Ephraim ( ) is a village in Door County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, United States. It is located across Eagle Harbor from

Peninsula State Park Peninsula State Park is a List of Wisconsin state parks, Wisconsin state park with of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay shoreline in Door County, Wisconsin, Door County. Peninsula is the third largest state park in Wisconsin and is visited ...

. The population was 345 at the 2020 census. The village is known for its white buildings, its views of the bluffs across Eagle Harbor, and its shoreline along Green Bay.

History

The

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

was founded in 1853 by the Reverend Andreas Iverson as a Moravian religious community. The steeples of the Ephraim Moravian Church and the Free Evangelical Lutheran Church-Bethania Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation are the landmarks of the village as seen from Eagle Harbor. The home of Reverend Iverson, as well as the Anderson Store, the Anderson Barn and History Center, the Pioneer Schoolhouse and the Goodletson log cabin are preserved by the Ephraim Historical Foundation and open to visitors as museums. The Ephraim Historical Foundation also offers walking tours of the village. Since its founding, the village prohibited alcohol sales or manufacture within the village; it was, until 2016, the only dry municipality in the state of Wisconsin. There were two referendums concerning the sale of liquor within the village, in 1934 and 1992. Both times the citizenry voted decisively to keep the village dry (with majorities of 59% and 74%, respectively). On April 5, 2016, village residents voted on two separate referendums to allow beer and/or wine sales within the village, both of which passed by 56% and 68% majorities.

Geography

To the west is

; to the east and south are unincorporated parts of the town of

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. Ephraim is located at (45.156509, -87.171047). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. The highest point in the village (at the north end of North Orchard St.) is about above sea level, or above the surface of Green Bay.

Climate

The climate in Ephraim is temperate, with warm summers and cold winters.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 288 people, 138 households, and 92 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 654 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3% Native American, and 0.7% from other races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population. There were 138 households, of which 17.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.52. The median age in the village was 58.8 years. 14.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 2.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.7% were from 25 to 44; 33% were from 45 to 64; and 33% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 353 people, 161 households, and 112 families residing in the village. The

was 90.6 people per square mile (34.9/km²). There were 771 housing units at an average density of 197.8 per square mile (76.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.15%

, and 0.85% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.28% of the population. There were 161 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were

living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.62. In the village, the population was spread out, with 19.0% under the age of 18, 2.5% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $52,500, and the median income for a family was $60,227. Males had a median income of $37,813 versus $31,875 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $30,579. About 2.7% of families and 5.2% 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 15.8% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Events

The village's main festival is Fyr Bal, a

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

n celebration held near the solstice in mid-June to drive out the wicked winter witch. Each year a person is assigned the role of Chieftain. At sunset, this Chieftain travels across Eagle Harbor via a pontoon boat and once they land in Ephraim, lights a large bonfire. Bonfires burn along the shoreline as residents and visitors gather to celebrate the beginning of summer.

Education

Gibraltar Area Schools serves the community. Gibraltar Elementary School and Gibraltar Secondary School are the two schools.

Notable people

* Bert D. Thorp, Wisconsin State Assembly and businessman, lived in Ephraim; he served as president of the village of Ephraim.'Wisconsin Blue Book1925,' Biographical Sketch of Bert D. Thorp, pg. 661

Images

References

External links

Village website

Ephraim Historical Foundation

Fish Creek & Ephraim
tour video, Around the Corner with John McGivern, Episode #612, ''PBS'' (Archived April 19, 2020)
Ephraim, 1853-1953
by Arthur F. Byfield'', Men's Club of Ephraim, Wisconsin'', link starts at the table of contents {{authority control Villages in Door County, Wisconsin Settlements in the America (North) Province of the Moravian Church Villages in Wisconsin