Tomah, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Tomah is a city in Monroe County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 9,093. The city is located partially within the Town of Tomah
.
and Interstate 90
share a roadway from Madison, Wisconsin
to Tomah, where they diverge. Interstate 90 continues west to La Crosse, Wisconsin
while Interstate 94 heads north to Eau Claire, Wisconsin
and the Twin Cities
.
Tomah is also served by an Amtrak Station
on the Empire Builder
route.
Bloyer Field Airport is located 1 mile east of Tomah.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.7 square miles (20.0 km²), of which, 7.3 square miles (19.0 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (5.05%) is water.
of 2000, there were 8,419 people, 3,451 households, and 2,098 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,148.2 people per square mile (443.5/km²). There were 3,706 housing units at an average density of 505.4 per square mile (195.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.95% White, 1.03% Black or African American
, 1.65% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races
, and 1.15% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 3,451 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,986, and the median income for a family was $42,881. Males had a median income of $31,612 versus $21,377 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,409. About 8.4% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Monroe County, Wisconsin
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 40,899. Its county seat is Sparta.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, 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 2010 census, it had a population of 9,093. The city is located partially within the Town of Tomah
Tomah (town), Wisconsin
Tomah is a town in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,194 at the 2000 census. The city of Tomah, Wisconsin lies partially within its limits.-Geography:...
.
Education
The Tomah Area School District contains nine public schools: seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. There are also alternative schools in the area.Health and medical
Three health care facilities are located in Tomah: one hospital, Tomah Memorial Hospital, and two clinics, Lake Tomah Clinic of Franciscan Skemp Mayo Health System, and the Tomah Clinic of Gundersen Lutheran. Tomah is also home to a Veteran's Administration Medical Center.Transportation
Tomah is a regional transportation hub because of its location "where the 'I' divides." For westbound travel, Interstate 94Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
and Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
share a roadway from Madison, Wisconsin
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....
to Tomah, where they diverge. Interstate 90 continues west to La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
while Interstate 94 heads north to Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
and the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
.
Tomah is also served by an Amtrak Station
Tomah (Amtrak station)
Tomah is a train station in Tomah, Wisconsin served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station house is a wooden structure that was originally built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad...
on the Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
route.
Bloyer Field Airport is located 1 mile east of Tomah.
Geography
Tomah is located at 43°59′6"N 90°30′14"W (43.985089, -90.503922).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 7.7 square miles (20.0 km²), of which, 7.3 square miles (19.0 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (5.05%) is 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 8,419 people, 3,451 households, and 2,098 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 1,148.2 people per square mile (443.5/km²). There were 3,706 housing units at an average density of 505.4 per square mile (195.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.95% White, 1.03% 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...
, 1.65% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.46% 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 1.15% from two or more races. 1.41% 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 3,451 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% 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, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,986, and the median income for a family was $42,881. Males had a median income of $31,612 versus $21,377 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 $17,409. About 8.4% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Herbert Eugene BoltonHerbert Eugene BoltonHerbert Eugene Bolton was an American historian and one of the most prominent authorities on Spanish American history...
, Spanish borderlands scholar at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and first director of the Bancroft LibraryBancroft LibraryThe Bancroft Library is the primary special collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired as a gift/purchase from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity...
, graduated from Tomah High School. Born on a farm between WiltonWilton, WisconsinWilton is a village in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 519 at the 2000 census. The village is located partially within the Town of Wilton and partially within the Town of Wellington.-Geography:...
and Tomah, 20 July 1870. - William Washington HowesWilliam Washington HowesWilliam Washington Howes served under Franklin Delano Roosevelt as Second and First Assistant Postmaster General from 1933 to 1940. Howes brought airmail service to the Midwest. The W W Howes Municipal Airport was named in his honor. It is located in Huron, South Dakota. William Washington Howes...
, first Assistant Postmaster General of the United States. - Frank King, Creator of the comic strip Gasoline AlleyGasoline AlleyGasoline Alley is a comic strip created by Frank King and currently distributed by Tribune Media Services. First published November 24, 1918, it is the second longest running comic strip in the US and has received critical accolades for its influential innovations...
, grew up in Tomah. - Frank Augustus MillerFrank Augustus MillerFrank Augustus Miller was the owner and chief developer of the Mission Inn in Riverside, California, United States. He was also a civic leader and one of Riverside's strongest promoters....
, builder of the Mission InnMission InnThe Mission Inn, now known as The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, is a historic landmark hotel in downtown Riverside, California. Although a composite of many architectural styles, it is generally considered the largest Mission Revival Style building in the United States.-History:The property began as a...
in Riverside, CaliforniaRiverside, CaliforniaRiverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, United States. - Arthur Claude RugeArthur Claude RugeArthur Claude Ruge was an American mechanical engineer and inventor who developed and pioneered the modern bonded wire resistance strain gauge.-Background:...
, engineer - John E. SheridanJohn E. Sheridan (illustrator)John E. Sheridan was an illustrator well known in his lifetime for his cover art for The Saturday Evening Post, his illustrations for Collier's Weekly and Ladies' Home Journal, and his commercial advertisements...
, Illustrator, creator of numerous Saturday Evening Post covers, was born in Tomah. - Ed ThompsonEd ThompsonAllan Edward "Ed" Thompson , was an American businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin for two non-consecutive terms, and was the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in 2002, receiving 11% of the vote in that race. He was elected to his first term as mayor of...
, Mayor of Tomah 2000-2002 and 2008-2010, Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate 2002, State Senate Candidate 2010.