The Town of Clayton is located in

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

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 571 at the 2000 census. The Village of Clayton and the unincorporated communities of Joel and

Richardson Richardson may refer to: People * Richardson (surname), an English and Scottish surname * Richardson Gang, a London crime gang in the 1960s * Richardson Dilworth, Mayor of Philadelphia (1956-1962) Places Australia * Richardson, Australian Cap ...

are located in the town.

History

The village of Clayton was first settled by

logging 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 ...

families in the 1870s.Village of Clayton
Village of Clayton History
Accessed February 26, 2014. In 1874, the railroad arrived, connecting logging camps within the area. The railroad ended near Lake Camelia at a sawmill owned by Humbird and Rogers. The village was named after Clayton Rogers, the boss of the sawmill, for his service during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. The village is located within the town. Scandinavian, German, and Russian families who settled here turned to

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or ...

. The many small

creameries A creamery is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream ret ...

and cheese factories that sprang up in the area were purchased by Stella Cheese Company in the 1930s. During the 1960s, the Stella factory became the largest producer of blue cheese in the world. The Clayton Lions Club called Clayton “The Blue Cheese Capital of the World” to promote the town. To this day, the town celebrates Cheese Days on Father’s Day weekend in June. The Wisconsin Dairies Cooperative bought the cheese factory in the 1980s. Today, it is known as Foremost Farms and produces

pizza cheese Pizza cheese encompasses several varieties and types of cheeses and dairy products that are designed and manufactured for use specifically on pizza. These include processed and modified cheese such as mozzarella-like processed cheeses and mozz ...

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 the ...

, the town has a total area of 33.8 square miles (87.6 km²), of which, 33.2 square miles (86.1 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.

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 2010, there were 571 people, 360 households, and 263 families residing in the town. 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 27.4 people per square mile (10.6/km²). There were 412 housing units at an average density of 12.4 per square mile (4.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.97%

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% Native American, 0%

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 ...

, and 1.93% from two or more races. 2.1% 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 ...

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 360 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% 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, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.94. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,719, and the median income for a family was $47,031. Males had a median income of $27,891 versus $22,656 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 town was $17,985. About 4.6% of families and 8.5% 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 11.0% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

Русская Колонія въ Клейтонъ, Виск. — http://www.carpatho-russian-almanacs.org/ROCMAS/ROCMAS1933/RussianColony33.php

External links

Official WebsiteSchool District Website
{{authority control Towns in Polk County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin