Baraboo(/ˈbɛərəbuː/BAIR-ə-boo)[5]is thecounty seatofSauk County, Wisconsin,United States, located along theBaraboo River.[6]The population was 12,556 as of the2020 census.The most populous city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboomicropolitan statistical areawhich comprises a portion of theMadison combined statistical area.
Baraboo, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Baraboo | |
 Location of Baraboo in Sauk County, Wisconsin | |
| Coordinates:43°28′5″N89°44′30″W/ 43.46806°N 89.74167°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Sauk |
| Incorporated | 1882 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor – Council |
| • Mayor | Rob Nelson |
| Area | |
| •City | 7.43 sq mi (19.25 km2) |
| • Land | 7.35 sq mi (19.03 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2) |
| Elevation | 879 ft (268 m) |
| Population | |
| •City | 12,556 |
| • Density | 1,709.2/sq mi (659.9/km2) |
| •Metro | 55,225 |
| Time zone | UTC−6(Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5(CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 53913 |
| Area code | 608 |
| GNISfeature ID | 1582749[4] |
| FIPS code | 55-04625 |
| Website | www |
Baraboo is home to theCircus World Museumand the former headquarters and winter home of theRingling Brothers Circus.TheAl. Ringling Theatreis an active landmark in the city. Baraboo is nearDevil's Lake State ParkandAldo Leopold'sShack and Farm.
History
editEarly settlement
editThe area around Baraboo was the site of aKickapoovillage as early as 1665.[7]The current community was established by Abe Wood in 1838, and was originally known as the village of Adams.[8]In 1839 several settlers arrived and started building cabins, and a saw mill.[9]In 1846 it became the county seat ofSauk Countyafter a fierce fight with the nearby village ofReedsburg.[10]In 1852, the village was renamed "Baraboo", afterthe nearby river.It was incorporated as a village in 1866 and as a city in 1882.[11][12]In the 1860s, the city had surpassed a population of 2,000, and many businesses started to form, including grocery stores, banks, and hotels. In 1872, theChicago and North Western Railway(C&NW) was built.[8]Baraboo became home to several saw mills during this time, because of its location near theBarabooandWisconsinRivers.
Late 1800s to the present
editIn 1884, theRingling Brothers Circuswas established in Baraboo. Several other circuses came to the city, which earned Baraboo the nickname "Circus City".[12]
Located south of Baraboo in theCensus-designated placeofBluffview,was theBadger Ordnance Works,which was the largest munitions factory in the world during World War II.[13]It was later demolished and now the land is a part of the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area.[14]
Hank Snow's 1959 song "I've Been Everywhere",famously covered byJohnny Cash,mentions visiting Baraboo.
Cirrus Aircraft,a manufacturer of single-engine aircraft, was founded in a rural Baraboo barn in 1984 by brothersAlan and Dale Klapmeier.[15][16]After a few years of designing theVK-30,the company relocated to theBaraboo–Wisconsin Dells Airport,and in 1994 moved to its present-day home inDuluth, Minnesota.[17]
Geography
edit
According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has a total area of 7.47 square miles (19.35 km2), of which 7.39 square miles (19.14 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[18]
West Baraboo,a suburb of Baraboo, borders the city on its west side.
Baraboo gives its name to the Baraboo Syncline, a doubly plunging, asymmetricsynclineinProterozoic-agedBaraboo quartzite.Researchers at theUniversity of Wisconsin,particularlyCharles R. Van Hise,used the syncline to demonstrate that small-scale deformational structures in isolated outcrops reflect larger regional structures and that sedimentary structures could indicate the original top-facing direction within elaborately deformedstrata.These two principles sparked a global revolution instructural geologyduring the 1920s.[19]
The nearbyBaraboo Hillsare designated one of the "Last Great Places" by theNature Conservancybecause of its rare rocks, plants and animals. The hills were created by glacial action, and in some points poke up from the flat terrain to form a stark contrast. Some of these features were created when a glacial pocket was formed during theWisconsin glaciationwhere the advance of the glacier halted, along the edge of what is known as the Driftless Area.Devil's Lake State Park,Wisconsin's largest state park, contains large areas of the Baraboo Hills.Pewits Nestis located outside Baraboo.
Climate
editAccording to theKöppen Climate Classificationsystem, Baraboo has awarm-summer humid continental climate,abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Baraboo was 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 5–7, 2012, while the coldest temperature recorded was −45 °F (−42.8 °C) on January 30, 1951.[20]
| Climate data for Baraboo, Wisconsin, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) |
69 (21) |
84 (29) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
92 (33) |
76 (24) |
68 (20) |
103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 46.8 (8.2) |
52.7 (11.5) |
67.3 (19.6) |
78.5 (25.8) |
86.5 (30.3) |
91.4 (33.0) |
92.9 (33.8) |
91.3 (32.9) |
87.8 (31.0) |
80.6 (27.0) |
65.4 (18.6) |
52.1 (11.2) |
94.9 (34.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.5 (−2.5) |
32.2 (0.1) |
44.1 (6.7) |
57.2 (14.0) |
69.6 (20.9) |
79.0 (26.1) |
82.8 (28.2) |
80.9 (27.2) |
73.7 (23.2) |
60.5 (15.8) |
45.5 (7.5) |
33.2 (0.7) |
57.2 (14.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.6 (−7.4) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
33.6 (0.9) |
45.6 (7.6) |
57.9 (14.4) |
67.6 (19.8) |
71.5 (21.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
61.7 (16.5) |
49.5 (9.7) |
36.6 (2.6) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
46.6 (8.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.6 (−12.4) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
23.1 (−4.9) |
34.1 (1.2) |
46.2 (7.9) |
56.2 (13.4) |
60.1 (15.6) |
57.6 (14.2) |
49.7 (9.8) |
38.4 (3.6) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
36.0 (2.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −15.9 (−26.6) |
−11.3 (−24.1) |
−2.3 (−19.1) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
39.4 (4.1) |
46.4 (8.0) |
43.4 (6.3) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
8.1 (−13.3) |
−6.6 (−21.4) |
−19.6 (−28.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −45 (−43) |
−41 (−41) |
−34 (−37) |
−2 (−19) |
19 (−7) |
31 (−1) |
38 (3) |
34 (1) |
20 (−7) |
10 (−12) |
−17 (−27) |
−35 (−37) |
−45 (−43) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 1.35 (34) |
1.36 (35) |
2.21 (56) |
4.16 (106) |
4.28 (109) |
5.58 (142) |
4.79 (122) |
4.53 (115) |
3.85 (98) |
2.91 (74) |
2.20 (56) |
1.68 (43) |
38.90 (988) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.3 (29) |
10.1 (26) |
5.9 (15) |
2.6 (6.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
2.1 (5.3) |
10.3 (26) |
42.7 (108.9) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 8.3 | 7.3 | 9.1 | 11.2 | 13.1 | 11.8 | 10.2 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 118.9 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 6.7 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 23.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA[21] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[20] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 255 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,360 | 433.3% | |
| 1870 | 1,528 | 12.4% | |
| 1880 | 3,266 | 113.7% | |
| 1890 | 4,605 | 41.0% | |
| 1900 | 5,751 | 24.9% | |
| 1910 | 6,324 | 10.0% | |
| 1920 | 5,538 | −12.4% | |
| 1930 | 5,545 | 0.1% | |
| 1940 | 6,415 | 15.7% | |
| 1950 | 7,264 | 13.2% | |
| 1960 | 7,660 | 5.5% | |
| 1970 | 7,931 | 3.5% | |
| 1980 | 8,081 | 1.9% | |
| 1990 | 9,203 | 13.9% | |
| 2000 | 10,711 | 16.4% | |
| 2010 | 12,048 | 12.5% | |
| 2020 | 12,556 | 4.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[22] | |||
Baraboo forms the core of theUnited States Census Bureau's BarabooMicropolitan Statistical Area,which includes all of Sauk County (2000 population: 55,225). The Baraboo μSA is just northwest of theMadisonmetropolitan area,with which it forms the Census Bureau's Baraboo-MadisonConsolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area.
2020 census
editAs of thecensus of 2020,[2]the population was 12,556. Thepopulation densitywas 1,709.2 inhabitants per square mile (659.9/km2). There were 5,776 housing units at an average density of 786.3 per square mile (303.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.0%White,1.4%Native American,1.3%BlackorAfrican American,1.0%Asian,2.7% fromother races,and 5.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 5.9%HispanicorLatinoof any race.
2010 census
editAs of thecensus[3]of 2010, there were 12,048 people, 5,161 households, and 3,016 families residing in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 1,630.3 inhabitants per square mile (629.5/km2). There were 5,619 housing units at an average density of 760.4 per square mile (293.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.0%White,1.3%African American,1.0%Native American,0.5%Asian,0.1%Pacific Islander,1.5% fromother races,and 1.6% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinopeople of any race were 3.7% of the population.
There were 5,161 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the city was 38 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
2000 census
editAs of thecensusof 2000,[6]there were 10,711 people, 4,467 households, and 2,733 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,030.2 people per square mile (783.2/km2). There were 4,718 housing units at an average density of 894.3 per square mile (345.0 persons/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.12% White, 0.51%African American,0.77%Native American,0.52%Asian,0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.57% of the population wereHispanicorLatinoof any race.
There were 4,467 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.1% 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 2.96.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,375, and the median income for a family was $48,149. Males had a median income of $32,775 versus $22,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,304. 6.6% of the population and 4.7% of families were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or older.
Infrastructure
editBaraboo includes the Downtown Baraboo Historic District, which consists of 75 commercial and civic buildings built between 1870 and 1938.[23]TheSauk County Courthouseis in the center of the district, and it serves the county.
Transportation
edit
TheBaraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airport(KDLL) serves the city and surrounding communities, and is located onBus. US 123 miles north of the city.State Highways 33,113,136,andU.S. 12pass through Baraboo. There is access toInterstate 90/94nearby. TheWisconsin & Southern Railroadprovides freight rail service to Baraboo via theReedsburg Subdivision,the nearestAmtrakpassenger rail station is in neighboringWisconsin Dells.Dial-a-ridetransit service is available in the city through Baraboo Transit.
Government
edit
A city hall building opened in 1967,[24]and another location finished construction in 2018 at a cost of $9 million.[25]
A post office opened in 1961.[24]
Education
edit
TheSchool District of Baraboohas four elementary schools serving students in grades 1 through 5, one kindergarten center, one middle school and one high school (Baraboo High School).
The middle school has a swimming pool that can be accessed by the public with a seasonal membership option. There are also three parochial schools: St. Joseph's Catholic School, which serves Pre-K through sixth grade; St. John's Lutheran School of theWELS,serving Pre-K through eighth grade;[26]and Community Christian School, serving 4K through high school.[27]
St. Joseph's Catholic, under theRoman Catholic Diocese of Madison,is a parochial school. The current school building, designed by theWisconsin Rapidscompany Billmeyer and Sons and with a cost of over $500,000, has 11 classrooms. The basement has a cafeteria and a combination auditorium/gymnasium. The second building for the school opened on a filled-in ravine in 1912, northeast of its associated church. The building had three floors and a basement. The first and second floors each had three classrooms, and the second floor also housed the chapel and the library. The third floor had a 600-seat auditorium while the basement had a large banquet hall/gymnasium. The second building became overcrowded due to the post-World War IIbaby boom,so the third school building, north of the second building, opened in 1958.[28]
A campus of theUniversity of Wisconsin–Platteville Baraboo Sauk County(known to local residents as "Boo-U" ) is located in Baraboo.
The Baraboo Public Library serves the community. The former Free Congregational Society church was demolished by 1902 for the library's construction.[29]
Controversy
editIn November 2018, the Baraboo School District’s Superintendent promised to investigate aphotothat showed dozens of students— all but one of whom were white—appearing to give the internationally-condemned Nazi Sieg Heil salute.
Historic sites
edit- TheAldo Leopold Shack and Farm.celebrated in his bookA Sand County Almanac(1949), is near Baraboo.
- TheGust Brothers' Storeis in Baraboo.
- TheWalworth D. Porter Duplex Residenceis in Baraboo.
Notable people
edit
- Donald R. Atkinson,educator and writer
- Frank Avery,Wisconsin State Senator
- Stan Barnes,judge,United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Virgil H. Cady,Wisconsin State Representative
- Tiny Cahoon,NFLplayer
- Jorge A. Carow,Wisconsin State Representative
- Ella D. Crawford,temperance movement organizer
- John V. Diener,mayor ofGreen Bay, Wisconsin
- Evan Alfred Evans,judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
- Evan Glodell,film director, producer, writer, and actor
- Elna Jane Hilliard Grahn,educator
- Henry C. Hansbrough,U.S. Senator fromNorth Dakota
- John R. Hofstatter,Wisconsin State Representative
- Guy E. Holmes,musician and composer
- John J. Jenkins,U.S. Representative
- Robert J. Keller,Wisconsin State Representative
- Len Koenecke,MLBplayer
- Belle Case La Follette,lawyer and activist
- Louise M. Lawson(1855–1951), President, Wisconsin State Woman's Christian Temperance Union
- Aldo Leopold,naturalist
- Daryl Morey,formergeneral managerof theHouston Rockets(2007–2020), currently the President of Basketball Operations for thePhiladelphia 76ers
- Mary Mortimer(1816–1877), British-born American educator
- Beryl Newman,Medal of Honorrecipient
- John Ringling North,circus
- Stuart Palmer,mystery novelist
- Delando Pratt,Wisconsin State Representative
- Mike Reinfeldt,NFLplayer and executive
- Cyrus Remington,Wisconsin State Representative and jurist
- Bradbury Robinson,threw the firstforward passin football history, grew up in Baraboo
- Algie Martin Simons,socialist newspaper editor, attended high school in Baraboo
- Terry Stieve,NFLplayer
- Walter Terry,Wisconsin legislator
- John M. True,Wisconsin legislator
- C. F. Viebahn,Wisconsin State Representative
- David Vittum,Wisconsin State Senator[30]
- Lewis N. Wood,Wisconsin State Representative
- Edwin E. Woodman,Wisconsin State Senator
Notes
edit- ^"2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
- ^ab"2020 Decennial Census: Baraboo city, Wisconsin".data.census.gov.U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedJuly 13,2022.
- ^ab"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 18,2012.
- ^"US Board on Geographic Names".United States Geological Survey.October 25, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^"Cities -".RetrievedSeptember 9,2023.
- ^ab"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^"Fur Trade | Indians of the Midwest".Indians of the Midwest.RetrievedApril 12,2019.
- ^ab"Chapter 15 The City of Baraboo".A Standard History of Sauk County(PDF).
- ^"History of Baraboo Sauk County, Wisconsin".genealogytrails.RetrievedOctober 9,2020.
- ^"County Government: Why Adams County?"in Adams County Historical Society,From Past to Present: Adams County.Friendship, Wisconsin: New Past Press, 1999.
- ^The Wisconsin Blue Book 1929.Madison: Democrat Printing Company, 1929, p. 627.
- ^ab"Term: Baraboo (brief history)"inDictionary of Wisconsin History.
- ^"GSA - Badger Site Information".Archived fromthe originalon June 21, 2006.RetrievedSeptember 10,2013.
- ^"Sauk Prairie Wisconsin State Park System | Wisconsin DNR".dnr.wisconsin.gov.RetrievedOctober 9,2020.
- ^The Museum of Flight"Lecture by Cirrus Aircraft CEO Dale Klapmeier | the Museum of Flight".Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2014.RetrievedJuly 20,2014.
- ^The Dream Brothers: Alan and Dale KlapmeierAirport Journals,June 2005
- ^Exciting News From the National Aviation Hall of FameWisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame
- ^"US Gazetteer files 2010".United States Census Bureau.Archived fromthe originalon January 12, 2012.RetrievedNovember 18,2012.
- ^Dott, R.H. Jr. (August 2001). "Wisconsin roots of the modern revolution in structural geology".GSA Bulletin.113(8). The Geological Society of America: 996–1009.Bibcode:2001GSAB..113..996D.doi:10.1130/0016-7606(2001)113<0996:WROTMR>2.0.CO;2.
- ^ab "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Milwaukee".National Weather Service.RetrievedMay 3,2023.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Baraboo, WI".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedMay 3,2023.
- ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
- ^"Roughly bounded by 5th and 2 Avenues, and 5th, Ash, 1st, Oak and Birch Streets | National or State Registers Record".Wisconsin Historical Society.January 1, 2012.RetrievedOctober 7,2020.
- ^abDewel, Bob. "'60s, '70s and sophistication too?"In:" The 1970's "[sic] Pages 989 to 1052. Baraboo Public Library. Retrieved on November 22, 2018. CITED: p. 990.
- ^Bromley, Ben (March 14, 2018)."Staff will move into Baraboo's new City Hall April 9".Wisconsin News.RetrievedOctober 8,2020.
- ^"St John's Lutheran School Home".March 8, 2016.
- ^"Community Christian School of Baraboo".Community Christian School of Baraboo.RetrievedAugust 9,2014.
- ^Sauk County Historical Society.Baraboo.Arcadia Publishing,2017.ISBN1467125105,9781467125109. p.84.
- ^Sauk County Historical Society.Baraboo.Arcadia Publishing,2017.ISBN1467125105,9781467125109. p.85.
- ^The History of Sauk County, Wisconsin,Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1880, p. 437.
External links
edit
