Hortonville, Wisconsin

Hortonville, Wisconsin
—  Village  —
Looking east at downtown Hortonville
Motto: The Gateway to the Fox Valley
Location of Hortonville, Wisconsin
Location of Hortonville, Wisconsin in Outagamie County
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Wisconsin
County Outagamie
Area
 • Total 2.8 sq mi (7.2 km2)
 • Land 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation[1] 794 ft (242 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,711
 • Density 868.2/sq mi (335.2/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s) 274, 920
FIPS code 55-35850[2]
GNIS feature ID 1566752[1]
Website Village Website

Hortonville is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,711 at the 2010 census.

Contents

History

The village was founded in 1848 by landowner Alonzo Horton. One of Father Horton's first priorities was to dam Black Otter Creek, creating the 75-acre (300,000 m2) Black Otter Lake. After laying out a plat for the community and encouraging development by giving much of the land away, Horton was swayed westward by the California Gold Rush. He later developed the city of San Diego, California.[3]

On August 11, 1894, the settlement was incorporated as the Village of Hortonville. At that time, it had one of the first match light factories in the world.[4]

During World War II, a German POW camp was established in Hortonville along County Hwy MM on the north side of the village.[5]

In 1981, the Hortonville Community Hall, also known as the Hortonville Opera House, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Hortonville is located at (44.335196, -88.638847)[6].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.2 km²), of which, 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (2.52%) is water.

Black Otter Lake

The community is located along the shores of the 75-acre (300,000 m2) Black Otter Lake. It is drained by Black Otter Creek, which flows into the Wolf River just north of the village. The total watershed for the lake is estimated to be 16 square miles (41 km2).[7]

The Black Otter is the only public access lake in Outagamie County. Because of this, it receives substantial recreational use, primarily by anglers, throughout the year. Fish species in the lake include: bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, northern pike, and catfish.[8]

The village maintains a public boat launch, fishing pier, and two parks along the shores of the lake. Black Otter County Park is located on the north shore of the lake and also has a public boat launch.

Demographics

Hortonville is a part of the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Appleton (Calumet and Outagamie counties) and Oshkosh-Neenah (Winnebago County) metropolitan areas,[9][10] which had a combined population of 358,365 at the 2000 census.[2]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,357 people, 871 households, and 634 families residing in the village. The population density was 868.2 people per square mile (335.8/km²). There were 904 housing units at an average density of 333.0 per square mile (128.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.99% White, 0.13% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.21% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 871 households out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the village the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $51,635, and the median income for a family was $55,298. Males had a median income of $41,689 versus $24,680 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,277. About 4.4% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Hortonville Area School District, which includes a high school, two middle schools, and two elementary schools, serves the village and surrounding communities. Bethlehem Lutheran School is a religious school for area residents.

Teachers' strike

During the 1972-1974 school years, teachers belonging to the Hortonville Education Association went on strike against the Hortonville School District. Strikes by teachers were illegal under state law. The strike received national attention as the 84 striking teachers were replaced by strikebreakers and classes resumed. Teachers from around the state joined the picket lines.

The case went to the United States Supreme Court. The union claimed that the disciplinary hearings held by the Hortonville Board of Education were prejudiced because of the board's role as the bargaining unit for the district. In a 6-3 decision authored by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, the court found the board had the power to discipline the teachers. Until 2003, when teachers in the Hortonville district were admitted to a national union, a non-affiliated local union, Hortonville Association of Teachers (HAT), was the bargaining association.[11] They are now affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers.

Points of interest

Transportation

WIS 15, also marked Main Street, is an east-west route connecting Hortonville with the communities of Appleton, Greenville, and New London.
County M, also marked Nash Street & Olk Street, is an north-south route connecting Hortonville with State Hwy 54 to the north & State Hwy 96 at Medina to the south.
County T is an north-south route connecting Hortonville with New London to the northwest & State Hwy 96 at Dale to the south.
County JJ is an eastbound route connecting Hortonville with the city of Kaukauna.
County MM, also known as the North Crest Street, is a northeast route connecting Hortonville with State Hwy 76 at Stephensville.
County TT is a westbound route connecting Hortonville with U.S. Route 45, which was rerouted west of the village in 2003.
Rustic Road 61 is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) state-designated scenic route that follows County MM from Hortonville to Stephensville.

Outagamie County Regional Airport provides commercial airline service to the village.

Notable residents and natives

Images

References

External links