. At the time, veal calves were selling for $0.17 per pound, resulting in a net loss to the farmer due to high feed costs. Public backlash against the NFO and the protest was great, with even President Ford weighting in to call it senseless.
In 1976, the US EPA aided the village with a grant to establish a municipal sewer and water system. The system has been expanded in the 1990s and again in the 2000s to account for industrial growth related to the meat packing industry.
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 198 people, 68 households, and 45 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 288.8 people per square mile (110.8/km²). There were 70 housing units at an average density of 102.1 per square mile (39.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 64.65% White, 0.51% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 33.84% 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...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.34% of the population.
There were 68 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% 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, 2.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.70.
In the village the population was spread out with 35.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 12.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 108.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,250, and the median income for a family was $34,167. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $23,125 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 $11,061. About 7.7% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 5.6% of those sixty five or over.