, settlement_type =

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

, nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = Black River Falls Wisconsin Downtown2 WIS54.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Looking west at downtown Black River Falls on

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 ...

, image_flag = , image_seal = , image_map = File:Jackson County Wisconsin Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Black River Falls Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location of Black River Falls in Jackson County, Wisconsin. , image_map1 = , mapsize1 = , map_caption1 = , subdivision_type =

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

, subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 =

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

, subdivision_name1 = , subdivision_type2 =

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

, subdivision_name2 =

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, government_footnotes = , government_type = , leader_title = , leader_name = , leader_title1 = , leader_name1 = , established_title = , established_date = , unit_pref = Imperial , area_footnotes = , area_magnitude = , area_total_km2 = 10.95 , area_land_km2 = 10.84 , area_water_km2 = 0.10 , area_total_sq_mi = 4.23 , area_land_sq_mi = 4.19 , area_water_sq_mi = 0.04 , population_as_of =

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, population_footnotes = , population_total = 3523 , population_density_km2 = 325 , population_density_sq_mi = 841.8 , timezone = Central (CST) , utc_offset = -6 , timezone_DST = CDT , utc_offset_DST = -5 , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 242 , elevation_ft = 794 , coordinates = , postal_code_type = ZIP codes , postal_code = 54615 , area_codes = 715 & 534 , blank_name =

FIPS code The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) of the United States are a set of publicly announced standards that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed for use in computer systems of non-military, American ...

, blank_info = 55-07900 , blank1_name =

GNIS The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

feature ID , blank1_info = 1561883 , website = , footnotes = , pop_est_footnotes = Black River Falls is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County,

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 3,523 at the 2020 census. It is home to the administrative center of 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 ...

Nation.

History

Black River Falls was founded to utilize the

waterpower Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a w ...

of the Black River. As the area was predominantly forest at the time, its primary use was in operating

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s. A large monument to Black River Falls' veterans of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, as well as to local

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr., was erected near the Chamber of Commerce Building at 101 S. 2nd Street. Named the "Field of Honor", the attached plaques provide accounts of the veterans' services. This site is also the start of the four-mile (6.5 km) Foundation Trail, a signed hiking and bike path that circles the eastern part of the community. Black River Falls is the focus of

Michael Lesy Michael Lesy (born 1945) is an American non-fiction writer. His books, which combine historical photographs with original writing, include '' Wisconsin Death Trip'' (1973), ''Real Life: Louisville in the Twenties'' (1976), ''Bearing Witness: A Phot ...

's book '' Wisconsin Death Trip'' (1973), which used photographs and newspaper cuttings to highlight the harshness of life in the community during the late nineteenth century and the effects it had on the psychology of the inhabitants.

Geography

Black River Falls is located at (44.297166, -90.849263). 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 city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The city is located on the falls of the Black River at the northeast edge of the

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, a topographical and cultural region in the American Midwest, comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois. Never covered by ice during the las ...

, where the river cuts through a region of granite. The falls are covered by a

hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

, forming the Black River Flowage.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 3,523. 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 . There were 1,748 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.3%

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 ...

, 6.0% Native American, 1.1%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 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 ...

, 0.9% 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 5.4% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.1%

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. According to the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household in the city was $39,155, and the median income for a family was $71,250. Male full-time workers had a median income of $38,682 versus $37,974 for female workers. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $28,050. About 9.6% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 96.1% were high school graduates or higher and 20.7% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

2010 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 2010, there were 3,622 people, 1,613 households, and 845 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 1,732 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.5%

, 0.5%

, 5.2% Native American, 0.3%

, 0.2% from

, and 2.3% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.7% of the population. There were 1,613 households, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% 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, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.6% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 21.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,618 people, 1,563 households, and 886 families residing in the city. The

was 1,146.4 people per square mile (442.1/km²). There were 1,679 housing units at an average density of 532.0 per square mile (205.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.37%

, 0.19%

, 4.73% Native American, 0.11%

, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.55% from

, and 0.97% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.16% of the population. There were 1,563 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

Government

Jackson County Wisconsin Courthouse March 2012

City Hall, located at 101 S. 2nd St, houses the mayor, Jay Eddy; the city administrator, Brad Chown; deputy city clerks and treasurers; the Parks and Recreation Department and the Police Department. Offices for Jackson County are located on Main Street.

Economy

While the logging and lumber industry is still present in the area, the current economy leans heavily on

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

. Several locations support the tourism industry. Lake Arbutus, a impoundment of the river, lies several miles northeast, as does the multi-use Levis/Trow trail system. Black River Falls is home to a

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

and hotel operated by the

Nation. Much of the surrounding land is part of the Black River State Forest.

Education

Wisconsin, Black River Falls, Old High School

Black River Falls High School, the city's public high school located on the southwestern edge of town, is administered by the Black River Falls School District. The former high school, in the center of the city, has been converted to apartments.

Western Technical College Western Technical College (Western) is a public technical college in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A member of the Wisconsin Technical College System, the Western Technical College District serves 11 counties and enrolls over 5,000 students. The college ...

offers classes in the city.

