| Waupun, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Sign on WIS 26 | |
| Location of Waupun, Wisconsin | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| Counties | Dodge, Fond du Lac |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.7 sq mi (9.6 km2) |
| • Land | 3.7 sq mi (9.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation[1] | 892 ft (272 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 10,718 |
| • Density | 2,906.3/sq mi (1,122.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 53963 |
| FIPS code | 55-84425[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1576324[1] |
Waupun ( /wəˈpɑːn/)[3] is a city in Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 10,718 at the 2000 census. In Fond du Lac County, there is also the Town of Waupun which abuts the city of Waupun.
Waupun also has the most outdoor public sculpture per capita of any city in North America. This includes the world famous "End of the Trail" statue, The Dawn of Day, the Who Sows Believes in God, the Pioneers, and The Recording Angel among others. These statues are in Waupun because of the donation of Clarence Addison Shaler. Mr. Shaler is buried by his wife in Waupun's Forest Mound Cemetery.
Contents |
Waupun comes for the Indian name of "Waubun" which means "dawn of day." In fact Waupun was originally supposed to be named "Waubun" but the State of Wisconsin made a spelling error, and Waupun never bothered to change it.
Waupun was founded in 1839 by Seymour Wilcox, the first settler along the Rock River in what was then deciduous forested land. The Territorial Census in 1847 showed Waupun Township to have a population of 956. In 1851, the city was chosen for the State Penitentiary, owing to the abundance of limestone for construction. The main building, constructed in 1854, is still in use. The population in 1940 was 6,725.
Waupun is located at (43.631577, -88.735835).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), all land.
The relief of the city is moderate, ranging from 870 feet (270 m) at the Rock River, to its highest elevation of 941 feet (287 m) above sea level.
Waupun lies near the edge of the Horicon Marsh, the largest cattail marsh in the United States, and is the principal access point to wildlife viewing for the Horicon Wildlife Refuges.
The Fond du Lac County Park, on the edge of Waupun, has preserved a remnant stand of old-growth southern mesic forest, which once covered over 3 million acres (12,000 km2) of Southern Wisconsin.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 10,718 people, 3,351 households, and 2,228 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,906.3 people per square mile (1,121.5/km²). There were 3,512 housing units at an average density of 952.3 per square mile (367.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.06% White, 11.81% African American, 0.91% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.84% of the population.
There were 3,351 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 150.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.2 males.
The median in the city was $40,597, and the median income for a family was $50,820. Males had a median income of $34,795 versus $23,517 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,947. About 4.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
(Note: The above statistics may not accurately reflect the civilian population, as the census includes 2,741 incarcerated males (2008) in Waupun's state correctional institutions.)
Waupun is also known as "The Prison City."[5] The Dodge Correctional Institution, John C. Burke Correctional Center, and Waupun Correctional Institution are located in Waupun.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||