| Oconomowoc |
| — City — |
|
Downtown Oconomowoc |
Logo |
|
|
Location of Oconomowoc in Wisconsin. |
| Country |
United States of America |
| State |
Wisconsin |
| County |
Waukesha |
| Settled |
1837[1] |
| Government |
| - Mayor |
Maurice Sullivan[2] |
Oconomowoc (
oʊˈkɑːnəməwɑːk (help·info)) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Pottawatomie term for "waterfall". The population was 12,382 at the 2000 census. The city is partially adjacent to the Town of Oconomowoc and near the Village of Oconomowoc Lake.
History
In April 1837, Oconomowoc was settled by Charles Sheldon.[3] He built a cabin where the current LaBelle Cemetery is.[3] The first recorded birth in Oconomowoc was Eliza Dewey in 1840.[3] The first death was a Mrs. Foster in 1841.[3] Until 1845, residents of Oconomowoc had to go to Summit to get their mail.[4] The first locomotive came into Oconomowoc in December 1854.[4]
On April 2, 2008, a gas line exploded just west of downtown, destroying the First Baptist Church on West Wisconsin Avenue. The church, which was built in 1910, was completely destroyed, except for its bell tower frame. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but utility work was being done on Wisconsin Avenue in preparation for reconstruction of the street.[5]
Geography
Oconomowoc is located at 43°6′31″N 88°29′49″W / 43.10861°N 88.49694°W / 43.10861; -88.49694 (43.108814, -88.497019)[6]. It is located in the Lake Country area of Waukesha County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), where 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (6.81%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 12,382 people, 4,968 households, and 3,293 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,845.5 people per square mile (712.5/km²). There were 5,239 housing units at an average density of 780.9/sq mi (301.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.71% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. About 1.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Approximately 30.7% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. Some 28.6% 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 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,250, and the median income for a family was $62,950. Males had a median income of $42,683 versus $29,057 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,716. About 0.8% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Oconomowoc is home to Oconomowoc High School, which is a member of the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference. The school sits on 53 acres (210,000 m2) and includes a sports complex. Over 1,400 students attended the school in the 2005-2006 school year. Elementary schools in Oconomowoc are Greenland Elementary, Summit Elementary, Park Lawn Elementary, Meadow View Elementary, and Ixonia Elementary. Oconomowoc middle schools include Silver Lake and Nature Hill Intermediate schools, which opened for the 2008-2009 year. They are all part of the Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD).
Culture
References
- ^ "History". http://www.oconomowocusa.com/about_oconomowoc.htm. Retrieved on May 9, 2009.
- ^ "Mayor". http://www.oconomowocusa.com/mayor.htm. Retrieved on May 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Barquist, Barbara; Barquist, David (1987). "Oconomowoc". in Haley, Leroy. The Summit of Oconomowoc: 150 Years of Summit Town. Summit History Group. p. 55.
- ^ a b Barquist, Barbara; Barquist, David (1987). "Oconomowoc". in Haley, Leroy. The Summit of Oconomowoc: 150 Years of Summit Town. Summit History Group. p. 57.
- ^ Seibel, Jacqui; Sink, Lisa; Rinard, Amy (April 3, 2008). "Blast levels church". JSOnline. Journal Sentinel. http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/29408284.html. Retrieved on May 9, 2009.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
External links
