Hartford is a city in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
and
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
counties 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 ...
of
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 ...
. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,223. All of this population resided in the Washington County portion of the city. The portion of the city in Dodge County consists of only industrial/commercial parcels. Located approximately 38 miles (61 km) northwest of Downtown
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 is ...
and 22 miles (35 km) from city limits, Hartford is located on the outer edge of the
Milwaukee metropolitan area
The Milwaukee metropolitan area (also known as Metro Milwaukee or Greater Milwaukee) is a major metropolitan area located in Southeastern Wisconsin, consisting of the city of Milwaukee and the surrounding area. There are several definitions of the ...
.
History
Early history and settlement
In the early 19th century, Hartford was inhabited by the
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
and
Menominee
The Menominee (; mez, omǣqnomenēwak meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recog ...
people, who had a trading post on the Rubicon River and a village on the eastern shore of
Pike Lake. In 1831, the Menominee surrendered their claims to the land to the United States Federal Government through the
Treaty of Washington, and the Potawatomi surrendered their land claims in 1833 through the
1833 Treaty of Chicago
The 1833 Treaty of Chicago struck an agreement between the United States government that required the Chippewa Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes cede to the United States government their of land (including reservations) in Illinois, the Wiscon ...
, which (after being ratified in 1835) required them to leave the area by 1838. However, when the first White settlers arrived in 1843, they found that the Potawatomi were still living at the Pike Lake village. Some Native Americans remained in the area and were referred to as "strolling Potawatomi" in contemporary documents because many of them were migrants who subsisted by
squatting
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
on their ancestral lands, which were now owned by White settlers. Eventually the Potawatomi who evaded forced removal gathered in northern Wisconsin, where they formed the
Forest County Potawatomi Community
The Forest County Potawatomi Community ( pot, Ksenyaniyek) is a federally recognized tribe of Potawatomi people with approximately 1,400 members as of 2010. The community is based on the Forest County Potawatomi Indian Reservation, which cons ...
.
In July 1843, Timothy Hall became the first White person to purchase and settle land in the Hartford area, although when he arrived he found a Canadian named Jehial Case squatting near his land. Later that year, German immigrant settlers John Theil and Nicolaus Simon surveyed the Hartford area and determined that the Rubicon River would be a suitable location for a hydropowered mill. The following year, James and George Rossman joined Simon and Theil's venture. The men purchased forty acres abutting the rapids of the Rubicon River
and constructed a dam and a sawmill that harnessed the river's power to make lumber from the
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
s covering the area. In 1846, a third Rossman brother, Charles, arrived in Hartford and constructed a
gristmill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
to process grain grown by the settlers. On January 31, 1846, the land incorporated as the Town of Wright, before the name was changed to the
Town of Hartford in February 1847, after
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
. Many of the original settlers were
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...
s from
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
and were part of a wave of farmers who headed west in the early 1800s, though some other settlers—including Theil and Simon—were German immigrants. The early settlers cleared land for farming; constructed roads; created a post office;
erected churches, starting with the
First Congregational Church of Hartford which formed in 1847 and followed by Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and Catholic churches in the 1850s;
and established businesses to serve the town's agricultural economy, including equipment wholesalers, general stores, and dry goods dealers.
The
La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad was constructed through the community in 1855,
and while rail connections were important to Hartford's growth into the early 1900s, the company failed in 1861. Many local landowners had taken out mortgages on land for the railroad in exchange for company shares. The company's failure left the landowners with mortgages to pay off, creating a local crisis in which some families were forced to sell their farms. The ''Hartford Home League'' newspaper started during the crisis to advocate for the farmers.
The community's early years saw increasing tension between the settlers and Native Americans. For example, on August 25, 1861, a group of approximately a dozen Native Americans were living near
Horicon Marsh
Horicon Marsh is a marsh located in northern Dodge and southern Fond du Lac counties of Wisconsin. It is the site of both a national and a state wildlife refuge. The silted-up glacial lake is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United Sta ...
