Washburn, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
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 2,280 at the 2000 census. The city is just east of and adjacent to the Town of Washburn
Washburn, Bayfield County, Wisconsin
Washburn is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 541 at the 2000 census. The City of Washburn is located just east of and adjacent to the town.Wisconsin Highway 13 serves as a main arterial route in the community....
. It is in northern Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
's Chequamegon Bay
Chequamegon Bay
Chequamegon Bay is an inlet of Lake Superior, NE-SW and 2- wide, in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the extreme northern part of Wisconsin. It lies largely inside the barrier of Chequamegon Point and Long Island, with the Bad River Indian Reservation to the east. Ashland, Wisconsin is on its...
.
Wisconsin Highway 13 serves as a main arterial route in the community.
History
Founded in 1879, the city was named for Cadwallader C. WashburnCadwallader C. Washburn
Cadwallader Colden Washburn was an American businessman, politician, and soldier noted for founding what would later become General Mills and working in government for Wisconsin. He was born in Livermore, Maine, one of seven brothers that included Israel Washburn, Jr., Elihu B. Washburne, William D...
, Republican governor of Wisconsin from 1872 until 1874.
Geography
Washburn is located at 46°40′26"N 90°53′51"W (46.673989, -90.897674).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 6.2 square miles (16.0 km²), of which 3.9 square miles (10.2 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²) of it (36.30%) 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 2,280 people, 938 households, and 589 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 581.5 people per square mile (224.6/km²). There were 1,004 housing units at an average density of 256.1 per square mile (98.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.06% White, 0.18% 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...
, 5.61% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.35% 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 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population. 26.8% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 14.2% Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
, 7.1% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, 7.1% Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, 6.7% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 5.6% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and 5.5% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 938 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% 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, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. The ratio of Males to Females is typical of a small town, which is dece. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,257, and the median income for a family was $40,781. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $23,235 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 $15,331. About 7.5% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Initially, the city's economy was based on lumbering, with sawmills lining the busy waterfront. In 1905, the DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
company opened an explosives plant just outside town, providing an important source of employment as timber resources were growing scarce. The closing of the DuPont plant in 1971 was a severe blow to the local economy.
Currently, the city's economy focuses on the tourist industry and its position as county seat.
Local Media
Washburn receives three radio stations from Ashland; WATWWATW
WATW is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk format. Licensed to Ashland, Wisconsin, USA, the station is currently owned by Heartland Communications Group, LLC....
, WBSZ
WBSZ
WBSZ is a radio station broadcasting a New Country format. Licensed to Ashland, Wisconsin, USA. The station is currently owned by Heartland Communications Group, LLC, and features programing from ABC Radio and Westwood One....
and WJJH
WJJH
WJJH is an American radio station broadcasting a mainstream rock format as "Real Rock J96." Licensed to Ashland, Wisconsin, USA, the station is currently owned by Heartland Communications Group, LLC, and features programing from ABC Radio, CBS Radio and Westwood One.Studio and transmitter are...
. Television stations come from the Duluth-Superior market; KDLH
KDLH
KDLH is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Iron Range area of Northeastern Minnesota that is licensed to Duluth. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 33 from a transmitter west of downtown in Hilltop Park. Owned by the Malara Broadcast Group, the station is...
, KBJR, WDSE and WDIO.
Notable people
- Ted BuffaloTed BuffaloWilliam Francis Buffalo was a professional football player who played in the National Football League during the 1923 season. That season he joined the NFL's Oorang Indians. The Indians were a team based in LaRue, Ohio, composed only of Native Americans, and coached by Jim Thorpe. Ted was a...
, NFL player - Paul HammPaul HammPaul Elbert Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He is a World Champion gymnast and three-time Olympic medalist. He won the all-around competition at the 2004 Olympic Games.-Career:...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gymnastGymnastGymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia... - Morgan HammMorgan HammMorgan Carl Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics and at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won the silver medal in the team competition. He was a member of the silver-medal winning team at the 2003 World Artistic...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gymnastGymnastGymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia... - Hubert H. PeaveyHubert H. PeaveyHubert Haskell Peavey was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Adams, Minnesota, Peavey moved with his parents to Redwood Falls, Minnesota, in 1886....
, U.S. Representative - Vic C. WallinVic C. Wallin-Biography:Wallin was born on May 27, 1899 in Washburn, Wisconsin. He would go on to work in petroleum and insurance.-Political career:Wallin served in the Assembly from 1951 until 1958, when he was defeated for re-election. He was a Republican....
, Wisconsin State Assemblyman