New Diggings is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Lafayette 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 502 at the 2010 census, up from 473 in 2000. The unincorporated communities of Etna, Lead Mine, and New Diggings are located in the town.

Geography

The town is in southwestern Lafayette County and is bordered to the south by

Jo Daviess County Jo Daviess County () is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 22,678. Its county seat is Galena. Jo Daviess County is part of the Tri-State Area and is located near D ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. 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 , all of it recorded as land. The town is drained by the Galena River, a south-flowing waterway that meanders back and forth across the western border of the town before entering Illinois.

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 473 people, 176 households, and 127 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 18.7 people per square mile (7.2/km²). There were 194 housing units at an average density of 7.7 per square mile (3.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.15%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American and 0.63%

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 ...

. There were 176 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% 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 27.8% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $50,114. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $20,750 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 $17,122. About 3.3% of families and 6.4% 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 5.7% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Montgomery Morrison Cothren Montgomery Morrison Cothren (September 18, 1819October 27, 1888) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served 18 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge, and was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. Biogra ...

, Wisconsin legislator and jurist * Thomas Cruson, Wisconsin territorial legislator *

Frederick Hird Frederick Sylvester Hird (December 6, 1879 – September 27, 1952) was an American sports shooter who won one gold and two bronze medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Hird started as a professional boxer and semiprofessi ...

, shooter in the 1912 Olympics; born in New Diggings * Francis Little, Wisconsin state senator and chairman of the Town Board of New Diggings * Samuel Mazzuchelli, founder of Saint Augustine Church in New Diggings. The church was recently restored by a local Knights of Columbus group * Daniel Morgan Parkinson, Wisconsin state representative * Thomas J.B. Robinson, U.S. representative from

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

; born in New Diggings * Fred Smith, major league baseball player; born in New Diggings

References

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