De Pere, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
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 20,559 at the 2000 census. De Pere is a suburb of Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
and is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area
Green Bay metropolitan area
The Green Bay 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 Green Bay...
.
Registered historic places
De Pere has two areas on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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...
. North Broadway Street Historic District is listed as #83003368. Large homes line Broadway, Ridgeway Blvd., Morris, Fulton, Franklin, Cass, Front, and Wisconsin Streets near the Fox River
Fox River (Wisconsin)
The Fox River is a river in eastern and central Wisconsin in the United States. Along the banks is a chain of cities, including Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, Appleton, Little Chute, Kimberly, Combined Locks, and Kaukauna. Except for Oshkosh, these cities refer to themselves as the Fox Cities...
.
The De Pere Lock and Dam Historic District (#93001331) was added in 1993.
History
In 1671 French Jesuit explorer Père Claude-Jean AllouezClaude-Jean Allouez
Claude Jean Allouez was a Jesuit missionary and French explorer of North America.Allouez was born in Saint-Didier-en-Velay in the département of Haute-Loire in south-central France. In 1639, he graduated from the College of Le Puy, and became a Jesuit novice in Toulouse, France. In 1655, he was...
founded the St. Francis Xavier Mission
St. Francis Xavier Mission
The mission of St. Francis Xavier was a seventeenth century Jesuit mission located on the rapids of the Fox River near De Pere, Wisconsin.It was founded in 1671 by Claude Allouez to proselytize the native peoples of the western Great Lakes...
at the last set of rapids on the Fox River
Fox River (Wisconsin)
The Fox River is a river in eastern and central Wisconsin in the United States. Along the banks is a chain of cities, including Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, Appleton, Little Chute, Kimberly, Combined Locks, and Kaukauna. Except for Oshkosh, these cities refer to themselves as the Fox Cities...
before entering Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The site was known as Rapides Des Pères (rapids of the fathers) which became modern day De Pere.
Originally De Pere consisted of only the community on the east side of the river; however, in 1890 the City of West De Pere, on the west side of the river, consolidated with the city of De Pere to form one community.
St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the college became coeducational and today enrolls about 2,175...
, which abuts the banks of the Fox River on the city's west side near the Claude Allouez Bridge, was founded by Norbertine Abbot Pennings in 1898.
Geography
De Pere is located at 44°26′46"N 88°4′27"W (44.4460910,-88.0740510).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 11.4 square miles (29.3 km²), of which, 10.6 square miles (27.5 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it is water. The total area is 6.87% water.
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 20,559 people, 7,724 households, and 5,020 families reside 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 1,938.4 people per square mile (748.2/km²). There were 7,993 housing units at an average density of 753.6 per square mile (290.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.71% White, 0.54% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.
There were 7,724 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% 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, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,282, and the median income for a family was $61,688. Males had a median income of $39,710 versus $27,166 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 $24,013. About 2.3% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under the age of 18 and 5.4% of those 65 and older.
Education
De Pere is the only city in the state of Wisconsin with two school districts. This is a hold over from when the communities on the east and west sides of the Fox River were indeed separate municipalities. While the city has been in its current form since 1890, the two original school districts remain.The Unified School District of De Pere has the following schools:
- De Pere High SchoolDe Pere High SchoolDe Pere High School is a public high school located in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in 1930, it serves students in grades 9 through 12. Its enrollment was estimated at 1,199 students for the 2007-2008 school year.-History:...
- De Pere Middle School
- Foxview Intermediate School
- Dickinson Elementary School
- Heritage Elementary School
- Altmayer Elementary School
The School District of West De Pere has the following schools:
- West De Pere High SchoolWest De Pere High SchoolWest De Pere High School is one of two public high schools in De Pere, Wisconsin. Built in 1960, it serves students in the 9th to the 12th grade. The school's mascot is the phantom. The Phantoms compete in the Bay Conference.- Achievements :...
- West De Pere Middle School
- Westwood Elementary School
- Hemlock Creek Elementary School
- Phantom Knight Charter School
The De Pere Private Schools:
- Notre Dame of De Pere
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Wisconsin International School - an independent school at http://www.wiseducation.org
De Pere is also home to St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the college became coeducational and today enrolls about 2,175...
, a private Roman Catholic liberal arts college.
Syble Hopp is a secondary school in De Pere which serves children who have special needs.
Religion
The National Shrine of Saint JosephNational Shrine of Saint Joseph (DePere, Wisconsin)
The National Shrine of Saint Joseph is located in DePere, Wisconsin, a few miles from the city of Green Bay, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay. The Shrine is in the care of the Norbertine Order, and is housed at St. Norbert Abbey, DePere, Wisconsin....
is located at Saint Norbert Abbey
St. Norbert Abbey
St. Norbert Abbey is the location of the headquarters of the Premonstratensian Order in the United States. Located on of land east of the Fox River in De Pere, Wisconsin, it falls within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay....
