![RiponWisconsinSign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/RiponWisconsinSign.jpg)
Ripon is a city in
Fond du Lac County
Fond du Lac County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 104,154. Its county seat is Fond du Lac. The county was created in the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and later organized in 1844. Fond du La ...
,
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 United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The population was 7,733 at the
2010 census. The city is surrounded by the
Town of Ripon.
Ripon is home to the
Little White Schoolhouse, the commonly recognized birthplace of the
Republican Party.
History
Founding
Ripon was founded in 1849 by
David P. Mapes, a former New York steamboat captain. Within two years the city had absorbed the nearby commune of
Ceresco, established in 1844 by the Wisconsin Phalanx, a group of settlers inspired by the
communitarian socialist philosophy of
Charles Fourier
François Marie Charles Fourier (;; 7 April 1772 – 10 October 1837) was a French philosopher, an influential early socialist thinker and one of the founders of utopian socialism. Some of Fourier's social and moral views, held to be radical ...
. Mapes was a founder of
Ripon College, originally incorporated as Brockway College in 1851.
The city was named for the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
cathedral city of
Ripon
Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...
,
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
, by
John S. Horner, one of the community's original settlers, because that was where his immigrant ancestors originated. Horner also named most of the streets. His house is still standing today.
Birthplace of the Republican Party
![Little White Schoolhouse Ripon Wisconsin Feb 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Little_White_Schoolhouse_Ripon_Wisconsin_Feb_2012.jpg)
Meeting at a
school house in Ripon on March 20, 1854, some 30 opponents of the
Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law by ...
called for the organization of a new political party (to link their cause with the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...
). The group also took a leading role in the creation of the
Republican Party in many northern states during the summer of 1854. While conservatives and many moderates were content merely to call for the restoration of the
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a federal legislation of the United States that balanced desires of northern states to prevent expansion of slavery in the country with those of southern states to expand it. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and ...
or a prohibition of slavery extension, the group insisted that no further political compromise with slavery was possible.
The February 1854 meeting was the first political meeting of the group that would become the Republican Party. The modern
Ripon Society
The Ripon Society is an American centrist Republican public policy organization and think tank based in Washington, D.C. It publishes ''The Ripon Forum'', the U.S.'s longest running Republican thought and opinion journal, as well as ''The Ripon A ...
, a Republican think tank, takes its name from Ripon, Wisconsin.
Jackson, Michigan, also claims to be the true birthplace of the Republican Party.
Geography
Ripon is located in the northwest corner of
Fond du Lac County
Fond du Lac County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 104,154. Its county seat is Fond du Lac. The county was created in the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and later organized in 1844. Fond du La ...
.
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 t ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Geology
Ripon lies in the
Sinnipee Group, a geologic formation composed primarily of
dolomite Dolomite may refer to:
*Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral
*Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock
*Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community
*Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
, with limestone as a secondary rock type. Ripon's bedrock is primarily limestone. The limestone indicates that Ripon's location was once a shallow sea. Since Ripon is on the Sinnipee Group, it is a
Karst environment. Ripon also lies in an area that was affected by several glaciation periods. The area has relatively gentle relief and is part of the
Fox River (Wisconsin) watershed.
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 in ...
of 2010, there were 7,733 people, 3,053 households, and 1,769 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was . There were 3,306 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 o ...
, 0.7%
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, 0.8%
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 ...
, 2.6% 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 0.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
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 5.0% of the population.
There were 3,053 households, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were
married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 37.2 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 17.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 6,828 people, 2,922 households, and 1,759 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 1,612.8 people per square mile (623.2/km
2). There were 3,118 housing units at an average density of 736.5 per square mile (284.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.72%
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 o ...
, 0.19%
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 ...
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 ...
, 0.16%
Native American, 0.50%
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 ...
, 0.86% 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 0.57% from two or more races. 2.21% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
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 2,922 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were
married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% 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 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,399, and the median income for a family was $51,100. Males had a median income of $35,990 versus $25,053 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 $20,313. About 4.4% 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 7.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Ripon is served by
Wisconsin 23,
Wisconsin 44 and
Wisconsin 49 of the state highway system. Wis 23 West and Wis 49 North head to
Green Lake. Wis 23 heads east to
Rosendale and
Fond du Lac. Wis 44 North heads northeast to
Pickett and
Oshkosh. Wis 44 and 49 South are cosigned exiting town for 6 miles. Wis 44 heads to
Fairwater. Wis 49 heads to
Brandon
Brandon may refer to:
Names and people
*Brandon (given name), a male given name
*Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins
Places
Australia
*Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales
*Brandon, Q ...
and
Waupun. Fond du Lac County Hwy E also serves town.
Ripon is the starting point for the Fisk VFR arrival into
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsi ...
.
Economy
*
Alliance Laundry Systems
Alliance Laundry Systems LLC is a provider of commercial laundry systems. The company designs, manufactures, and markets a line of commercial laundry equipment under various brands in over 100 countries. Among the company’s products are washer ...
