Brice Prairie is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
La Crosse County
La Crosse County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 120,784. Its county seat is La Crosse. La Crosse County is included in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area with ...
,
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 1,887 at the
2010 census.
Brice Prairie is located in the town of
Onalaska.
Name
Brice Prairie is named after pioneer farmers Alexander and Lucy Brice, who settled there in 1855. Alexander was a United States veteran of the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
.
Some have referred to Brice Prairie as Brice’s Prairie.
Geography
Brice Prairie is located in northwestern La Crosse County at (43.939909, -91.310356),
on the east bank of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
waterway system. It is northwest of the center of the city of
Onalaska and north of
La Crosse
La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's populat ...
, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
.
Brice Prairie borders the Mississippi's
Lake Onalaska to the southwest and the
Black River to the northwest. Halfway Creek empties into Lake Onalaska at the southeastern corner of Brice Prairie. The
, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.
Demographics
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 2000, there were 1,804 people, 654 households, and 516 families residing in the CDP. 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 398.0 people per square mile (153.8/km
2). There were 691 housing units at an average density of 152.4/sq mi (58.9/km
2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.29%
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 ...
, 0.28%
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 ...
, 1.50%
Native American, 0.72%
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 ...
, 0.22% 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 1.00% from two or more races. 1.05% of the population were
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 ...
or
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.
There were 654 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% 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, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $49,303, and the median income for a family was $49,952. Males had a median income of $31,766 versus $23,472 for females. 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 CDP was $19,295. 3.8% of the population and 2.7% of families 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 ...
. Out of the total population, 1.0% of those under the age of 18 and 11.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Recreation
The Upper Brice Prairie Landing and Mosey Landing offer access to Lake Onalaska and the Mississippi River. Lytles Landing is a canoe landing offering access to the Black River. The Great River State Bike Trail runs along Brice Prairie, and the Midway Railroad Prairie State Natural Area encompasses the eastern entrance to the prairie. Neighborhood parks are in residential areas, including Swarthout Park.
Brice Prairie holds an outdoor music festival the fourth Saturday in August. "Rockin' the Prairie" is held at the Brice Prairie 1st Responder building. Proceeds benefit Brice Prairie EMS and Rescue.
Public safety
Brice Prairie is served by Brice Prairie EMS and Rescue and the Holmen Fire Department. Law enforcement coverage is provided by the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, with mutual aid provided by the Onalaska Police Department and Holmen Police Department.
The Baron of Brice Prairie
Brice Prairie's most famous former resident and landowner was industrialist and philanthropist Vern Dale, who was known as "The Baron of Brice Prairie". Dale, a
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 ...
veteran, was born to the north in
Galesville. Former La Crosse County Sheriff Karl "Butch" Halverson once referred to Dale as "The Patriarch of Onalaska and Brice Prairie". Prior to his death, Vern Dale, president of Outers Laboratories, owned homes in both the city of Onalaska and Brice Prairie.
Notes
External links
Brice Prairie Conservation AssociationUpper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, La Crosse District
{{authority control
Census-designated places in La Crosse County, Wisconsin
Census-designated places in Wisconsin