![2009-0620-Menomonie-Wilson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/2009-0620-Menomonie-Wilson.jpg)
Menomonie () is a city in and 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 ...
of
Dunn County in the western part of 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 ...
.
The city's population was 16,843 as of the 2020 census.
Named for the original inhabitants of the area, the
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 ...
, the city forms the core of 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 ...
's Menomonie
Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes all of Dunn County (2010 population: 43,857). The Menomonie MSA and the
Eau Claire–Chippewa Falls metropolitan area
The Eau Claire–Chippewa Falls metropolitan area refers loosely to the urbanized area along the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers, in west-central Wisconsin, with its primary center at Eau Claire and secondary centers at Chippewa Falls and Alto ...
to the east form the Census Bureau's Eau Claire-Menomonie
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Rico ...
.
The
city center
A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...
is at the south end of
Lake Menomin
Lake Menomin is a reservoir on the Red Cedar River, in Dunn County, Wisconsin, USA. Its name is derived from the Ojibwe name for this lake, ''Manoominikaani-zaaga'igan'' meaning "Abundant with Wild Rice Lake."
Along the lake's western and sou ...
, a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
on the
Red Cedar River.
History
The earliest known residents of the area were people from the Trempealeau
Hopewell Culture
The Hopewell tradition, also called the Hopewell culture and Hopewellian exchange, describes a network of precontact Native American cultures that flourished in settlements along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern Eastern Woodlands from ...
of the Middle
Woodland Period
In the classification of :category:Archaeological cultures of North America, archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 Common Era, BCE to European con ...
(100–400
CE). Evidence from their culture includes a mound from the Wakanda Mounds Group in Wakanda Park, along the western shore of
Lake Menomin
Lake Menomin is a reservoir on the Red Cedar River, in Dunn County, Wisconsin, USA. Its name is derived from the Ojibwe name for this lake, ''Manoominikaani-zaaga'igan'' meaning "Abundant with Wild Rice Lake."
Along the lake's western and sou ...
. Most of these mounds are thought to be from
Effigy Mound
An effigy mound is a raised pile of earth built in the shape of a stylized animal, symbol, religious figure, human, or other figure. The Effigy Moundbuilder culture is primarily associated with the years 550-1200 CE during the Late Woodland Peri ...
cultures from this time period. Artifacts from the Late Woodland Period (400–1000 CE) have also been uncovered. It is theorized that agricultural villages supported the population during summer months, transitioning to hunting and gathering from fall through spring. The next known population group is the
Santee Dakota
The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...
in the 1600s and 1700s, who engaged in conflicts with the
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
people, who migrated west as refugees. Armed with European weapons, the Ojibwe pushed westward, eventually winning at the
Battle of Kathio
The Battle of Kathio, or Battle of Izatys, was an oral tradition of the Chippewa reporting a battle fought in 1750 between Chippewas and the Sioux at the village of Kathio, or Izatys, on the Rum River next to Mille Lacs Lake.
According to tr ...
in 1770. The two tribes continued their warfare, eventually signing the 1825
First Treaty of Prairie du Chien
The Treaty of Prairie du Chien may refer to any of several treaties made and signed in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin between the United States, representatives from the Sioux, Sac and Fox, Menominee, Ioway, Winnebago and the Anishinaabeg ( Chippew ...
, which made a border between the two just north of Menomonie, with the Dakota claiming the southern lands.
In 1788, French-Canadian fur trader and schoolmaster Jean Baptiste Perrault established a trading post and fort on the Red Cedar River very near Menomonie.
The
lumber industry
The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry -- when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products (e.g. furnitu ...
brought Menomonie permanent settlement and economic prosperity in the 1800s. Hardin Perkins established the first sawmill at the confluence of Wilson Creek and the
Red Cedar River in 1822 on behalf of fur traders
James H. Lockwood and
Joseph Rolette of
Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821.
Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...
. The mill was washed away by a sudden overflow in the river within a year. Working with
Indian Agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government.
Background
The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...
General Street, Perkins, Lockwood and Rolette began a legal battle over the authority of the local Native American people to grant permissions of this sort, exchanging land for payment of blankets, beads, whiskey, and other merchandise to Dakota Chief
Wapasha II and other Ojibwe chiefs. In 1830 the traders received permission from the federal government to rebuild their lumber operation. This was the first permanent settlement on the land that became the city of Menomonie.
