Muscoda, Wisconsin
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| Muscoda, Wisconsin | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Grant |
| Area | |
| - Total | 34.6 sq mi (89.6 km²) |
| - Land | 33.5 sq mi (86.7 km²) |
| - Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 725 ft (221 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 674 |
| - Density | 20.1/sq mi (7.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 55-55225[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1583774[1] |
Muscoda is a village located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,453 at the 2000 census. The village is located partially within the Town of Muscoda in Grant County. A portion lies within the Town of Pulaski in Iowa County.
Contents |
[edit] History & Culture
The word Muscoda (Mus-co-day) is a bastardization of the Ojibwa (more commonly Chippewa) word mashkode meaning prairie.[3] The present name was evidentially taken from Longfellow's Hiawatha in which it is mentioned several times:
"He had struck the deer and bison, On the Muskoday, the meadow"
and
"On the Muskoday, the meadow, On the prairie full of blossoms"
This is most likely how Muscoda came to get its name and the popular meaning of "Prairie of Flowers."[4]
Muscoda was originally known as English Prairie. It was named for two English fur traders, Abraham Lansing and Garrit Roseboom, who opened a post at the close of the French and Indian War. Lansing and his son were murdered in 1763 by their French assistants and the fame of the murder kept the name English Prairie alive until 1840.[5]
The name Muscoda is not of French origin.
Muscoda has billed itself as the "Wisconsin's Morel Capital" since 1982 and hosts the "Morel Mushroom Festival" every weekend after Mother's Day.[6] The fest has included carnival rides, tractors pulls, tournaments, merchant stands, various booths, portable tattoo parlors, and of course the Lion's stand serving burgers and and morel and cheese related treats.
Muscoda is home of the famous Meister Cheese Company who produces some of the area's best gourmet quality specialty cheese. Three generations of Meister's have been making cheese since 1923 and in Muscoda since 1966.[7]
[edit] Geography
Muscoda (Mus-co-day) is located on the Wisconsin River (to the north) at (43.188457, -90.440775)[8]. Large rolling hills board the south of the town covered in mixed hardwoods made up of mainly Maple, Red/White Oak, Aspen, Cherry, Elm, and Walnut. 2100 Acres of public land hug both the east and west sides of Muscoda. These public lands hold a great deal of wildlife for sporstmen and wildlife enthusiast alike.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,453 people, 610 households, and 384 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,069.1 people per square mile (412.5/km²). There were 661 housing units at an average density of 486.3/sq mi (187.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.42% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.07% Asian, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 610 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,903, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $29,853 versus $21,058 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,390. About 7.9% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Riverdale High School, which is part of the Riverdale School District, is in Muscoda.
[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.
- ^ Word Definition
- ^ Hiawatha; a poem, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Illustrated by John Rea Neill
- ^ English Prairie [origin of place name]
- ^ Muscoda, Wisconsin on the Wisconsin River - Morel Mushroom Festival
- ^ Meister Cheese Company
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Muscoda, Wisconsin is at coordinates Coordinates:
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