, northwest of Hartford. They owned a horse, which got loose and wandered into a neighboring settler's cornfield. The settler shot and killed the horse, and the Native Americans vowed to take revenge. The story traveled quickly, becoming increasingly exaggerated as it spread. By the time the story reached Hartford on August 26, the dozen peaceful Native Americans had been transfigured into an army of 5,000 warriors preparing to massacre the settlers in the area. Many able-bodied men in Hartford armed themselves, formed a war party, and set out to fight the Native Americans. But when they arrived at Horicon Marsh they found that the threat was entirely fictional. The incident caused widespread fear among the local Native American community as well as in the surrounding settler communities.
Growth and industrialization
Hartford incorporated as a city in 1883. While Hartford had a large German-American population in the 19th century and was home to several German cultural associations, including the Hartford
Turners
Turners (german: Turner) are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber, 1798–1872, were the leading sponsors of gy ...
, the Hartford
Schützenverein
A Schützenverein (German for "marksmen's club") is a local voluntary association found in German-speaking countries revolving around shooting as a sport, often target shooting to Olympic rules or with historic weapons. Although originating as a ...
, and a chapter of the
Sons of Hermann
The Order of the Sons of Hermann (german: Der Orden der Hermanns-Soehne, also known as Hermann Sons ( ''Hermannssöhne'' ), is a mutual aid society for German immigrants that was formed in New York, New York on July 20, 1840,Fritz Schilo"Sons ...
,
the Germans in Hartford tended to be more assimilated than Germans in other Washington County communities. In 1912, one historian observed that in Washington County "there have always been places where the American
ulturepredominated. Take the example of the two cities in the county. Hartford always was more of an American community than West Bend."
In the final decades of the 1800s and first years of the 1900s, Hartford's economy shifted from being a small market town serving the local farmers to being a larger industrial community. In 1906, the
Kissel Motor Car Company
The Kissel Motor Car Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer founded by Louis Kissel and his sons, in Hartford, Wisconsin. The company custom built high-quality automobiles, hearses, fire trucks, taxicabs, and trucks from their ...
opened and quickly became the community's largest employer, creating hundreds of jobs and bringing European immigrant laborers into the community. Hartford was also home to the International Stamping Company, which manufactured automobile parts; the Hartford Canning Company,
which processed local farmers' crops such as peas, which were a
cash crop
A cash crop or profit crop is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") ...
in the area; the knitting mills of the Paramount Knitting Company; a glove factory; three tanneries and a brewery.
During
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 opposin ...
, Hartford's factories contributed to the war effort. The Kissel car factory, which was sold to the West Bend Aluminum Company in 1944, was retooled to make
shell casings
A cartridge or a round is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile (bullet, shot (pellet), shot, or shotgun slug, slug), a propellant substance (usually either smokeless powder or black powder) and an ignition device ( ...
, rocket containers, affordable kitchenware and canisters for gas masks. The Hartford Canning Company produced military rations.
In the summer of 1944, the U.S. military tried to fill labor shortages in the Hartford area by contracting German
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
to work on pea farms. Initially, the prisoners were transported from a requisitioned hotel on Lake Keesus in
Waukesha County
Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha.
Waukesha Co ...
. In October 1944, the military requisitioned the Schwartz Ballroom on Jefferson Street (operating as the "Chandelier Ballroom" as of 2020) to serve as a
prisoner of war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...
for 600 Germans. The prisoners were contracted to work on farms as well as in canneries, hemp mills, dairy facilities and tanneries. The camp closed in January 1946 and the prisoners were repatriated to Germany.
Hartford's population grew during the
post–World War II economic expansion
The post–World War II economic expansion, also known as the postwar economic boom or the Golden Age of Capitalism, was a broad period of worldwide economic expansion beginning after World War II and ending with the 1973–1975 recession. The U ...
. The population more than doubled between 1950 and 1960, and the community has continued to grow in subsequent decades. While many of the early 20th century manufacturers, including the Kissel Motor Car Company, have closed, Hartford is home to several large manufacturers, including
Broan-NuTone, which manufactures ventilation systems. In 1990, the city annexed land from the neighboring
Town of Rubicon in
Dodge County to expand its industrial zone.
Historic landmarks
Several buildings are listed on 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 among them are some of the Kissel houses as well as houses they built for others.
The Hartford post office contains an oil on canvas mural, ''Autumn Wisconsin Landscape'', painted in 1940 by
Ethel Spears
Ethel Spears (1903–1974) was an American artist known for her humorous paintings of Depression-era urban life.
Education
Ethel Spears was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 5, 1903, and grew up in the Beverly area. After high school, she ...
. It was produced for the
Section of Painting and Sculpture
The Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture was a New Deal art project established on October 16, 1934, and administered by the Procurement Division of the United States Department of the Treasury.
Commonly known as the Section, it was rena ...
(later the
Section of Fine Arts
The Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture was a New Deal art project established on October 16, 1934, and administered by the Procurement Division of the United States Department of the Treasury.
Commonly known as the Section, it was rena ...
) of the
Treasury Department as part of the
WPA
WPA may refer to:
Computing
*Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard
*Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing
* Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada
* Windows Performance An ...
Depression-era employment projects.
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 city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Hartford is located within the
Kettle Moraine
Kettle Moraine is a large moraine in the state of Wisconsin, United States. It stretches from Walworth County in the south to Kewaunee County in the north. It has also been referred to as the ''Kettle Range'' and, in geological texts, as the '' ...
, a large
moraine
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...
formed when the Green Bay and Lake Michigan Lobes collided. These glacial movements created varied land formations such as
kettles, lakes, hills, and
kame
A kame, or ''knob'', is a glacial landform, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the g ...
s that distinguish the region.
Tornado of 2006
The city was the site of an
F1 tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
on June 18, 2006, which caused minor damage to homes in the area, and major damage on the city's south side. Lincoln Elementary School and the Silver Bell Motel both suffered roof and structural damage.
Transportation
Hartford Municipal Airport
Hartford Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Washington County, Wisconsin, United States. The airport is owned by and located two nautical miles (4 km) northwest of the central business district of the city of Hartford. It i ...
serves the city and surrounding communities.
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 14,223 people, 5,685 households, and 3,721 families residing 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 6,032 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.7%
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 ...
, 0.9%
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 ...
, 0.5%
Native American, 0.8%
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 ...
, 1.8% 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 1.2% 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 ...
or
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 4.8% of the population.
There were 5,685 households, of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.
The median age in the city was 35.6 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.4% were from 25 to 44; 23.1% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 10,978 people, 1,397 households, and 1,152 families residing 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 133.6 people per square mile (51.6/km
2). There were 1,438 housing units at an average density of 47.6 per square mile (18.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.88%
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 ...
, 0.20%
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 ...
, 0.10%
Native American, 0.37%
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 ...
, 0.15% 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 0.30% 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 ...
or
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 0.55% of the population.
There were 1,397 households, out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% 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, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.19.
4th of July
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music)
In music a fourth is an interval spanning four staff po ...
Parade
In the city, the age of the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was estimated at $53,357
and the median income for a family was $73,576. Males had a median income of $42,301 versus $29,727 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 $26,928. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% 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 4.5% of those under age 18 and 0.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Hartford has a mayor-council form of government. Tim Michalak is the mayor of Hartford. The Common Council is made up of nine aldermen, three elected from each of three aldermanic districts.
Economy
Hartford was an early
car manufacturing
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such a ...
center, home to the
Kissel Motor Car Company
The Kissel Motor Car Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer founded by Louis Kissel and his sons, in Hartford, Wisconsin. The company custom built high-quality automobiles, hearses, fire trucks, taxicabs, and trucks from their ...
before 1926. The city was the home of a
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
Marine engine plant, a
Libby's
Libby's (Libby, McNeill & Libby) was an American company that produced canned food and beverages. The firm was established in 1869 in Chicago, Illinois. The Libby's trademark is currently owned by Libby's Brand Holding based in Geneva, Switzerlan ...
beet processing plant, and now many smaller industries, including the headquarters and a manufacturing site for
Broan-NuTone.