Lockwood built a second mill and dam on the west side of the Red Cedar River, at the confluence of Gilbert Creek. He sold this to Hiram S. Allen, a lumberman from
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
. In 1839, Allen built a new sawmill in its place, which he sold to the
McCann brothers The McCann brothers were three Irishmen who migrated from Ohio to Wisconsin in the mid-nineteenth century. They played an important role in the early phases of Wisconsin's lumber industry, and in the political and social organization of Chippewa ...
, settlers from
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
who later became the first permanent residents of
Eau Claire. In 1849, the Gilbert Creek Mill became the site of the first post office.
Lockwood and Rolette sold their original operation to James Green in 1841, who turned over the deed to William Black in 1842.
In 1846,
William Wilson and John Holly Knapp jointly purchased the mill, naming it Black & Knapp Mill. Wilson and his family settled in the area, eventually building what is now the
Wilson Place Museum in 1859. Wilson founded the city of Menomonie and became its first mayor in 1882, as well as a
Wisconsin State Senator.
Captain Andrew Tainter and Henry L. Stout acquired interest in Wilson and Knapp's company, forming
Knapp, Stout & Co. in 1853, the company that would come to define the town for generations. Tainter was a silent partner, whose duties included shipping lumber down to the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
and returning with supplies. By 1873, Knapp, Stout & Co. had become the world's largest lumber corporation. In 43 years, its output grew from 100,000 to 5,706,602 feet of lumber. It had 1,200 employees and owned of pine forest.
The post office was moved to the site of the Knapp, Stout & Co. Company in 1855, with Wilson as postmaster.
Menomonie was incorporated as a city in 1882.
The
Mabel Tainter Memorial Building
The Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, originally named the Mabel Tainter Memorial Building and also known as the Mabel Tainter Theater, is a historic landmark in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and is registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Pla ...
, a local landmark, was built in 1890 and dedicated on July 3, 1890, by Tainter in honor of his daughter Mabel, who had died in 1886 at the age of 19.
In 1891,
Wisconsin State Senator James Huff Stout
James Huff Stout (September 25, 1848 – December 8, 1910) was an American Republican politician and businessman from Wisconsin.
Biography
Born in Dubuque, Iowa, Stout became involved with his father's lumber business. After working in the Distr ...
, son of Henry L. Stout, founded a manual training school, the first of several educational enterprises he launched in Menomonie. These educational programs were combined into the Stout Institute in 1908, and still stand as the
University of Wisconsin–Stout
The University of Wisconsin–Stout (UW–Stout or Stout) is a public university in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A member of the University of Wisconsin System, it enrolls more than 9,600 students. The school was founded in 1891 and named in honor of it ...
.
In 1901, the water mill shut down and Knapp, Stout & Co. closed operations in the area. The Wisconsin Power Company and Submerged Electric Motor Co. acquired some of the company's facilities, the latter to house the world's first outboard motor factory. In 1902, the Wilson-Weber Lumber Company took over retail operations of the Knapp, Stout & Co. That same year, Menomonie founded the nation's first agricultural high school, the Dunn County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy.
Geography
Menomonie is located at (44.879, −91.918).
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 an area of , of which is land and is water.
The city lies on
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...
,
State Highway 25 (which serves as the main north–south thoroughfare through town),
State Highway 29, and
US Highway 12
U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) and I-94, but unlike most U.S. routes tha ...
.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census
of 2020, there were 16,843 people. 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 6,674 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.1%
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 ...
, 4.4%
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 ...
, 1.7%
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 ...
or
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, 0.9% 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 4.5% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.8%
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.
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 16,264 people, 5,743 households, and 2,455 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 6,234 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.9%
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 ...
, 0.8%
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, 4.2%
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 ...
, 0.6% 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 1.9% 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 1.7% of the population.
There were 5,743 households, of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.9% 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, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 57.3% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 23.4 years. 13.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 42% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.5% were from 25 to 44; 14.9% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.
It is important to remember that a large percentage of the 42% between 18 and 24 were students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
2000 census
As of the 2000
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 ...
,
there were 14,937 people, 5,119 households, and 2,370 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 1,160.7 people per square mile (448.1/km
2). There were 5,441 housing units at an average density of 422.8 per square mile (163.2/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.79%
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 ...
, 0.76%
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 ...
or
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 ...
, 0.41%
Native American, 3.21%
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 ...
, 0.01%
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 ...
, 0.64% 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 1.18% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were
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.