(
Speed Queen commercial line)
*
National Forensic League
The National Speech and Debate Association is an American student debating society. It was established in 1925 as the National Forensic League; the name was changed in 2014. It is one of four major national organizations that direct high schoo ...
Education
*
Ripon College is a
liberal arts college in Ripon.
Notable people
*
Frank L. Anders
Frank LaFayette Anders (November 10, 1875 – January 23, 1966) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Philippine–American War. He went on to become a noteworthy engineer, businessman, amateur mili ...
,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
recipient, attended college and died in Ripon.
*
Ezekiel Babcock
Ezekiel Babcock (August 22, 1828 – April 16, 1905) was an American farmer and politician.
Born in Westerlo, New York, Babcock moved to Ceresco, Wisconsin (now Ripon, Wisconsin) in 1852. He was a farmer and served as chairman of the Ripon (t ...
, farmer and politician
['Wisconsin Blue Book 1882,' Biographical Sketch of Ezekiel Babcock, pg. 538]
*
Jeanne Bice, entrepreneur, television personality and founder of the Quacker Factory clothing line
*
Sarah Powers Bradish, writer and
WCTU
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...
activist
*
Carrie Chapman Catt
Carrie Chapman Catt (; January 9, 1859 Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women the right to vote in 1920. Catt ...
, president of the
National American Woman Suffrage Association
The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National ...
*
Arthur F. Hinz, politician
*
John S. Horner, acting Governor of
Michigan Territory and
Secretary of Wisconsin Territory
*
Bruno E. Jacob
Bruno Ernst Jacob (September 9, 1899 – January 5, 1979) was a professor at Ripon College in Wisconsin and founder of the National Forensic League. He served as the league's executive secretary from 1925 until his retirement in 1969.
Biography ...
, founder of the
National Forensic League
The National Speech and Debate Association is an American student debating society. It was established in 1925 as the National Forensic League; the name was changed in 2014. It is one of four major national organizations that direct high schoo ...
, though born in the nearby town of
Valders, lived in Ripon most of his life
*
Lewis G. Kellogg, politician
*
Asa Kinney
Asa Kinney (May 21, 1810October 3, 1886) was an American businessman, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He represented southern Milwaukee County in the Wisconsin State Senate during the 1st and 2nd legislatures (1848, 1849).
Biography
Born in ...
, pioneer and politician
*
Oscar Hugh La Grange,
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
general
*
Alonzo A. Loper, politician
*
Richard Maltby, Jr.
Richard Eldridge Maltby Jr. (born October 6, 1937) is an American theatre director and theatrical producer, producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He conceived and directed the only two musical revues to win the Tony Award for Best Musical: ''Ain ...
, theater director and producer, lyricist, screenwriter,
cryptic crossword
A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle in which each clue is a word puzzle. Cryptic crosswords are particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where they originated, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and in several Commonwealth nations, includi ...
constructor for ''
Harper's Magazine''
*
Gard Miller, Wisconsin State Representative
*
George Mitchell, politician
*
Roy E. Reed, politician and lawyer
*
H. Gordon Selfridge, founder of
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
-based
Selfridges
Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited, part of the Selfridges Group of department stores. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridg ...
department store, was born in Ripon
*
Fred E. Soper, Wisconsin State Representative
*
William Starr, Wisconsin State Representative
*
Lyman Wellington Thayer, politician
*
Clarissa Tucker Tracy American botanist, taught at
Ripon College, studied the local flora for 30 years and died in Ripon
*
William D. Turner, politician
*
Otto Julius Zobel, inventor of the
m-derived filter and the
Zobel network, was born and raised in Ripon
See also
*
Ceresco, Wisconsin
Ceresco, also known as the Wisconsin Phalanx, was a Intentional community, commune founded in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin in 1844 by followers of the communitarianism, communitarian socialist ideas of Charles Fouri ...
*
Ripon, California
Ripon is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. The population was 14,297 at the 2010 census. Ripon was originally known as Stanislaus City, but was renamed for Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1876.
History
Ripon, on the site previously known as ...
—Named after Ripon, Wisconsin.
Images
File:Ripon Wisconsin City Hall.jpg, City hall
File:Ripon Wisconsin Sign Looking East WIS23.jpg, Ripon sign looking east on WIS 23
State Trunk Highway 23 (often called Highway 23, STH-23 or WIS 23) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The route is signed as a north–south route from Shullsburg to Wisconsin Dells and as an east–west route from Wisconsin Del ...
File:Ripon College Smith Hall.jpg
File:JohnScottHornerHouseRiponWisconsin.jpg, John Scott Horner House
References
External links
City of RiponRipon Main Street*Sanborn fire insurance maps
1884189218981913
*
{{authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1849
1849 establishments in Wisconsin