Whitewater, Wisconsin

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Whitewater, Wisconsin
Main Street, Downtown Whitewater, WI
Main Street, Downtown Whitewater, WI
Location of Whitewater, Wisconsin
Location of Whitewater, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 42°50′6″N 88°44′10″W / 42.835, -88.73611
Country United States
State Wisconsin
Counties Walworth, Jefferson
Area
 - Total 7.3 sq mi (18.9 km²)
 - Land 7.0 sq mi (18.1 km²)
 - Water 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
Elevation [1] 823 ft (251 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 13,437
 - Density 1,923.5/sq mi (742.7/km²)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
FIPS code 55-86925[2]
GNIS feature ID 1576690[1]

Whitewater is a city in Jefferson and Walworth Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is home of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Contents

[edit] History

Whitewater was founded at the confluence of Whitewater Creek and Spring Brook, and named for the white sand in their beds.[3] A gristmill was built on Whitewater creek, the resulting pond now called Lake Cravath. The city grew quickly when the first railroad line in Wisconsin passed through in 1853, but struggled when the two largest employers left town.[4]

[edit] Local government

The Birge Fountain, shown from the side, was established in 1903 then renovated and rededicated in 2003.
The Birge Fountain, shown from the side, was established in 1903 then renovated and rededicated in 2003.

The City of Whitewater has a council-manager form of government. Whitewater has a Common Council. The Council is made up of one Councilmember from each of the five districts in the city and two Members-at-Large positions. The City Manager is Kevin Brunner. The Municipal Judge is Richard Kelly.

Council Members

  • District 1: Craig Stauffer
  • District 2: Max Taylor
  • District 3: Roy Nosek
  • District 4: Lynn Binnie
  • District 5: Patrick Singer - Council President
  • Member-at-Large: Jim Stewart - Council President Pro Tem
  • Member-at-Large: Marilyn Kienbaum

The Common Council meets on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at City Hall and can be seen live on Cable Station 13.

[edit] Culture

Lake Cravath located in Whitewater, WI., has a newly developed lakefront.
Lake Cravath located in Whitewater, WI., has a newly developed lakefront.

Annual events in Whitewater include an Open House in December, "Freeze Fest" in January, the Bridal Fair, Donkey Basketball and Farm Toy Show in February, Maxwell Street Day and the 4th of July Celebration in July. Adding to these annual events are the Minneiska Water Ski Shows [1] Saturday evenings on Whitewater Lake. Twice weekly throughout the year guided walks are held departing from the Hwy 12 crossing of the Ice Age Trail free of charge and group biking tours depart several times a week from the area. September through April, Young Auditorium at the university [2] features world class entertainment.

[edit] Notable residents

"The Prairie Tillers" mural located on 119 W. Center Street in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The original "The Prairie Tillers" mural was painted by the artist, Caryl Yasko in 1980. The mural depicts different eras in Whitewater’s history, with the three figures on the right representing Native Americans, early settlers, and present residents toiling at the water mill meant to furnish power to today and tomorrow’s generations pictured to the left of the wheel. The new mural is painted on materials that are meant to last longer after being restored in 2003.
"The Prairie Tillers" mural located on 119 W. Center Street in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The original "The Prairie Tillers" mural was painted by the artist, Caryl Yasko in 1980. The mural depicts different eras in Whitewater’s history, with the three figures on the right representing Native Americans, early settlers, and present residents toiling at the water mill meant to furnish power to today and tomorrow’s generations pictured to the left of the wheel. The new mural is painted on materials that are meant to last longer after being restored in 2003.

Notable people associated with Whitewater include:

[edit] Geography

Whitewater is located at 42°50′6″N, 88°44′10″W (42.834950, -88.736119)[5].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²) of which 7.0 square miles (18.1 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (3.98%) is water. Most of the city lies in Walworth County.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census of 2000,[2] there were 13,437 people, 4,132 households, and 1,685 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,923.5 people per square mile (742.2/km²). There were 4,340 housing units at an average density of 621.3/sq mi (239.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.25% White, 2.34% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.48% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.50% of the population.

There were 4,132 households out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.5% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.2% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 12.5% under the age of 18, 53.2% from 18 to 24, 15.7% from 25 to 44, 9.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,600, and the median income for a family was $48,185. Males had a median income of $33,078 versus $22,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,965. About 10.6% of families and 27.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Controversy

In March, 2008, an anonymous blogger known as "John Adams" (Frank Gilbert Slinkard) alleged that James Coan, Whitewater's police chief, had been using city employees and taxpayer money in an attempt to find the identity of the blogger. [3] One of the charges made by the blogger was harassment of another Whitewater citizen, identified by the Wisconsin State Journal as not being the actual blogger but otherwise accused as such by Coan.

Some emails involving incriminating information were released.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ History of Whitewater
  4. ^ History of Whitewater
  5. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Jefferson County, Wisconsin
County seat: Jefferson
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v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Walworth County, Wisconsin
County seat: Elkhorn
Cities

Burlington | Delavan | Elkhorn | Lake Geneva | Whitewater
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