There were 5,119 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% 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, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.7% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 15.5% under the age of 18, 40.4% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 12.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,103, and the median income for a family was $44,458. Males had a median income of $30,893 versus $21,898 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 $15,994. About 9.1% of families and 23.5% 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 16.7% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Dunn County Transit
Dunn County Transit is Menomonie's
public transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
system. It is owned and operated by
Dunn County.
Services
The transit system operates two routes. The Community Route serves Menomonie at large; the Stout Route serves only
UW-Stout but is open to the general public. These routes run as follows:
*Community Route: 7:37am – 4:09pm Monday through Friday and 8:53am – 12:09pm on Saturdays
*Stout Route: 7:17am – 9:09pm Monday through Friday
Ridership
Menomonie Municipal Airport (KLUM) serves the city and surrounding communities.
Education
![2009-0620-Menomonie-Bowman](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/2009-0620-Menomonie-Bowman.jpg)
Menomonie schools are part of the
Menomonie Area School District.
The city has one public high school,
Menomonie High School, and one public middle school, Menomonie Middle School. There are five public elementary schools in the district: River Heights Elementary, Wakanda Elementary, Oaklawn Elementary], Downsville Elementary, and Knapp Elementary.
St. Paul's Lutheran School is a Christian Pre-K–8 school of 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 ...
(WELS) in Menomonie.
The city is home to the
University of Wisconsin–Stout
The University of Wisconsin–Stout (UW–Stout or Stout) is a public university in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A member of the University of Wisconsin System, it enrolls more than 9,600 students. The school was founded in 1891 and named in honor of it ...
and a campus of
Chippewa Valley Technical College Chippewa Valley Technical College is one of the 16 technical and community colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System, centered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It serves an 11-county area, with its largest campus in Eau Claire (actually home to t ...
.
Jail
Dunn County Jail is on Menomonie's eastern edge. It houses sentenced and non-sentenced, male and female inmates. As of July 2020, there are just over 80 inmates.
Media
* ''
The Menomonie Times'', a weekly newspaper published 1876–1909,
* ''
The Menomonie Badger
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', a weekly newspaper published in 1903 and 1904
* ''The Dunn County News''
Honors
In 2012, Menomonie was ranked #15 in ''
Smithsonian''s "The 20 Best Small Towns in America".
Notable people
*
Stewart J. Bailey, Wisconsin legislator
*
Bill Bakke,
ski jumper
Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fina ...
who competed in the
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...
*
G. H. Bakke, Wisconsin legislator
*
Alvin J. Baldus, U.S. Representative
*
Wilfred Duford,
NFL player
*
Rockwell J. Flint
Rockwell J. Flint (March 23, 1842June 23, 1933) was an American newspaper editor and Republican politician. He served in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly, representing Dunn and Pepin counties. He served as a quartermaster in the Union A ...
, Wisconsin state legislator and newspaper editor
*
Vern Fuller,
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
*
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
, writer and screenwriter
*
John Paul Gerber
John Paul Gerber (February 12, 1945 – June 12, 2010) was an American author, historian, librarian, and sportsperson.
Personal life
Gerber was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the eldest of 5 children born to John and Millie Gerber. As a you ...
, author and historian
* Wilson Hall, half of the comedy duo
God's Pottery
God's Pottery is a New York City faux-Christian acoustic music and comedy duo. Its members are Wilson Hall (as "Jeremiah Smallchild") and Krister Johnson (as "Gideon Lamb"). They are both from New York City.
Background
The duo often would just me ...
*
Tim Harmston, stand-up comedian
*
Lorenzo D. Harvey, educator
*
Luke Helder
Lucas John Helder (born May 5, 1981) also known as the Midwest Pipe Bomber, is an American domestic terrorist and former University of Wisconsin–Stout student from Pine Island, Minnesota.
He was arrested in 2002 as a suspect in pipe bombings in ...
, University of Wisconsin—Stout student who attempted to create a smiley-face on the US map with pipe bombs
*
Ethan Iverson
Ethan Iverson (born February 11, 1973) is a pianist, composer, and critic best known for his work in the avant-garde jazz trio The Bad Plus with bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King.
Biography
Iverson was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin. ...
, jazz pianist and founding member of
The Bad Plus
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
*
Warren S. Johnson, founder of
Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls International is an American
Irish-domiciled multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cork, Ireland, that produces fire, HVAC, and security equipment for buildings. As of mid-2019, it employed 105,000 people in around 2,0 ...
and former school principal in Menomonie in the late 19th century
*
Ellen Kort, Wisconsin's first Poet Laureate, grew up in Menomonie
*
Reynold Kraft
Reynold Rudolph Kraft (March 29, 1895 – November 7, 1951) was a player in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minneapolis Marines in 1922 as an end. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Illinois.
Biography
Kraft wa ...
,
NFL player
*
Tim Krumrie
Timothy Alan Krumrie (born May 20, 1960) is a former American football nose tackle who played his entire National Football League career for the Cincinnati Bengals, from 1983 through 1994.
Early years
Krumrie was raised on a dairy farm outside ...
,
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
(1987–1988),
nose tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
for the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
*
Robert Macauley
Robert Conover "Bob" Macauley (December 11, 1923 – December 26, 2010) was an American businessman who left his paper company to create the charity Americares, which he established in 1982 and which has provided billions of dollars of aid to n ...
, Wisconsin legislator and jurist
*
Harry Miller, "the greatest creative figure in the history of the American racing car"
*
Tom Neumann, professional football player
*
Marvin Panch
Marvin Panch (May 28, 1926December 31, 2015) was an American stock car racing driver. Winner of the 1961 Daytona 500 and 1966 World 600, he won seventeen NASCAR Grand National Series events during a 17-year career.
Early career
Born in Menom ...
,
stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
driver, winner of 1961
Daytona 500
*
Sewell A. Peterson, politician
*
Joe Plouff, politician
*
Charles Sanna
Charles Sanna (November 9, 1917, Philadelphia – March 13, 2019, Madison, Wisconsin) was an American inventor, best known for inventing Swiss Miss instant hot chocolate
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a h ...
,
inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
of
Swiss Miss instant
hot chocolate
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...
*
Richard Shoemaker, Wisconsin legislator
*
Nate Stanley
Nathan Stanley (born August 26, 1997) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Iowa and was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Early years
Stanley attended Menomoni ...
,
NFL player
*
Earl L. Stendahl, art dealer
*
James Huff Stout
James Huff Stout (September 25, 1848 – December 8, 1910) was an American Republican politician and businessman from Wisconsin.
Biography
Born in Dubuque, Iowa, Stout became involved with his father's lumber business. After working in the Distr ...
, legislator and businessman
*
Jeremiah Burnham Tainter, engineer
*
Tom Wiedenbauer
Thomas John Wiedenbauer (born November 5, 1958) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and MLB first-base coach for the Cleveland Indians.
Houston Astros
Wiedenbauer was drafted by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the 1976 Ma ...
,
Major League Baseball
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), ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
and
first-base coach for the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
*
Aaron Yonda
Aaron Yonda (born January 19, 1973) is an American comedian, writer, actor, director, and YouTuber from Menomonie, Wisconsin.
He portrays the title character in '' Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager'', a web serial he co-produced with his friend Ma ...
, comedy video producer
Notable attractions
*
The Mabel Tainter Theater
*
Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area
* Lucette Brewing Company
*Red Cedar State Trail
In popular culture
* ''
Caddie Woodlawn
''Caddie Woodlawn'' is a children's historical fiction novel by Carol Ryrie Brink that received the Newbery Medal in 1936 and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. The original 1935 edition was illustrated by Newbery-award-winning author and illu ...
'', a
Newbery Award
The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
-winning novel, is based on the girlhood adventures of
Caroline Augusta Woodhouse, who lived about 10 miles south of Menomonie. The novel is by Woodhouse's granddaughter,
Carol Ryrie Brink
Carol Ryrie Brink (December 28, 1895 – August 15, 1981) was an American writer of over thirty juvenile and adult books. Her novel ''Caddie Woodlawn'' won the 1936 Newbery Medal and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.
Lifetime
Caroline S ...
, and was published in 1936. There is a historical marker in the wayside park near the Woodhouse house.
*The fictional town of Lakeside in
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
's novel ''
American Gods
''American Gods'' (2001) is a fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shadow.
The book was pub ...
'' may be based on Menomonie.
*The eighth episode of
season 11 of the television show
Supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
takes place in Menomonie.
Sister city
Menomonie has a
sister city
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
:
*
Nasukarasuyama
Ryumon Falls
is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 25,783 in 10,509 households, and a population density of 150 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Nasukarasuyama is l ...
, Japan
See also
*
Kraft State Bank robbery
References
Further reading
*
External links
City of MenomonieMenomonie Business Directory*
Menomonie LocalWiki
Menomonie Taxi
{{Authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Dunn County, Wisconsin
Micropolitan areas of Wisconsin
County seats in Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1788
1788 establishments in the Northwest Territory
Wisconsin placenames of Native American origin