Kissel
In 1883 Ludwig “Louis” Kissel moved to Hartford and by 1890 he formed a partnership with his sons, Adolph P., Otto P., William L. and George A. that included many businesses beginning with the L. Kissel & Sons Hardware store. Other enterprises ultimately included the Hartford Plow Works (1892) manufacturing and distribution of farm machinery,
In addition to distributing engines through ''Kissel Manufacturing Company'' for other manufacturers, the Kissels developed their own gasoline engines, both two and four stroke, that even included a boat motor for
Sears and Roebuck
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began as ...
. Other businesses included the Hartford Electric Company, a stone quarry, and a sand pit.
In 1906, Louis, his four sons and US District Attorney H. K. Butterfield incorporated the
Kissel Motor Car Company
The Kissel Motor Car Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer founded by Louis Kissel and his sons, in Hartford, Wisconsin. The company custom built high-quality automobiles, hearses, fire trucks, taxicabs, and trucks from their ...
. The new auto company started full-scale production in 1907 and continued until 1930. In 1906 Otto, along with John Liver, H. K. Butterfield, and 18 other members formed the ''First National Bank of Hartford'', with capital of $50,000. John was elected president, H. K. Butterfield was elected vice-president and Otto Kissel was elected second vice president. Henry H. Esser was appointed cashier. Liver died in 1925 and Otto was appointed president. In 1923 the Hartford Chamber of Commerce was organized with Otto Kissel, Henry Esser and John Liver as charter members. In 1936 Kissel Industries was formed, the old factory regained, and the company manufactured the Kissel outboard motor, sold as the ''Waterwitch'' from 1936 to 1944 exclusively by
Sears and Roebuck
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began as ...
.
Education
The School District of Hartford provides
public education
State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...
to elementary students in Hartford. Lincoln and Rossman Elementary Schools each serve roughly half of the city's kindergarten through fifth grade student population. Both schools are feeders to Central Middle School, which serves all Hartford students in grades 6 through 8.
Secondary education is provided by Hartford Union High School (HUHS), which is independent of the School District of Hartford. It has an enrollment of about 1500 students. The high school serves the city of Hartford, the
Town of Hartford, and most of the surrounding communities including
Richfield,
Erin
Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating from the Irish word ''"Éirinn"''. "Éirinn" is the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland, "Éire", genitive "Éireann", the dative being used in prepositional phrases such as ''"go h ...
, Friess Lake, and
Neosho.
Several parochial schools are in the community, including St. Kilian Roman Catholic School and Peace Lutheran.
The city's library is the Jack Russell Memorial Library.
Area information
* The city has annexed parts of the town of Hartford and other areas, including Pike Lake. The
Pike Lake Unit of the
Kettle Moraine State Forest
The Kettle Moraine State Forest is a state forest in southeastern Wisconsin. The chief feature of the reserve is the Kettle Moraine, a highly glaciated area. The area contains very hilly terrain and glacial landforms, such as kettles, kames an ...
is situated on the lake.
* The city has a major industrial park on the outskirts of the city, including a
Quad Graphics
Quad (formerly Quad/Graphics) is an American commercial printing company which offers marketing strategy and management services, based in Sussex, Wisconsin. It was founded as a printing company on July 13, 1971, by Harry V. Quadracci. Since 20 ...
factory that employs many city residents.
* Hartford is home to the Schauer Arts Center, a regional arts center that stages professional touring performances, offers arts classes for all ages, and hosts social and business functions.
* Hartford is also the nearest incorporated municipality to
Erin Hills
Erin Hills is a golf course in the East North Central States, north central United States, located in Erin, Wisconsin, in Washington County, Wisconsin, Washington County, northwest of Milwaukee. The course officially opened in 2006. It hosted th ...
, a public golf course that hosted the 2017
United States Open.
Notable people
*
Samuel S. Barney
Samuel Stebbins Barney (January 31, 1846 – December 31, 1919) was a United States representative from Wisconsin and a United States federal judge, judge of the United States Court of Claims, Court of Claims.
