Grant County, Wisconsin
Grant County, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 Grant County Courthouse, Armand D. Koch, architect, 1902 | |
 Location in the U.S. state of Wisconsin | |
 Wisconsin's location in the U.S. | |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Seat | Lancaster |
| Largest city | Platteville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,183 sq mi (3,064 km2) |
| • Land | 1,147 sq mi (2,971 km2) |
| • Water | 36 sq mi (93 km2), 3.1% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 51,208 |
| • Density | 45/sq mi (17/km2) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Central: UTC−6/−5 |
| Website | www.co.grant.wi.gov |
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,208.[1] Its county seat is Lancaster.[2]
Grant County comprises the Platteville, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is in the tri-state area of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and is crossed by travelers commuting to Madison from a number of eastern Iowan cities, and by residents of northern Illinois traveling to the Twin Cities or La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Indian presence
1.2 Colonial period
1.3 American period
2 Geography
2.1 Major highways
2.2 Airports
2.3 Adjacent counties
3 Demographics
4 Government and infrastructure
5 Politics
6 Communities
6.1 Cities
6.2 Villages
6.3 Towns
6.4 Census-designated places
6.5 Unincorporated communities
6.6 Ghost town/neighborhood
7 Notable people
8 See also
9 Footnotes
10 Further reading
11 External links
History
Indian presence
What is now Grant County was largely uninhabited prior to contact with Europeans, as it was a border region between the territories of the Kickapoo, Menominee, and Illinois tribes. The only Indians to have a permanent settlement in the area were the Fox tribe, who had a temporary village in what is now the extreme northeast of the county during the mid-1700s.
Colonial period
Between 1520 and 1620 this area was nominally ruled by Spain, although the lack of explorers left the region completely untouched by Spanish authority. The first Frenchmen to reach what is now Grant County were Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, who explored the region in the spring of 1673, after setting out from what would later become Green Bay. No permanent settlement was made. In 1680 Louis Hennepin also passed through the region that would later become Grant County, also making no permanent settlement. In 1689 Nicholas Perrot passed through the territory and claimed it for the King of France. The first settlement was a temporary trading post that Pierre Marin founded in 1725.
The British technically ruled the region during the period between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, though no effort was made to settle or administer the region. After the abandonment of Marin's trading post, the region went unvisited until the expedition of Jonathan Carver, a Connecticut Yankee who passed through what is now Grant County in 1776 during an attempt to discover the Pacific Ocean.
American period
In 1783, the British government acknowledged the jurisdiction of the United States over the land east of the Mississippi River, including what is now Grant County. American and European traders visiting the region over the next decades were yet as nomadic as the Indians, and no records survive. Grant County was created as part of Wisconsin Territory in 1837.[3] It was named after an Indian trader; his first name, origins, and eventual fate are all unknown.[4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,183 square miles (3,060 km2), of which 1,147 square miles (2,970 km2) is land and 36 square miles (93 km2) (3.1%) is water.[5]
Major highways
U.S. Highway 18
U.S. Highway 61
U.S. Highway 151
Highway 11 (Wisconsin)
Highway 35 (Wisconsin)
Highway 80 (Wisconsin)
Highway 81 (Wisconsin)
Highway 133 (Wisconsin)
U.S. Highway 18
U.S. Highway 61
U.S. Highway 151
Highway 11 (Wisconsin)
Highway 35 (Wisconsin)
Highway 80 (Wisconsin)
Highway 81 (Wisconsin)
Highway 133 (Wisconsin)
Airports
- KPVB - Platteville Municipal Airport serves the county and surrounding communities.
- 73C - Lancaster Municipal Airport enhances county service.
Adjacent counties
Crawford County, Wisconsin - north
Richland County, Wisconsin - northeast
Iowa County, Wisconsin - east
Lafayette County, Wisconsin - east
Jo Daviess County, Illinois - southeast
Dubuque County, Iowa - south
Clayton County, Iowa - west
Demographics
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Grant County.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 3,926 | — | |
| 1850 | 16,169 | 311.8% | |
| 1860 | 31,189 | 92.9% | |
| 1870 | 37,979 | 21.8% | |
| 1880 | 37,852 | −0.3% | |
| 1890 | 36,651 | −3.2% | |
| 1900 | 38,881 | 6.1% | |
| 1910 | 39,007 | 0.3% | |
| 1920 | 39,044 | 0.1% | |
| 1930 | 38,469 | −1.5% | |
| 1940 | 40,639 | 5.6% | |
| 1950 | 41,460 | 2.0% | |
| 1960 | 44,419 | 7.1% | |
| 1970 | 48,398 | 9.0% | |
| 1980 | 51,736 | 6.9% | |
| 1990 | 49,264 | −4.8% | |
| 2000 | 49,597 | 0.7% | |
| 2010 | 51,208 | 3.2% | |
| Est. 2016 | 52,214 | [6] | 2.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010–2014[1] | |||
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 49,597 people, 18,465 households, and 12,390 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 19,940 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.23% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 52.0% were of German, 9.2% English, 8.8% Irish, 6.6% American and 6.4% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 18,465 households out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.70% under the age of 18, 14.60% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.00 males.
Government and infrastructure
The Wisconsin Secure Program Facility (WSPF), a Wisconsin Department of Corrections prison for men, is located in Boscobel in Grant County.[12][13]
Politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 50.7% 12,350 | 41.3% 10,051 | 8.1% 1,967 |
2012 | 42.3% 10,255 | 56.1% 13,594 | 1.7% 399 |
2008 | 37.3% 9,068 | 61.2% 14,875 | 1.6% 377 |
2004 | 48.3% 12,208 | 50.9% 12,864 | 0.8% 192 |
2000 | 46.6% 10,240 | 48.7% 10,691 | 4.7% 1,025 |
1996 | 36.5% 7,021 | 47.9% 9,203 | 15.6% 2,991 |
1992 | 33.2% 7,678 | 38.5% 8,914 | 28.4% 6,565 |
1988 | 51.3% 10,049 | 48.1% 9,421 | 0.6% 110 |
1984 | 62.6% 13,430 | 36.8% 7,892 | 0.6% 138 |
1980 | 55.8% 13,298 | 35.3% 8,406 | 8.9% 2,120 |
1976 | 54.1% 12,016 | 43.4% 9,639 | 2.5% 552 |
1972 | 62.3% 11,873 | 36.3% 6,915 | 1.4% 273 |
1968 | 62.5% 10,789 | 31.4% 5,414 | 6.2% 1,061 |
1964 | 45.7% 7,872 | 54.1% 9,309 | 0.2% 30 |
1960 | 60.1% 11,564 | 39.9% 7,678 | 0.1% 16 |
1956 | 68.7% 11,648 | 30.7% 5,208 | 0.6% 102 |
1952 | 77.2% 14,327 | 22.6% 4,197 | 0.2% 32 |
1948 | 55.0% 8,299 | 43.6% 6,575 | 1.4% 215 |
1944 | 62.6% 10,226 | 37.3% 6,091 | 0.2% 28 |
1940 | 59.4% 11,143 | 39.8% 7,458 | 0.8% 158 |
1936 | 41.1% 7,196 | 52.4% 9,170 | 6.5% 1,137 |
1932 | 37.6% 5,986 | 60.9% 9,701 | 1.5% 232 |
1928 | 59.9% 10,052 | 39.5% 6,630 | 0.7% 112 |
1924 | 40.3% 5,714 | 10.7% 1,518 | 49.0% 6,937 |
1920 | 80.9% 9,638 | 16.6% 1,971 | 2.5% 302 |
1916 | 56.3% 4,718 | 41.3% 3,459 | 2.5% 205 |
1912 | 41.6% 3,283 | 45.8% 3,615 | 12.5% 988 |
1908 | 55.1% 4,989 | 40.8% 3,696 | 4.1% 371 |
1904 | 64.5% 5,804 | 32.1% 2,886 | 3.4% 305 |
1900 | 61.2% 5,609 | 35.5% 3,254 | 3.4% 309 |
1896 | 57.4% 5,315 | 39.8% 3,683 | 2.8% 262 |
1892 | 50.2% 4,217 | 43.9% 3,685 | 5.9% 494 |
Communities
Cities
- Boscobel
Cuba City (partly in Lafayette County)- Fennimore
Lancaster (county seat)- Platteville
Villages
- Bagley
- Bloomington
- Blue River
- Cassville
- Dickeyville
Hazel Green (partly in Lafayette County)
Livingston (partly in Iowa County)
Montfort (partly in Iowa County)
Muscoda (partly in Iowa County)- Mount Hope
