North Prairie, Wisconsin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
North Prairie is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. It is located in the Town of Genesee, near the town's southwestern corner. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,571.
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[edit] Government
North Prairie is a village, with a village board. [1]
Under the direction of Village President Joseph Whitmore, the Village Board oversees the functions of the Board of Review, Clerk/Treasurer, Zoning Board of Appeals, Trustees, North Prairie CDA, Finance Committee, Emergency Board, Public Safety and Protective Services, Public Works - Building and Grounds, Municipal Court, Planning Commission, and Police Department.
[edit] History
Three prospectors from Mukwonago named the village in 1826. Blacksmiths from Eagle, Chas. Raynaus and Mr. Denny, were the first settlers to arrive that following year, although the first claim came from Stillman Smith. Farmers began to settle the North Prairie in the 1830s to raise their prize livestock and grain. The population grew and in 1840 Raynaus began the first school from his house. [2]
By 1850 the village had a general store and post office. The Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad went through in 1852, but the village remained mostly rural. North Prairie would later become one of the area's more noted residential centers. A rumor of oil in 1866 enabled the North Prairie Petroleum Company to fund $50,000 "to dig a hole & extract oil or minerals," but this venture was a failure.
St. John's Lutheran Church was built in 1877 and North Prairie later incorporated in 1919. Morey Milk Condensery opened a plant in 1917 and by 1920 North Prairie saw a jump in growth due to this industry. Morey Milk employed over 200 people and became a primary source of income to more than 85% of the village households. The plant was sold in 1924 and is no longer in operation. [3]
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2003, the previous owners of Bill's Self-Service and Mini-Mart, Bill and Avis McKenzie, described how the village boomed in the 1940s and 1950s. "We had three grocery stores, a hardware store, a mill, a granary, a post office, a drug store with eating counter, a few taverns with eating space, and three service stations, which at that time all had garages for car repair... One by one, they left town. Now we have one tavern, two service stations, one diner - and Bill's Service." [4]
[edit] Notable people
- Arthur Oliver Smith, industrial magnate and founder of the A.O. Smith Corporation
[edit] Parks and recreation
- Veterans Park located off of Highway 59 contains a garden area with historic vintage stone houses that have been fully restored. It also maintains a pavilion, tennis courts, a children's play area and other amenities.
- Village Park located on Karin Drive features a pavilion, softball diamond, soccer fields and a children's play area. [5]
[edit] Prairie View Elementary School
Prairie View Elementary School is located on Highway E, set into the gently rolling hills and oak savanna of the kettle moraine area of Wisconsin. The elementary school is a part of the Mukwonago School District. [6]
[edit] Geography
North Prairie is located at 42°55'59" North, 88°24'4" West (42.933087, -88.401050)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 6.9 km² (2.7 mi²). 6.9 km² (2.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.38% is water.
[edit] Industry
Located in Waukesha County, North Prairie was in the center of a world-leading region of dairy production. With the decline of local dairy production due to urban sprawl, North Prairie has become a bedroom community for commuters to Milwaukee, Waukesha, and surrounding communities. Local industry now includes manufacturing, with firms such as Aquarius Systems, which develops and manufactures equipment for mechanical removal of lake weeds & floating garbage, [7] and Zero Zone, Inc. which manufactures reach-in refrigerated and freezer display cases.[8] Smaller companies include KirbyBuilt Quality Products, which manufactures useful items from recycled wood. [9]
[edit] Demographics
In 1980 there were 938 people, which increased to 1,322 with the 1990 Census. [10]
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 1,571 people, 531 households, and 449 families residing in the village. The population density was 228.9/km² (592.4/mi²). There were 544 housing units at an average density of 79.3/km² (205.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.17% White, 0.00% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.32% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 531 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.4% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $67,596, and the median income for a family was $70,781. Males had a median income of $41,977 versus $27,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,470. 2.1% of the population and 1.3% of families were below the poverty line. 2.0% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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| Surrounding municipalities (over 10,000 inhabitants) |
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Brookfield | Brown Deer | Caledonia | Cedarburg | Cudahy | Delafield | Franklin | Germantown | Glendale | Grafton | Greendale | Greenfield | Menomonee Falls | Mequon | Muskego | New Berlin | Oak Creek | Oconomowoc | Pewaukee | Richfield | Shorewood | South Milwaukee | Waukesha | Wauwatosa | West Allis | Whitefish Bay | |
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| (less than 10,000 inhabitants) | |
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Bayside | Big Bend | Butler | Chenequa | Dousman | Elm Grove | Fox Point | Genesee | Hales Corners | Hartland | Ixonia | Lac La Belle | Lannon | Lisbon | Merton | Nashotah | North Prairie | Pewaukee | Oconomowoc Lake | Okauchee Lake | Ottawa | River Hills | Saukville | Saint Francis | Summit | Sussex | Thiensville | Vernon | Wales | West Milwaukee | |
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| Counties | |
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Jefferson | Milwaukee | Ozaukee | Racine | Washington | Waukesha | |
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| *town ‡village °city §CDP |
