Black River Falls, Wisconsin
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| Black River Falls, Wisconsin | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Jackson |
| Area | |
| - Total | 3.3 sq mi (8.4 km²) |
| - Land | 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 794 ft (242 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,618 |
| - Density | 1,146.4/sq mi (442.6/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 55-07900[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1561883[1] |
Black River Falls is a city in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,618 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County[3].
The Ho-Chunk Nation has its administrative center in Black River Falls.
The Black River Falls area is home to a large population of the endangered Karner Blue butterfly. The city celebrates with the Karner Blue Butterfly Festival held annually on the second Saturday of July.
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[edit] History
Black River Falls was originally founded to utilize the waterpower of the Black River. As the area was predominantly forest at the time, the primary utilization was sawmills. Some of the lumber produced here was used in the construction of the Mormon temple at Nauvoo, Illinois.[4]
While the logging and lumber industry is still present in the area, the current economy leans heavily on agriculture and tourism. Lake Arbutus, a 839-acre impoundment of the river, lies several miles northeast, as does the multi-use Levis/Trow trail system. Additionally, Black River Falls is home to a casino and hotel operated by the Ho-Chunk Nation.
[edit] Geography
Black River Falls is located at (44.297166, -90.849263)[5].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (3.08%) is water.
The city is located on the falls of the Black River at the northeast edge of the Driftless Area. Currently, the falls are covered by a hydroelectric dam, forming the 200-acre Black River Flowage.[6]
[edit] Local Media
Despite its rather small size, Black River Falls has two newspapers, both published weekly: the Banner-Journal and the Jackson County Chronicle.
WWIS Radio operates the only radio stations located in Black River Falls, WWIS 1260AM and WWIS 99.7FM. The AM station only operates during daytime hours.
[edit] Government
City Hall, located at 101 S. 2nd St, houses the mayor, Ron Danielson, the city clerk/treasurer, Bill Arndt, the Parks and Rec Department, headed by Steve Peterson, and the Police Department, with Chief of Police Don Gilberg.
[edit] Culture
Black River Falls is depicted in Michael Lesy's book Wisconsin Death Trip (1973), which uses photographs and newspaper cuttings to highlight the harshness of life in the town during the late nineteenth century and the effects it had on the psychology of the inhabitants. The book was made into a film in 2000 which also includes images from the town as it is today.
Those passing through the town often visit a large orange moose statue that perches over Interstate 94 for a candid picture with the animal replica. The "Orange Moose," as the locals have affectionately dubbed it, appears in photographs on many Web sites.
The song "Reformation!" by British rock band The Fall (from their 2007 LP Reformation Post TLC) references the Black River Falls Motel. [1]
[edit] Education
Black River Falls High School is the city's high school within the Black River Falls School District. Western Technical College offers classes in Black River Falls.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,618 people, 1,563 households, and 886 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,146.4 people per square mile (442.1/km²). There were 1,679 housing units at an average density of 532.0/sq mi (205.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.37% White, 0.19% African American, 4.73% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.
There were 1,563 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,555, and the median income for a family was $46,222. Males had a median income of $31,481 versus $18,519 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,532. About 3.7% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] External links
- Black River Falls Downtown Association
- Black River Falls Public Library Wisconsin's first public library
- Black River Area Chamber of Commerce Information on the city and surrounding area
- BlackRiverFalls.com City and city government information
- Black River Falls, Wisconsin is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] References
- ^ a b US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ blackriverfalls.com - Home
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Black River - WDNR
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