- Patch Grove
- Potosi
- Tennyson
- Woodman
Towns
- Beetown
- Bloomington
- Cassville
- Castle Rock
- Clifton
- Ellenboro
- Fennimore
- Glen Haven
- Harrison
- Hazel Green
- Hickory Grove
- Jamestown
- Liberty
- Lima
- Little Grant
- Marion
- Millville
- Mount Hope
- Mount Ida
- Muscoda
- North Lancaster
- Paris
- Patch Grove
- Platteville
- Potosi
- Smelser
- South Lancaster
- Waterloo
- Watterstown
- Wingville
- Woodman
- Wyalusing
Census-designated places
- Glen Haven
- Kieler
- Sandy Hook
Unincorporated communities
- Annaton
- Arthur
- Beetown
- Bigpatch
- British Hollow
- Brodtville
- Buena Vista
- Burton
- Castle Rock
- Centerville
- Cornelia
- Diamond Grove
- Ellenboro
- Elmo
- Fair Play
- Five Points
- Flora Fountain
- Georgetown
- Hickory Grove
- Homer
- Hurricane
- Lancaster Junction
- Louisburg
- McCartney
- Millville
- Mount Ida
- North Andover
- Prairie Corners
- Preston
- Rockville
- Rutledge
- Saint Rose
- Shady Dell
- Sinsinawa
- Stitzer
- Union
- Van Buren
- Werley
- Wyalusing
Ghost town/neighborhood
- Sinnipee
Notable people
Willard H. Burney, member of the Nebraska House of Representatives[15]
B. W. Countryman, member of the South Dakota House of Representatives[16]
John Lewis Dyer, Methodist circuit rider missionary in Minnesota and Colorado; lead miner in Grant County prior to 1848[17]
William Garner Waddel, member of the South Dakota Senate[18]
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Grant County, Wisconsin
- Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Footnotes
^ ab "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2014..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
^ Castello N. Holford History of Grant County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1881, pp. 7-9.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
^ "Boscobel city, Wisconsin[permanent dead link]." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on October 10, 2010.
^ "Wisconsin Secure Program Facility." Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Retrieved on October 10, 2010.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
^ "Willard H. Burney (1857-1943)". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
^ "B. W. Countryman (b. 1867)". Political Graveyard. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
^ "Jim Fagan, Snowshoes, Saloons, and Salvation: The Life And Times Of a 19th Century Colorado Pioneer Preacher, December 20, 2004". snowshoemag.com. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
^ "William Garner Waddel". Political Graveyard. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
Further reading
Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette, Wisconsin, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families. Chicago: J. H. Beers and Co., 1901.
History of Grant County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1881.
External links
- Grant County Official Government Website
Grant County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation- Grant County Health and Demographic Data
- Grant County Sheriff's Office
Places adjacent to Grant County, Wisconsin | ||||||||||
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Grant County, Wisconsin
Municipalities and communities of Grant County, Wisconsin, United States | ||
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County seat: Lancaster | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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Madison (capital) | ||
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Coordinates: 42°52′N 90°43′W / 42.86°N 90.71°W / 42.86; -90.71