Education and career
Born on Jan ...
, Justice of the U.S. Court of Claims and Congressman
*
Alfred G. Becker
Alfred George Becker was an American politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Biography
Becker was born on August 24, 1887, in Addison, Wisconsin, the son of Philip Becker (1862–1939) and Amalia née Ferber (1866–1951). H ...
, Wisconsin State Representative
*
John R. Bohan, Wisconsin State Senator
*
Hopewell Coxe, Wisconsin State Representative
*
Steve Feak, Game Designer at
Riot Games
Riot Games, Inc. is an American video game developer, publisher and esports tournament organizer based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill to develop ''League of Legends'' and went on t ...
*
Edward J. Gehl
Edward John Gehl (January 26, 1890 – August 28, 1956) was an American jurist from Wisconsin.
Born in Hartford, Wisconsin, Gehl graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1913. During World War I, he served in the United States ...
, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice
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Dennis Hall
Dennis William Hall (born February 5, 1971) is a Greco-Roman wrestler from Neosho, Wisconsin, United States. Hall was a 10-time US National Champion, a World Champion, and 3-time USA Olympian. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympi ...
, Olympic Wrestler
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Curt Hansen, Actor/Singer
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Polly Koch
Walter Henry "Polly" Koch (August 1, 1895June 22, 1976) was a player in the American Professional Football Association for the Rock Island Independents in 1920 as a guard and tackle. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Wisc ...
, Professional football player
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Michael A. Lehman, Wisconsin State Representative
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Quinn Meinerz
Quinn Meinerz (born November 15, 1998) is an American football guard for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UW–Whitewater.
Early life and high school
Meinerz grew up in Hartford, Wisconsin ...
, Football player
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John A. Norman, Wisconsin State Representative
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Jesse Peters
Jesse M. Peters (July 21, 1897 – March 7, 1962) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate.
Biography
Peters was born in Iron Ridge, Wisconsin. During World War I, he served in the United States Army. He died on March 7, 1962, in Hartford, Wis ...
, Wisconsin State Senator
*
Jacob C. Place
Jacob C. Place (January 1, 1828 – December 27, 1881) was an American politician.
Born in Johnstown, New York, Place moved to Wisconsin in 1850 and settled in Hartford, Wisconsin. He was a glove maker and livestock dealer. In 1880, Place ser ...
, Wisconsin State Representative
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Adam F. Poltl, Wisconsin State Representative and Mayor of Hartford
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Don Pridemore
Donald Pridemore (born October 20, 1946) is a Wisconsin electrical engineer and politician.
Early life
Pridemore was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 1964. From 1965 to 1969 he served in the U ...
, legislator
['Wisconsin Blue Book 2011–2012,' Biographical Sketch of Don Pridemore, pg. 85]
*
John Reiser
John Reiser (June 24, 1938 – November 19, 2005) was a race car driver and successful businessman from Wisconsin. He founded Triton Trailers in Hartford, Wisconsin. He later founded Reiser Enterprises in Denver, North Carolina, in which he furth ...
, Former general manager of
Roush Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Politics
*Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana
* J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of:
** J. Edward Roush Lake, a re ...
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
Busch Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
and
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
race shops
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Adam Schantz, Wisconsin State Senator
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Ronald A. Sell, Wisconsin State Representative
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John Shinners,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
player
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Jeremy Unertl
Jeremy Dale Unertl (born September 15, 1978) is a former gridiron football safety. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He had a 10-year professional career in multiple leagues. He played college football at ...
, Professional football player
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Ericka Walker
Ericka Walker (born June 16, 1981 in Hartford, Wisconsin) is an American artist and printmaker. She lives and works in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Life and work
Education
Walker attended secondary school at Hartford Union High School fr ...
, Artist
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George Weissleder, Wisconsin State Senator
References
Sources
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External links
City of HartfordHartford Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Washington County, Wisconsin
Cities in Dodge County, Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1844