Belmont is a village in Lafayette 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 986 at the 2010 census.

History

Founded in 1835 by land speculator John Atchison, Belmont was the original

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

, and the original territorial capitol building is preserved several miles northwest of the village at First Capitol Historic Site. The village is adjacent to the Town of Belmont. The name Belmont comes from the French for “beautiful mountain”, referencing three hills within the village.

Geography

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 th ...

, the village has a total area of , all of it land. Belmont Mound State Park is located northwest of the village.

Demographics

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 986 people, 439 households, and 279 families living 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 454 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.8%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino people of any race were 0.7% of the population. There were 439 households, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% 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 ...

living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the village was 39.8 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 871 people, 377 households, and 245 families living in the village. The

was 1,511.6 people per square mile (579.8/km²). There were 401 housing units at an average density of 695.9 per square mile (266.9/km²). The racial composition of the village was 99.66%

, 0.11%

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 ha ...

, 0.11% Native American, and 0.11% from two or more races. 0.11% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 377 households, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were composed of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $34,853, and the median income for a family was $49,688. Males had a median income of $28,646 versus $22,159 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 village was $17,763. About 1.7% of families and 5.4% 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 ...

, including 4.5% of those younger than age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

For many years,

U.S. Highway 151 U.S. Highway 151 (US 151) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. The southern terminus for US 151 is at a junction with Interstate 80 (I-80) in Iowa County, Iowa, and its northern terminu ...

was routed through Belmont. The highway was expanded to four lanes in 2004, with the new highway being routed to the north of the village.

Education

Belmont High School is the local high school.

Notable people

* James Clarke, third Governor of

Iowa Territory The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remain ...

* James Dolan, lawyer and politician * Charles Dunn, jurist and lawyer * Nathan Olmsted, lawyer and politician * Ninian E. Whiteside, first speaker of the

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, e ...

References

External links

Belmont, Wisconsin
{{authority control Villages in Lafayette County, Wisconsin Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States Villages in Wisconsin Populated places established in 1835 1835 establishments in Michigan Territory