Edson is a town in Chippewa County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

. The population was 1,089 at the 2010 census, up from 966 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Edson is located in the town.

History

The squares that became Edson were first

surveyed Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

in the fall of 1848 by crews working for the U.S. government. In September 1853 another crew marked all the section corners of the eastern six by six square, walking the woods and swamps on foot, measuring with

chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

and

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

. When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:

''This Township contains but few Swamps has a Surface but slightly rolling with a good Soil & excellent timber throughout the whole Township. The Streams are Small except one in the NW of the Township which has(?) Marshy banks & sluggish current, & also a stream passing through the Eastern portions of Sections 1, 12, 25 & 36. There are no improvements in the Township except a lumberman's Cabin near the Center of Section 36.''

Geography

Edson is located in the southeast corner of Chippewa County and is bordered by Clark County to the east and Eau Claire County to the south. The town has the shape of a rectangle, east to west and north to south. 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 , of which is land and , or 0.09%, 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 2000, there were 966 people, 309 households, and 259 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 17.9 people per square mile (6.9/km²). There were 322 housing units at an average density of 6.0 per square mile (2.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.14%

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 ...

, 0.10%

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 1.76% 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 0.72% of the population. There were 309 households, out of which 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% 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, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.9% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13 and the average family size was 3.38. In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $34,722, and the median income for a family was $36,563. Males had a median income of $22,014 versus $20,885 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 $12,154. About 20.1% of families and 24.1% 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 33.5% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town is served by the

School District of Cadott Community The School District of Cadott Community is a school district in southwestern Chippewa County, Wisconsin. The district serves the village of Cadott as well as all or part of the towns of Sigel, Arthur, Goetz, Lafayette, Edson, Delmar, Anson an ...

and the Stanley-Boyd Area School District.

References

{{authority control Towns in Chippewa County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin