Fox Lake is a city in Dodge 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 1,519 at the 2010 census. The city is located within the Town of Fox Lake.

History

Established in 1838, Fox Lake was the first settlement in Dodge County. The first inhabitants were

Winnebago Indians The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hoocągra or Winnebago (referred to as ''Hotúŋe'' in the neighboring indigenous Iowa-Otoe language), are a Siouan-speaking Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iow ...

who had named the area "Hosh-a-rac-ah-tah", meaning "good land". The area was later named Fox Lake, either in honor of a Winnebago Indian named Big Fox who saved a lost trapper or for the English translation of the Indian name of the town.

Geography

Fox Lake is located at 43°33'45" North, 88°54'35" West (43.56265, -88.90994). 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 city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The 2,713 acre lake also known as Fox Lake is found north of the city.

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,519 people, 663 households, and 400 families living in the city. 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 . There were 801 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.0%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.7% from other races, and 0.5% 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 2.4% of the population. There were 663 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% 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, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 42.5 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.0% male and 48.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,454 people, 615 households, and 373 families living in the city. The

was 1,036.1 people per square mile (401.0/km²). There were 695 housing units at an average density of 495.3 per square mile (191.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.32%

, 0.76%

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 have o ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.21%

, 0.00%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.48% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. 3.51% of the population were

of any race. There were 615 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,607, and the median income for a family was $44,904. Males had a median income of $33,105 versus $21,833 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 $17,753. 7.7% of the population and 4.7% of families 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 ...

. 9.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

The Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee is an annual celebration in May in honor of jazz trumpeter Bunny Berigan. The festival began in 1973 and is a three-day event featuring various musical entertainers and presentations on Berigan.

Tourism

In 1983 Wisconsin's largest archaeology discovery was made in Fox Lake. Artifacts from the dig and local history are displayed in the Fox Lake Historical Museum, located inside the 1884

Fox Lake Railroad Depot The Fox Lake Railroad Depot is located in Fox Lake, Wisconsin. History The depot was built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) in 1884, with porte-cochère added in 1919. It served passengers including resor ...

. The Depot is on the list of the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and a model of the Loop & Junction railroad, working blacksmith shop, Congregational Church and Sinclair Gas Station are on display inside the depot.

Education

Public schools

Fox Lake is served by the Waupun School District. The school district has several schools including SAGES, Meadow View Primary, Rock River Intermediate and

Waupun High School Waupun is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, Dodge and Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 11,344 at the 2020 census. Of this, 7,795 were in Dodge County, and 3,549 were in Fond du ...

. SAGES (School for Agriculture and Environmental Studies) is located in Fox Lake.

Private schools

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church and School is a private coeducational school located in Fox Lake. It is affiliated with the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee ...

Libraries

The Fox Lake Public Library is located in Fox Lake.

Infrastructure

Prisons

Fox Lake Correctional Institution The Fox Lake Correctional Institution is a medium-security state prison for men located in Fox Lake, Dodge County, Wisconsin Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 89,396. ...

is located in Fox Lake and is a medium security facility for adult offenders. It is a state prison operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Notable people

* Bunny Berigan, jazz trumpeter, considered Fox Lake to be his hometown * Willis G. Calderwood,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

politician * Harley Sanford Jones, U.S. Air Force general *

Stoddard Judd Stoddard Judd (May 18, 1797March 2, 1873) was an American physician, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served 4 years in the Wisconsin Legislature, representing Dodge County. Earlier, he served three terms in the New York State Assembly. B ...

, physician and politician * William E. Smith, 14th Governor of

Gallery

File:FoxLakeWisconsinSkyline.jpg, Fox Lake skyline File:FoxLakeWisconsinWaterTowerWIS33.jpg, Water tower File:FoxLakeWisconsinSignWIS33.jpg, Sign on

WIS 33 State Trunk Highway 33 (often called Highway 33, STH-33 or WIS 33) is a Wisconsin state highway running east–west across central Wisconsin. It is in length. Route description La Crosse to Baraboo WIS 33 begins east of the Mississip ...

File:FoxLakeWisconsinFireDepartmentWIS68.jpg, Fire station

References

External links

City of Fox Lake

{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Dodge County, Wisconsin