Media

Black River Falls has one newspaper called "The Banner Journal" Local stations WWIS-FM 99.7 FM WWIS 1260 AM Far-away stations WXYM 96.1 FM

Culture

Black River Falls is the focus of

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

in 1999, which included scenes from the community as it appeared then. Lesy drew on the work of Charles Van Schaick, a photographer in Black River Falls between the 1870s and 1930s. Van Schaick made portraits of the

(Winnebago) people in the area in his commercial studio in downtown Black River Falls. His photographs are now housed at the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of N ...

and were the subject of a book, ''People of the Big Voice'', published in 2011. The Black River Falls area is home to a large population of the

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

Karner Blue

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

. The city celebrates with the Karner Blue Butterfly Festival held annually on the third Saturday of July.

Transportation

Major highways

The primary artery of transportation for Black River Falls is

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

, which passes through the eastern edge of the city.

US Highway 12 U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) and I-94, but unlike most U.S. routes tha ...

Wisconsin Highway 27 State Trunk Highway 27 (often called Highway 27, STH-27 or WIS 27) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The highway spans a length of and is generally two-lane local road with the exception of urban multilane arterials within some ...

, and

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 ...

also pass through the city.

Airport

Black River Falls Area Airport (KBCK) serves the city and surrounding communities.

Rail

The

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

is adjacent to the city, but does not pass through the center. Its predecessor, the

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

, formerly operated a

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industri ...

into the town to serve an

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

mine.

Notable people

Simon Benson Simon Benson (September 9, 1851 – August 5, 1942) was a noted Norwegian-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his mark in the city of Portland, Oregon. Biography Background Simon Benson was born Simen Bergersen Klæve in th ...

- Oregon businessman *

Eustace L. Brockway Eustace L. Brockway (January 20, 1826 – December 4, 1901) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. The town of Brockway, Wisconsin was named in his honor. Biography Brockway was born on January 20, 1826, in Brockwayville, Pennsylvania. O ...

- Wisconsin State Assembly *

David W. Cheney David Wilmot Cheney (April 7, 1859 – September 27, 1913) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Cheney was born on April 7, 1859, in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. His father, David D. Cheney, was also a member of the Assembly. C ...

- Wisconsin State Assembly * Larry D. Gilbertson - Wisconsin State Assembly * Lawrence M. Hagen - Wisconsin State Assembly *

Phil Haugstad Philip Donald Haugstad (February 23, 1924 – October 21, 1998) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Haugstad pitched from 1947 to 1952 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. External link ...

- baseball player *

Merlin Hull Merlin Gray Hull (December 18, 1870 – May 17, 1953) was a lawyer, a newspaper publisher, and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin. Born in Farina, Illinois to John and Adelia Hull, Merlin Hull was a graduate of ...

- U.S. Representative * Calvin R. Johnson - Wisconsin State Assembly * Lester Johnson - U.S. Representative * Oswald H. Johnson - Wisconsin State Assembly *

Truman Lowe Truman Tennis Lowe (January 19, 1944 – March 30, 2019) ( Ho-Chunk) was an American sculptor and installation artist. A professor of fine art at the University of Wisconsin, Lowe also served as a curator of contemporary art at the National Muse ...

- Native American sculptor * James J. McGillivray - Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate * Hugh Brooks Mills - politician and businessman *

Terry Musser Terry M. Musser (November 15, 1947 – November 1, 2018) was an American politician. Biography Musser was born in Black River Falls, Wisconsin and graduated from Melrose-Mindoro High School. He went to University of Wisconsin–La Cross ...

- Wisconsin State Assembly * Merlin J. Peterson - Wisconsin State Assembly * Carl C. Pope - Wisconsin legislator and jurist'Wisconsin Blue Book 1877,' Biographical Sketch of Carl C. Pope, pg. 463 * Hugh H. Price - U.S. Representative * William T. Price - U.S. Representative * Ernie Rudolph -

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player * Jack Taylor - College Basketball record holder * Casper D. Waller - Wisconsin State Assembly

Images

File:Black River Falls Senior High School.jpg, Black River Falls High School File:Black River Falls Wisconsin Public Library Carnegie.jpg, Black River Falls Public Library; the former library is now a museum File:Black River Falls Wisconsin Library.jpg, Current library File:BRF Downtown from church.jpg, Panorama looking east File:Black River Falls Wisconsin City Hall.jpg, City hall File:Black River Falls Wisconsin Post Office.jpg, Post office File:Black River Falls Downtown Looking North WIS54.jpg, Looking east in downtown Black River Falls File:Black River Falls Wisconsin Sign Looking North US12 WIS27.jpg, Sign along US12 /

WIS 27 State Trunk Highway 27 (often called Highway 27, STH-27 or WIS 27) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The highway spans a length of and is generally two-lane local road with the exception of urban multilane arterials within some ...

File:Western Technical College Black River Falls Wisconsin Campus.jpg,

campus

References

External links

Official website

Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
18841892190219091914
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Jackson County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin