Elkhorn is a city in Walworth 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. It is located southwest of

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 10,247 people, up from 10,084 at the 2010 census. It is 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 ...

Geography

Elkhorn is located at (42.672900, −88.540342). 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

History

In 1836, Colonel Samuel Phoenix spotted a rack of

elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

antlers Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally found only on males ...

in a tree and proclaimed the area as "Elk Horn." The area's beauty and fertile soil led Daniel Bradley, his brother Milo, and LeGrand Rockwell to create a community in the area. Its growth to a population of 539 led to the first town meeting in 1846. Elkhorn was designated county seat that same year because of its location in Walworth County. In 1851, Elkhorn became the location of the Walworth County Fair, which is now hosted annually at the Walworth County Fairgrounds. The Walworth County Fair is the largest in Wisconsin after the

Wisconsin State Fair The Wisconsin State Fair is an annual event held at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. The modern fair takes place in August (occasionally beginning late July) and lasts 11 days. History The first W ...

. In the 1870s, saline water from springs located in Elkhorn was believed to cure rheumatism. Because the city places

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

decorations around its center, Elkhorn has been called the "Christmas Card Town" since before

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 opposing ...

. This tradition is celebrated every year by an annual oil painting by local artist Jan Castle Reed. These watercolor paintings are turned into Christmas cards. Elkhorn is also known for the folklore of the

Beast of Bray Road The Beast of Bray Road, is the name given to a wolf-like creature allegedly reported to have been witnessed in or near Elkhorn, Walworth County, Wisconsin. The creature has become a part of Wisconsin folklore and has been the subject of multip ...

, a supposed

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...

type creature that has become the focus of books, movies, documentaries and other elements of pop culture.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 10,084 people, 3,801 households, and 2,514 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 4,043 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.4%

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 o ...

, 1.2%

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% Native American, 0.7%

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 ...

, 4.8% 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 1.6% 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 forme ...

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 11.0% of the population. There were 3,801 households, of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% 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 3.11. The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,305 people, 2,919 households, and 1,903 families living in the city. The

was 1,005.2 people per square mile (388.0/km²). There were 3,014 housing units at an average density of 414.7 per square mile (160.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.81%

, 0.47%

, 0.40% Native American, 0.55%

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.83% from

, and 0.92% from two or more races.

of any race were 6.13% of the population. There were 2,919 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,395, and the median income for a family was $47,475. Males had a median income of $34,867 versus $22,253 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 city was $20,003. About 7.4% of families and 9.9% 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 12.7% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Elkhorn was a stop on the Racine & Southwestern branch line of the

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experience ...

, better known as the Milwaukee Road. In its 1980 bankruptcy, the Milwaukee Road disposed of the Southwestern Line. The Wisconsin & Southern continues to service Elkhorn from a connection at Bardwell to the west.

Notable people

Lucius Allen Lucius Oliver Allen, Jr. (born September 26, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player. He is one of only a select few players to have won at least one state championship, collegiate national championship, and NBA championship. ...

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, ...

* Thomas Ryum Amlie,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

* Charles Coleman, Wisconsin State Assembly * Christopher DeLange, motorcycle racer * Ely B. Dewing, Wisconsin State Assembly * Charles Dunlap, Wisconsin State Assembly *

Sidney Clayton Goff Sidney Clayton Goff (January 23, 1861 – May 18, 1935) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Goff was born on January 23, 1861 in East Troy, Wisconsin. His father, Sidney Calkins Goff, was Sheriff of Walworth County, Wisconsin. ...

, Wisconsin State Assembly * John Harris, Wisconsin State Senator * William H. Hurlbut, Wisconsin State Assembly * Greg Kent, NFL Player * Jay G. Lamberson, Wisconsin State Assembly * Hollis Latham, Wisconsin State Assembly * Tallan Noble Latz, musician * John Raleigh,

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 * Eldo T. Ridgway, Wisconsin State Senator, mayor of Elkhorn *

Jim Roslof James Paul Roslof (November 21, 1946March 19, 2011) was an American artist who produced cover art and interior illustrations of fantasy role-playing games published by TSR, Inc. during the "golden age" of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. As Art Director ...

, fantasy artist * James D. Swan, Wisconsin State Senator''Wisconsin Blue Book 1973'', p. 50 * Patrick Smage, motorcycle racer * Phil Smage, motorcycle racer *

Joseph Philbrick Webster Joseph Philbrick Webster, also known as J.P. Webster (February 18, 1819 – January 18, 1875), was an American songwriter and composer most notable for his musical compositions during the Antebellum South, antebellum and American Civil War p ...

, composer of

In the Sweet By-and-By "The Sweet By-and-By" is a Christian hymn with lyrics by S. Fillmore Bennett and music by Joseph P. Webster. It is recognizable by its chorus: Background Bennett described the composition of the hymn in his autobiography. Per ...

* Scott Wedige, NFL player * Clarence J. Wilger, Wisconsin State Assembly

Images

File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Police Department and Municipal Court.jpg, Police department and Municipal Court File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Town Square.jpg, Park in town square File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Downtown Looking South WIS11 WIS67.jpg File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Welcome Sign.jpg, Welcome sign File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Medical Center.jpg, Mercy Elkhorn Medical Center File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Downtown Looking East WIS11.jpg, Southern town square

References

External links

City of Elkhorn, Wisconsin website

Elkhorn Chamber of Commerce website
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
1893189819041911
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Walworth County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin