Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Use American English Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement

Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,708 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city primarily located in Dodge County.<ref>Watertown, Wisconsin is larger, but it is mostly in Jefferson County</ref> It is the principal city of the Beaver Dam Micropolitan Statistical area which is included in the larger Milwaukee–Waukesha–Racine CSA. The city is adjacent to the Town of Beaver Dam.

History

Beaver Dam was first settled by Thomas Mackie and Joseph Goetschius in 1841; by 1843, it had a population of almost 100. The city was named for an old beaver dam located in a stream flowing into Beaver Dam River.<ref>"Beaver Dam, Wisconsin – A Brief History". Wisconsin Historical Society.</ref> The area had also been known as Okwaanim, Chippewa for beaver dam.<ref>Virgil J. Voegl. Indian Names on Wisconsin's Map. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1991, p. 142. Template:ISBN</ref> The community was incorporated as a city on March 18, 1856.<ref name="Wisconsin1856">Template:Cite book</ref> That same year the Milwaukee Railroad reached the area, encouraging further growth.

Beaver Dam hosted a World War II prisoner of war camp called Camp Beaver Dam in the summer of 1944. The camp held 300 German prisoners in a tent city encampment where the Wayland Academy field house now stands.<ref name="Cowley2002">Template:Cite book</ref>

Geography and climate

Drumlins near Beaver Dam in one of the largest drumlin fields in the world

Beaver Dam is located at Template:Coord (43.459967, −88.836066).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which, Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert is water.<ref name="gaz2020">Template:Cite web</ref>

Beaver Dam has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb). Since 1996, the average annual snowfall in Beaver Dam has been Template:Convert. The 2007–2008 winter season was the snowiest on record with Template:Convert.<ref name="GR3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Weather box

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,<ref name="2020-census-5505900">Template:Cite web</ref> the population was 16,708. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 7,699 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 85.0% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 4.7% from other races, and 7.3% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 11.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $55,551, and the median income for a family was $73,309. Male full-time workers had a median income of $48,773 versus $40,140 for female workers. The per capita income for the city was $30,729. About 6.2% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="2020-EconChar-5505900">Template:Cite web</ref> Of the population age 25 and over, 93.0% were high school graduates or higher and 21.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher.<ref name="2020-SocChar-5505900">Template:Cite web</ref>

2010 census

As of the census<ref name="wwwcensusgov">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 16,214 people, 6,819 households, and 4,113 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 7,326 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 0.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.4% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.5% of the population.

There were 6,819 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 37.7 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 15,169 people, 6,349 households, and 3,999 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 6,685 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 95.95% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.61% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 4.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,349 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

Arts and culture

Beaver Dam Area Community Theatre

The following events are held each year in Beaver Dam:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

January:

  • Cabin Fever Fest – 4th Sunday

March:

  • Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast – 1st Sunday

April:

  • Rotary Casino Night – 1st Saturday
  • Beaver Dam Area Orchestra Annual Spring Concert – 3rd Saturday

May:

  • Race Into Summer Festival – Sunday of Memorial Day weekend
  • Memorial Day Parade – Memorial Day

June:

  • Taste of Wisconsin (beer & cheese tasting) – Saturday before Father's Day
  • Swan City Classic Car Show – Father's Day

July:

  • Best Dam Fest / Swan Park Craft Fair – 2nd weekend

August:

  • Corn Roast – 1st Thursday
  • Dodge County Fair – 3rd Wednesday through the following Sunday

October

  • Fall Downtown Fest

November:

  • Midwest Cream Cheese Competition – Saturday of opening of deer hunting
  • Economic Update Luncheon – 3rd Wednesday

December:

  • Christmas Parade – 1st Saturday

Government

Beaver Dam Municipal Building

Beaver Dam is represented by Glenn Grothman (R) in the United States House of Representatives, and by Ron Johnson (R) and Tammy Baldwin (D) in the United States Senate. John Jagler (R) represents Beaver Dam in the Wisconsin State Senate, and Mark Born (R) in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Education

Beaver Dam High School
Wayland Hall

The Beaver Dam Unified School District provides public education in the area. Beaver Dam has five public primary schools, one middle school, and Beaver Dam High School. An alternative school, the Don Smith Learning Academy, is part of the Beaver Dam Unified School District.

There are two parochial primary schools: St. Katharine Drexel (grades: Pre-K to 8th),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and St. Stephen's Evangelical Lutheran (grades: K to 8th).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city is also home to Wayland Academy, a private school.

The Beaver Dam campus of Moraine Park Technical College is located in the city.

Healthcare

Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam is a 163-bed hospital.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are 44.4 primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Beaver Dam.<ref name="Reports">Template:Cite web</ref> There are two behavioral health professionals in Beaver Dam.<ref name="Reports"/>

The area is designated as both a mental health and primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), qualifying the region as a medical desert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 2035, Beaver Dam is expected to have a 48.4% deficit in primary care physicians, the eighth largest predicted deficit in Wisconsin.<ref name="Reports"/>

Template:Unreferencedsection

Films shot in Beaver Dam

Films shot about Beaver Dam

Films referencing Beaver Dam

  • For Me and My Gal (1942), in which "Beaverdam, Wis." is the first stop for Palmer & Hayden after they team up
  • Pardon My Past (1945), in which "Beaverdam, Wis." is the destination of Eddie and Chuck to start a mink farm after leaving the service

Notable people

Government

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Sports

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Business

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Science, media, and the arts

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category Template:Wikivoyage

Template:Collier's poster

Template:Dodge County, Wisconsin

Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Beaver_Dam,_Wisconsin&oldid=175184"