Talk:Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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Moved from subject page: "As far as this author knows, it was founded as a stopping-point along the Wisconsin River between lumber camps in northern Wisconsin and southern Wisconsin, hence the name "Stevens Point" (the apostrophe got lost at some point, apparently)."

"This author" is not identified, and in any case it would be nice to know who Steven was. Vicki Rosenzweig

Mr. "Stevens" is actually George Stevens, who was somehow involved with the logging industry in Wisconsin in early 19th century. From from what I've heard, Stevens built a small shed on the bank of the Wisconsin River (somewhere near where Pffifner Park currently is), as a stop between the logging towns of Big Bull Falls (Wausau) and Portage. Several sawmills then sprung up along the river.

Josh Johnson

Shouldn't this and Stevens Point be combined, with that page redirecting to this one?Jason

[edit] Self-Servings Links

An external link to a composer's website was deleted on the grounds that it serves no purpose in the context of the city of Stevens Point itself. No mention of this musician or their impact on the city was mentioned in the article itself, and although I do not consider the target site to be commercial in nature, the composer no doubt benefits from the link, which, again, has nothing to do with the city itself, other than that she is from there. I welcome the user who added the links to create a new article dedicated to the musicians of Stevens Point, and a link to that article, from the original Point page, would be welcome.Craig

I also moved a reference to a country music artist from Stevens Point to the Civic Features section from the article lead; I don't think it belongs there either, though. Perhaps (for internal links) there should be a Famous Residents section?Hobbes

[edit] Prior text

Prior to being changed to a redirect, the following were the contents of the article Stevens Point:

[edit] (article lead)

Stevens Point is a city of approximately 25,000, centrally located in Portage County, Wisconsin. It was named after its founder, George Stevens, who ran several saloons on what is today known as "The Square". Loggers on the Wisconsin River found this a convenient stopping point, as the river bends slightly and one could tell from far upstream whether Stevens' point was open for business.

(A local legend also claims that Stevens Point is a bastardization of "Stevens Pint", a reference to Stevens' alleged practice of serving whiskey by the pint.)

[edit] Physical Features

Currently, Stevens Point occupies a land area of 16.5 square miles at an elevation of 1093 feet above sea level. It is surrounded by several smaller villages and towns, including Plover, Whiting, Custer, and the Town of Hull. On average, the temperature ranges from 80° to 20° Fahrenheit. All four seasons can be distinctly observed, with snow falling most heavily in December and January and temperatures rising to their summer levels of about 70° in July and August.

[edit] Demographics

Stevens Point boasts a significantly low median resident age of approximately 26 years old. According to the 2000 census, residents are 90% Caucasian, 3.5% Asian, and 1.6% Hispanic, with a significantly lower-than-average African-American population. The city has a reputation for being largely Democratic in political leaning, though it recorded one of the highest Green Party turnouts in the state in the 2000 Presidential election.

[edit] Civic Features

Major businesses in the area include Stora Enso North America paper mill, Sentry Insurance, and the Stevens Point Brewery; educational institutions include the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and Mid-state Technical College.

The area has 20 developed parks, a 20-mile bicycle trail, an 18-hole golf course, public and private elementary/high school systems, a community theatre group (cwACT), many small businesses (including the locally famous Belts' Soft Serve), churches of various denominations, and city-wide events ranging from the Fourth of July Riverfront Rendezvous to the Portage County Cultural Festival.

[edit] External links and resources

Help Wikipedia by expanding this article!

Information from Stevens Point's city site, the Stevens Point Journal, and Stevens Point's city profile.

Legends and hearsay from former and current residents of the city. Written 16 Mar 2005 by Hobbes.