St. Nazianz, Wisconsin

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Location of St. Nazianz, Wisconsin

Welcome sign

Looking north in St. Nazainz

Tornado Damage from May 12, 2000

St. Nazianz is a village in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The village was founded in 1854. The town was heavily damaged in a Tornado in May of 2000, the village has since recovered considerably. The population was 749 at the 2000 census.

Victor A. Miller, who was Attorney General of Wisconsin, lived in St. Nazianz.

1 History
- 1.1 The 1st 100 Years
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] The 1st 100 Years

St. Nazianz was organized in 1854 as a religious colony by a group of German immigrants, led by Fr. Ambrose Oschwald, a Roman Catholic priest who led his group to what is now the village. The first settlers in the Oschwald group number 113 and came to the United States from the Black Forest of Baden, Germany, seeking religious freedom.

Father Oschwald and his group sailed for America during the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1854, on two separate ships. One of the voyages lasted 52 days, and the other took 55 days. By the time they arrived in Milwaukee by train, Several of the group members had died. Father Oschwald bought 3,840 acres of land in Manitowoc County for $3.50 per acre. His down payment was $1,500, with the rest paid in five installments.

In late August 1854, Father Oschwald sent six men to locate the land he had purchased, and they took a boat from Milwaukee to Manitowoc, the county seat. They then headed by ox and cart to the west, getting as far as the place where Valders now stands. They then cut their way through the dense forest and arrived at their destination on August 27. The men named the site St. Nazianz, in honor of Gregory Nazianzus. Father Oschwald followed on September 1 with more men, and the group began working to clear the land and build log houses. Soon after, work started on the community's first church, a 32-by-24-foot structure, which was built by hand. By October 21, the church was half completed, and Father Oschwald celebrated the first mass.

Settlers began going by the name "The Association" and agreed to share everything in common and work without pay. Their arrangement continued until 1896. The group built many shops and mills and the community was thriving within just a few years after its start. People began practicing many trades, including blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, shoemaking, woodworking, tailoring, barrel making, rope making, tanning, weaving, brick-making, baking, brewing, and others.

In the ensuing years, Father Oschwald helped start several religious organizations including the Oschwald Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order. The Salvatorian Fathers came to St. Nazianz in 1896, 15 years after the Society of the Divine Savior was founded by Father Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan in Italy. Father Oschwald died on February 27, 1873, and was buried under the alter at the old St. Ambrose Church at the Loreto Monastery. Several years later his body was moved to a shrine near Loreto Chapel in the village.

The Salvatorian Fathers and Sisters continued to work to improve the holding of the former association, and built St. Ambrose Church in 1898.

[edit] Geography

St. Nazianz is located at 44°0′21″N, 87°55′25″W (44.005717, -87.923604)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.2 km² (0.8 mi²). 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.19% is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 749 people, 296 households, and 197 families residing in the village. The population density was 348.4/km² (907.6/mi²). There were 302 housing units at an average density of 140.5/km² (365.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.80% White, 0.13% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.53% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.27% of the population.

There were 296 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the village the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $40,139, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $35,341 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,989. About 3.9% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.