.
Transportation
U.S. Highway 41 travels north-south on the west side of De Pere. Wisconsin Highway 32/Wisconsin Highway 57 enter De Pere from the south and split in the middle of De Pere. WIS 32 heads east/west through De Pere before turning north. WIS 57 continues straight north. There is limited transit service operated by Green Bay MetroGreen Bay Metro
Green Bay Metro, formerly known as Green Bay Transit until 2001, is the mass transit system found in the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin. It also provides limited service in Ashwaubenon, Allouez, De Pere, and Bellevue.-Operations:...
and the CN
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
provides freight railroad service. The Fox River is navigable for boat/canoe traffic with the exception of a dam.
Notable residents
- Arthur J. AltmeyerArthur J. AltmeyerArthur J. Altmeyer was the United States Commissioner for Social Security from 1946 to 1953, and chairman of the Social Security Board from 1937 to 1946. He was a key figure in the design and implementation of the U.S...
- Social Security commissioner - Jason BerkenJason BerkenJason Thomas Berken is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.-Baseball career:Berken graduated from West De Pere High School. He played for Clemson's baseball team...
- pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles - Robert John CornellRobert John CornellRobert John Cornell, O Praem was a Roman Catholic priest and American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin from 1975 to 1979....
- Roman Catholic priest, former member of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution... - Burley FollettBurley Follett-Biography:Follett was born on December 30, 1806 in Otsego County, New York. In 1822, he moved to Detroit, Michigan. Follett first came to Wisconsin to deliver supplies to the garrisons of Fort Howard and Fort Winnebago. He took up permanent residence in Green Bay following the Black Hawk War....
- Mayor of Green Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,... - Paul GigotPaul GigotPaul A. Gigot is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative political commentator and the editor of the editorial pages for The Wall Street Journal...
- Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning journalist - Ed GlickEd GlickEdward Isadore Glick was a professional American football back in the National Football League. He played one season for the Green Bay Packers . He played at the collegiate level at Lawrence University and Marquette University.-References:...
- NFL player - Mark Andrew Green - U.S. diplomat
- Robert J. HavighurstRobert J. HavighurstRobert James Havighurst was a professor, physicist, educator, and aging expert. Both his father, Freeman Alfred Havighurst, and mother, Winifred Weter Havighurst, had been educators at Lawrence University. Havighurst worked and published well into his 80s...
- physicist - Shaun HerockShaun HerockShaun Herock is the Assistant Director of College Scouting for the Midwest Region of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League.-Biography:...
- NFL executive - James F. HughesJames F. HughesJames Frederic Hughes was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Hughes graduated from West Green Bay High School in 1901. After moving to De Pere, Wisconsin in 1901, he was employed as a salesman. He was a member of the De Pere Board of Education...
- U.S. Representative - Thadeus JacksonThadeus JacksonThadeus Jackson is an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Green Bay Packers.-Biography:Jackson was born in Columbus, Mississippi. He attended Jackson State University, Hinds Community College, and the University of Alabama...
- NFL assistant coach - Greg JenningsGreg JenningsGregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
- NFL player - Joseph KonopkaJoseph KonopkaJoseph Konopka, better known by his self-given nickname Dr. Chaos, is an American citizen who is currently serving 13 years in prison for 2 felony acts of conspiracy to commit acts of terror. In 2004, in Wisconsin, he was also charged with 6 felony counts of arson and vandalism, as well as...
- incarcerated terrorist known as "Dr. Chaos" - Joe LaFleurJoe LaFleurJoe LaFleur was a player in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears from 1922 to 1924. He played at the collegiate level at Marquette University and St. Norbert College.-Biography:...
- NFL player - Scott McCurleyScott McCurleyScott McCurley is the Defensive Quality Control Coach of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League.-Biography:Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, McCurley graduated from Mohawk High school in Bessemer, Pennsylvania and attended the University of Pittsburgh. He is married to Colleen ...
- NFL assistant coach - Terry Anne MeeuwsenTerry Anne MeeuwsenTerry Anne Meeuwsen Friedrich is an American television personality, co-host of the Christian Broadcasting Network 's 700 Club, author and singer....
- Miss America 1973, Miss Wisconsin 1972, co-host of the "700 Club", born in De Pere - Edward A. SeymourEdward A. SeymourEdward A. Seymour was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.-Biography:Seymour was born Edward Amos Seymour on August 1, 1887 in De Pere, Wisconsin. In 1919, he married Laura Caroline Knuth. He passed away on July 4, 1965.-Career:...
- Wisconsin State Assemblyman - Alexander Hanchett Smith - noted mycologist
- Gale StaleyGale StaleyGeorge Gaylord "Gale" Staley was a Major League Baseball Second baseman. Staley played for the Chicago Cubs in the season. In 7 career games, he had 11 hits in 26 at-bats. He batted left and threw right-handed....
- MLB player