Black Creek is a village in north-central

Outagamie County Outagamie County is a county in the northeast region of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 190,705. Its county seat is Appleton. Outagamie County is included in the Appleton, WI Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States. The population was 1,357 at the 2020 census. The village is located within the Town of Black Creek, but is governed independently. Origins of the community trace back to 1862 when it was settled by

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

veteran, Thomas J. Burdick and his son, Abraham. Initially, the village had been referred to as Middleburg, due to its geographical proximity to Green Bay, Shawano, and Appleton. However, the name was later changed to reflect the dark-colored creek along the outskirts of the community following village

incorporation Incorporation may refer to: * Incorporation (business), the creation of a corporation * Incorporation of a place, creation of municipal corporation such as a city or county * Incorporation (academic), awarding a degree based on the student having ...

in 1904. Today, Black Creek hosts a variety of community events including the annual Family Daze celebration.

History

In the

Menominee language Menominee , also spelled Menomini (In Menominee Language: omǣqnomenēweqnæsewen) is an endangered Algonquian language spoken by the historic Menominee people of what is now northern Wisconsin in the United States. The federally recognized trib ...

, Black Creek is known as ''Enāēnohnyah'', "Little Walks Plainly", which is a man's name. The territory where Black Creek is today was originally occupied by several different Native American nations. The

Menominee The Menominee (; mez, omǣqnomenēwak meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recog ...

ceded the territory in the 1836

Treaty of the Cedars The Treaty of the Cedars was concluded on the Fox River, west of what is today the village of Little Chute, Wisconsin, on September 3, 1836. Under the treaty, the Menominee Indian nation ceded to the United States about of land for $700,000. The ...

, while the

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hoocągra or Winnebago (referred to as ''Hotúŋe'' in the neighboring indigenous Iowa-Otoe language), are a Siouan-speaking Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iow ...

were pressured into selling their land and illegally removed from the area before the eight year grace period guaranteed in their 1837 treaty. North Main Street Black Creek WI c

The village of Black Creek was then settled by

veteran, Thomas J. Burdick and his son, Abraham L. Burdick, in 1862. The community had been known as Middleburg, due to its geographical proximity to the larger communities of Green Bay, Shawano, and Appleton. After village

in 1904, the settlement was renamed Black Creek to reflect the dark-colored creek along the northern edge of the community. Black Creek's first village president was, politician and businessman, Charles J. Hagen. In 1869, the country's first organized

baseball team Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding te ...

was formed in Black Creek by L.J. Cook. Thus, the village is known as the birthplace of Wisconsin baseball. At the time, the team played at the village's North Park. It was a part of the Dairyland League before the team disbanded in the mid-1990s. Black Creek's major rivalries were with the

Navarino Navarino or Navarin may refer to: Battle * Battle of Navarino, 1827 naval battle off Navarino, Greece, now known as Pylos Geography * Navarino, Wisconsin, a town, United States * Navarino (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community, Unite ...

Rangers and the

Nichols Nichols may refer to: People *Nichols (surname) *Nichol, a surname Places Canada * Nichols Islands, Nunavut United States * Nichols, California, an unincorporated community * Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, California * Nichols, Connecticut * Nic ...

Nitros. To commemorate the village's baseball history, a "Grudge Match" softball game is played annually.A. E. Burdick, ''Black Creek: History From the Early Days''. 1937. After the arrival of the

Green Bay and Lake Pepin Railroad The Green Bay and Western Railroad served central Wisconsin for almost 100 years before it was absorbed into the Wisconsin Central Ltd., Wisconsin Central in 1993. For much of its history the railroad was also known as the Green Bay Route. At th ...

in 1871, the small

lumbering Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

settlement soon developed into a trade and shipping center for local

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

and

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

products with the establishment of Black Creek Creamery in 1894 and Borden's Condensery in 1917. The village library was formed in 1901. The following year, 1902, a large fire destroyed part of the community, leading to the construction of the village fire department in 1904. In 1910,

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

service was made available to residents, with

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

making its debut in 1915. A north-south route of the

Soo Line Railroad The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sa ...

was constructed through the community in 1917. The Black Creek area was formerly the nation's leader in

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferme ...

production. Thus, the village has supported multiple sauerkraut production facilities since the late 1880s until Frank Pure Food Company and Wolf River Kraut ceased operations in the village during the mid-1990s. File:OriginalGB&WRRYardsBlackCreekWi.jpg, Original Green Bay & Western Railyards along Railroad Street c.1909 File:St.Mary'sCatholicChurchBlackCreekWiCirca1910.jpg, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Parish from E. Burdick Street c.1910 File:BrandtBrothersHardware&Auto1917BlackCreekWi.png, Brandt Bros. Hardware & Auto Co. from Oak Street c.1917 File:OldTownBuildingsBlackCreekWI.jpg, Hotel Arlington, Community Auditorium, and Village Hall c.1917 File:FormerTrainDepotAlongSOO&GBWRailwaysBlackCreek,Wisconsin.jpg, Former SOO Line train depot c.1970

Geography

Location

Black Creek is located at (44.474517, −88.450125). The northeastern Wisconsin community is situated at the intersection of WIS-47 and WIS-54, about 20 miles (40 km) west of Green Bay and 15 miles (24 km) north of the

Fox Cities The Fox Cities of Northeastern Wisconsin are the cities, towns and villages along the Fox River as it flows from Lake Winnebago northward into Green Bay. The Fox Cities communities, as defined by its Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Vis ...

. It is in the Central Plains and

Eastern Ridges and Lowlands The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands is a geographical region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin, between Green Bay in the north, and the border with Illinois in the south. Lake Michigan lies to the east of the region. The Eastern Ri ...

regions of Wisconsin. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water.

Climate

Black Creek has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Dfb''). Like other cities with this type of climate, there are four distinct

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

s, often with severe or extreme variation between them in terms of temperature and precipitation. The village experiences warm, humid, frequently hot summers and long, cold and

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

y winters. The variance in temperature and precipitation between months is severe and often extreme.

Temperature

Monthly mean temperatures range from in January to in July. In July, the warmest month, the average high temperature is . There are 8 days of + highs, 163 days where the high remains at or below freezing annually. From December to February, even during thaws, the temperature rarely reaches . Extremes have ranged from to .

Precipitation

The wettest month in Black Creek is June when nearly 4 inches (101.6 mm) of precipitation falls, mostly in the form of rainfall from

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...

s. The driest month in Black Creek is January when the majority of precipitation falls as low moisture-content snow due to cold, dry air. On average, 1 inch (25.4 mm) of precipitation falls in January.

Severe weather

There have been five tornadoes in the Black Creek area, ranging in intensity from F0 to F3. An F3 tornado touched down four miles from the

WIS 54 State Trunk Highway 54 (often called Highway 54, STH-54 or WIS 54) is a Wisconsin state highway running east–west across central Wisconsin. It is in length. Route description Minnesota state line to Plover WIS 54 begins at the we ...

WIS 47 State Trunk Highway 47 (often called Highway 47, STH-47 or WIS 47) is a state highway in the northeastern and northern parts of the US state of Wisconsin that runs in a diagonal northwest–southeast from Menasha to Manitowish. Route descrip ...

intersection on June 26, 1969 and traveled northeast past Seymour, causing one injury. On December 1, 1970 an F3 tornado touched down in Hortonville, traveled northeast and stopped 2.5 miles from the center of Black Creek. On May 30, 1980, an F1 tornado touched down 1.5 miles from the center of the village and traveled eastward across the village. A F2 tornado touched down in Stephensville on May 6, 1982, 10 miles from the center of Black Creek, and traveled northeast, stopping just outside the village limits. The most recent tornado, rated F0, touched down briefly just north of Black Creek on June 13, 2005. In the summer of 2010, Black Creek experienced two major flooding events. The first occurred on the morning of July 19 when of rain fell in 20 minutes and the second during the evening of August 20 when the community received another . Other flooding events in the past only affected the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

underpass.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2020, there were 1,357 people residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was with 545 housing units. The racial makeup of the village was 92%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.2% Native American, 0.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.5% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 4.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.5% of the population.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,316 people, 513 households, and 354 families residing in the village. The

was . There were 540 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.0% White, 1.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 513 households, of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.0% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the village was 32.2 years. 29.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 9.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,192 people, 485 households, and 335 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,145.5 people per square mile (442.5/km²). There were 513 housing units at an average density of 493.0 per square mile (190.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.73% White, 1.01% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 485 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $42,946, and the median income for a family was $49,896. Males had a median income of $32,128 versus $25,286 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,226. About 5.2% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

As of 2010, the largest

private-sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

employers in the village were: WinterNightMainStreetBlackCreekWisconsin

BlackCreekWisconsinMainStreetEntranceSign

Main Street revitalization efforts

In the summer of 2011, the "Open for Business" Campaign was begun by the village and area business association in an effort to attract new businesses. The goal is to revitalize the community and the downtown area. The campaign is encouraging structural face-lifts and the growth of new specialty shops to help attract tourists traveling through to the Northwoods.

Capstone project

Towards the end of 2013, the Black Creek Business Association partnered with a UW–Madison student to conduct a community needs assessment. A survey of residents showed that what most wanted was a sense of community, with an atmosphere of a small town and an emphasis on " mom & pop shops." Residents expressed an interest in an increase in food choices, the addition of flower planters and trees, making village streets more biker friendly, more parking areas, and slowing traffic on Main Street. Additionally, a desire from residents to restore and preserve historic buildings is present throughout the study. It was suggested that the community utilize an empty lot adjacent to the state trail for a new community center that would host indoor and outdoor events. In addition to this, a new Veterans park, extended trail systems, and the addition of decorative lighting would be added to the downtown area. Together, with a UW-Extension consultant, the board devised an eight-step plan for recruiting new businesses.

Arts and culture

Major events

Duhm-MaschMemorialBlackCreekWisconsin2018-UpClose

*Semiannual Village-Wide Rummage Sale *Annual Family Daze Festival - formerly "Homecoming" **Antique vehicle show, parade, craft fair, & Softball Grudge Match *Annual Altrusa Polkafest *Annual 3K Bobcat Glow Run *Annual 5K Run for the Timbers *Annual Community Christmas Festival Black Creek also supports a Citizen of the Year Award and banquet in recognition of residents actively involved within the community.

Veterans memorial

In May 2013, Black Creek Advancement Association and Duhm-Masch American Legion Post 332 announced they would create a veterans memorial in Black Creek. The memorial was officially dedicated August 2017.

National Register of Historic Places

The George Peters House, located at 305 North Maple Street in Black Creek, , is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places. It is in an area of Black Creek where buildings range from 100 to 180 years old. The historic Hotel Arlington is located just down the street from this residence, located across the street is the Black Creek Founders Memorial next to the Newton Blackmour State Trail. Also located in this area is the historic Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church (named Evangelische Lutheran Immanuel's Kirche) and the downtown business district.

Recreation

Three village parks are officially open from April 1 to October 15 (weather permitting). FallenTimbersEnviroEduCenterBlackCreekWISignage

*Lake (Bartmann) Park is 11 acres (40,468 m²) and includes a swimming hole, playground, pavilions, horseshoe pits, and a disc golf course. *North Park, six acres (20,234 m²), offers a baseball diamond. *South (Sebald) Park is nine acres (28,327 m²) and includes two baseball diamonds, batting cage, playground, pavilion, restrooms, water fight barrel, and a seasonal ice skating rink.

Tri-Rivers Nature Area

WisDNR Mack State Wildlife Area Bergstrom Waterfowl Memorial Complex

The community is also within the eastern portion of the Tri-Rivers Nature Area of Outagamie County, a region with a high concentration of public land and nature preserves. Two environmental nature preserves in the vicinity of Black Creek offer hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities. *Fallen Timbers Environmental Education Center, a 456-acre (1,845,366 m²) nature lab, preserves woodlands, meadows, ponds, and prairies. There are also 8.5 miles (13.68 km) of hiking and cross-country skiing trails *Mack State Wildlife Area, 1,350-acres (5,463,256 m²), preserves woodlands, marshlands, meadows, and swampland. It also offers birding opportunities for migrating

Canada Geese The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

Sandhill Cranes The sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis'') is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on t ...

Great Blue Herons The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Isl ...

, and

Tundra Swans The tundra swan (''Cygnus columbianus'') is a small swan of the Holarctic. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species: Bewick's swan (''Cygnus bewickii'') of the Palaearctic and the ...

Newton Blackmour State Trail

The

Newton Blackmour State Trail The Newton Blackmour State Trail is a crushed limestone trail in northern Outagamie County in Wisconsin. The trail spans on a former rail corridor. Its name is derived from the four communities the trail passes through: New London, Shiocton ...

, part of the

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is an American nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into rail trails within the United States. RTC's purpose is to c ...

, runs through the community along the former Green Bay & Western railbed. The trail extends 24 miles (38.62 km) from Seymour to New London. It is used for snowmobiles, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing in winter and hiking, biking and horseback riding during summer. The name, "Newton Blackmour," is derived from the four incorporated communities along the trail.

Sports

Black Creek Youth Sports Organization serves as the village's youth baseball league. The organization hosts

tee ball Tee-ball (also teeball, tee ball or T-ball) is a team sport based on a simplified form of baseball or softball. It is intended as an introduction for children aged 4 to 6 to develop ball-game skills and have fun. Description Tee-ball association ...

(ages 5–6); machine pitch (ages 7–8);

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

(ages 9–12). Teams are sponsored by local businesses. Softball and Little League teams play against other area communities, while tee ball and machine pitch teams play against other Black Creek teams. Snowmobiling is a major winter activity in the Black Creek area when conditions permit. The village is within county snowmobile trail zones one, two, and seven and is crisscrossed by numerous trail routes. The community is also served by the Black Creek Sportsman's Club which hosts trap shooting events during the week.

Government

The village of Black Creek is governed by a board of six elected representative

trustees Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

and a president. The village also has a board made up of a treasurer/clerk, deputy clerk, librarian, police chief, fire chief, custodian, WWTP operator,

building inspector A building inspection is an inspection performed by a building inspector, a person who is employed by either a city, township or county and is usually certified in one or more disciplines qualifying them to make professional judgment about whether ...

, municipal justice, assessor, and an attorney. The elected board is responsible for establishing the tax rate, approving the budget, setting village policies, and establishing the strategic direction of the village. The president is responsible for making appointments to boards and commissions and for chairing the village board meetings. Committees consist of

Finance Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...

Courts A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

and

Public Safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensure ...

, Buildings and Grounds,

Insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...

and Personnel, Planning Commission, Board of Review, Street, Utility,

Ordinance Ordinance may refer to: Law * Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission * Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet * ...

, Board of Health, and a Zoning Board of Appeals Committee. The Black Creek Joint Municipal Court has jurisdiction over the villages of Black Creek, Bear Creek, and

. Law enforcement is provided by the Black Creek Police Department, which has one full-time police chief and six part-time officers. Fire protection and rescue is provided by volunteers of the Black Creek Fire and Rescue Department, which has 46

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

s, 9 EMTs, and 10

first responders A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or terr ...

. Black Creek is in

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

District 2 District 2 may refer to: Places by country *II District, Turku, in Finland * District 2, Düsseldorf, Germany *District 2, Grand Bassa County, a district in Liberia *District 2, an electoral district of Malta *District 2, a police district of Mal ...

, represented by

Robert Cowles Robert L. Cowles III (born July 31, 1950) is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 2nd District since 1987. In August 2011, Cowles faced a recall election, but defeated the Democratic challenger, Nancy Nusbaum, 60 percen ...

- R,

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

District 5, represented by

Jim Steineke James Steineke (born November 23, 1970) is a Wisconsin real estate agent and Republican politician. He was the majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly from January 2015 until his resignation from the Assembly in July 2022. He had represe ...

- R, and U.S. Congressional District 8, represented by Mike Gallagher - R.

Embezzlement investigation

In July 2019, charges were filed against the former Black Creek Rescue Service treasurer, Kathleen Pasch. The charges detail 11 counts of forgery and one count of theft in excess of 100,000 dollars against the organization. Pasch allegedly forged numerous checks in the name of the village police chief, Lowell James. According to the criminal complaint, she also made numerous ATM withdrawals under the organization in excess of 130,000 dollars to fund a gambling habit from 2015 to 2018.

Education

The village has one

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

, Black Creek Elementary & Middle School, which has been a part of the Seymour Community School District since 1963. The village school serves grades pre-K through 8th. Black Creek's original schoolhouse was constructed in 1874 and condemned in 1900. A replacement two-story school, built along present-day State Street (

), was used until 1954. Because of lack of space, the school system also rented the former community auditorium, along Maple Street, for various school functions from 1937 to 1957. Today's village school was constructed in 1954. After a major building expansion in 1957, the one-room schoolhouses in the surrounding vicinity closed, and the students transferred to the grade school, doubling the enrollment.

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

, art, music, and

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...

programs were also added that year. Since then, the school has expanded in 1969, 1987, and 2008.

Seymour Community High School Seymour Community High School is a public high school in Seymour, Wisconsin administered by the Seymour Community School District. Its enrollment for the 2019–20 school year was 694. The school serves students from Seymour, Black Creek, Oneida ...

serves as the village and surrounding area high school. The Black Creek Village Public Library is a member of the Outagamie Waupaca Library System (OWLS). Early childhood education services are also provided by Grow With Us Child Center at Immanuel Lutheran Church. File:OriginalBlackCreekWiPublicSchool.jpg, Four classroom public school along

c.1909 File:FormerBlackCreekCommunityAuditorium.jpg, Former auditorium used for school & community functions c.1917 File:BlackCreekElementary&MiddleSchool.JPG, Black Creek Grade School File:BlackCreek,WisconsinPublicLibrary&CommunityCenter.JPG, Village Library & Community Center

Media

In 1875, Black Creek published its first newspaper, the Black Creek Journal, which was discontinued in 1880. The Black Creek Times Press was first issued in 1904 and discontinued in 1928. Today, Black Creek is served by the ''Advertiser Community News~Times Press'', based in Seymour, the ''

Appleton Post-Crescent ''The Post-Crescent'' is a daily newspaper based in Appleton, Wisconsin. Part of the Gannett chain of newspapers, it is primarily distributed in numerous counties surrounding the Appleton/Fox Cities area. History ''The Appleton Crescent'' was ...

'', and the ''

Green Bay Press-Gazette The ''Green Bay Press-Gazette'' is a newspaper whose primary coverage is of northeastern Wisconsin, including Green Bay. It was founded as the ''Green Bay Gazette'' in 1866 as a weekly paper, becoming a daily newspaper in 1871. The ''Green Ba ...

''. The village is also served by Fox 11

WLUK-TV WLUK-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Suring-licensed CW affiliate WCWF (channel 14). Both stations share studi ...

, NBC 26

WGBA-TV WGBA-TV (channel 26) is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Appleton-licensed independent station WACY-TV (channel 32). Both stations share studi ...

, CBS 5

WFRV-TV WFRV-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios on East Mason Street in Green Bay, and its transmitter is located north of Mor ...

, and ABC 2

WBAY-TV WBAY-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Gray Television. The station's studios are located on South Jefferson Street in downtown Green Bay (across from the historic B ...

. Numerous AM and FM radio stations throughout the surrounding area serve the community as well.

Infrastructure

Highways and Rail

Black Creek has an average of 10,100 vehicles passing through daily, and 3.7 million per year. Approximately 8,200 vehicles pass through Black Creek's downtown area on average, and about 6,100 vehicles drive through the

Wisconsin Highway 47 State Trunk Highway 47 (often called Highway 47, STH-47 or WIS 47) is a state highway in the northeastern and northern parts of the US state of Wisconsin that runs in a diagonal northwest–southeast from Menasha to Manitowish. Route descript ...

Wisconsin Highway 54 State Trunk Highway 54 (often called Highway 54, STH-54 or WIS 54) is a Wisconsin state highway running east–west across central Wisconsin. It is in length. Route description Minnesota state line to Plover WIS 54 begins at the we ...

intersection throughout the day. Burdick Street has about 740 vehicles traveling on it daily."Outagamie County Insets (Black Creek, Hortonville, Seymour, and Shiocton)"
. ''Wisconsin Department of Transportation''. Retrieved 18 August 2011.

Airports near Black Creek

Major airports near Black Creek include

Austin Straubel International Airport Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

in the village of Ashwaubenon and

Appleton International Airport Appleton International Airport , formerly Outagamie County Regional Airport, is an airport located in Greenville, Wisconsin, United States, west of Appleton. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integra ...

, in the town of Greenville. The privately owned Shiocton Airport is also located nearby. BlackCreekWiWaterTower

Utilities

Water services are provided by the village. Electricity and natural gas lines for the community are maintained by

WE Energies In Modern English, ''we'' is a plural, first-person pronoun. Morphology In Standard Modern English, ''we'' has six distinct shapes for five word forms: * ''we'': the nominative (subjective) form * ''us'' and ': the accusative (objective; ...

. Biweekly recycling pickup is performed by Outagamie County Solid Waste Department while the village provides weekly garbage collection.

Health care

ThedaCare Physicians serves Black Creek as the local clinic. Other health resources in the village include a chiropractor, a dentist, and an optometrist. Nearby hospitals include ThedaCare Medical Center-New London,

ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton ThedaCare may refer to: * ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Appleton * ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Neenah {{Disambiguation ...

, and St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton.

Notable people

John Miller Baer John Miller Baer (March 29, 1886 – February 18, 1970) was a U.S. Representative from North Dakota. Early years and education Born at Black Creek, Wisconsin, Baer was the son of Capt. John M. Baer and Libbie Riley Baer. His ancestors on the ...

, U.S. Congressman for

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

* Charles J. Hagen, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and businessman * Kenneth E. Priebe, Wisconsin State Assemblyman * W. C. Zumach, Wisconsin State Senator and American

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

Gallery

File:BlackCreekWisconsinWisconsinWIS47WIS54.jpg, The

"crossroads" File:Black Creek, WI Fire Dept.JPG, Black Creek Fire & Rescue Department File:BlackCreekWisconsinDowntownWIS47.jpg, Looking north at downtown Black Creek File:BlackCreekWisconsinPostOfficeWIS47.jpg, United States Post Office File:BlackCreekWisconsinWelcomeSignWIS47.jpg, Looking north at WIS DOT sign on

File:HistoricHotelArlingtonBlackCreekWi.jpg, Historic Hotel Arlington File:FormerPurinaWarehouseBlackCreekWi.jpg, Former Cargill Elevator along Maple Street File:STJohnsUCCBlackCreekWi.png, St. Johns United Church of Christ File:FormerBlackCreekUnitedMethodistChurchBlackCreekWi.png, Former Black Creek United Methodist Church File:OldImmanuelChurchBlackCreekWi.jpg, Former Immanuel Lutheran Church File:ImmanuelEvLutheranBlackCreekWi2016.jpg, Current Immanuel Lutheran worship home File:CommunityBibleChurchBlackCreekWi.png, Community Bible Church on the village's west side

References

External links

Village of Black Creek

Black Creek Elementary Middle School

Black Creek Village Library

Young People in Wisconsin - Case Study: Black Creek

1911 Sanborn fire insurance map
{{authority control Villages in Outagamie County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin