Rock Springs is a village in

Sauk County Sauk County is a county in Wisconsin. It is named after a large village of the Sauk people. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,763. Its county seat and largest city is Baraboo. The county was created in 1840 from Wisconsin Territory a ...

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, along the Baraboo River. The population was 362 at the 2010 census.

History

At the time of its founding, Rock Springs was known as Ableman, after Stephen Van Rensselaer Ableman, who settled there in 1851. The railroad has been a major influence on the village's growth. Surrounded by cliffs of

Baraboo Quartzite Baraboo Quartzite is a Precambrian geological formationHanson, G. F.''Geology of the Barabou District, Wisconsin'', The University of Wisconsin Extension, 1970, Information Circular 14 of quartzite, found in the region of Baraboo, Wisconsin. Whi ...

, the village is two miles south of a notable rock formation located in Ableman Gorge, Van Hise Rock, which was used to explain the processes of

structural geology Structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover informatio ...

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

professor

Charles R. Van Hise Charles Richard Van Hise (May 29, 1857 – November 19, 1918) was an American geologist, academic and Progressivism, progressive. He served as president of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison, Wisconsin, ...

Geography

Rock Springs is located at (43.477698, −89.917030). 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 village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water.

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 362 people, 137 households, and 99 families living in the village. 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 150 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.4%

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 ...

, 1.1% Native American, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 137 households, of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% 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, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.7% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the village was 37.2 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 425 people, 156 households, and 117 families living in the village. The

was 315.9 people per square mile (121.6/km²). There were 167 housing units at an average density of 124.1 per square mile (47.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.29%

, 0.24%

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 ...

and 0.47% Native American.

of any race were 1.18% of the population. There were 156 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were

living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.14. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $41,500, and the median income for a family was $51,071. Males had a median income of $31,932 versus $21,125 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 village was $17,689. About 6.0% of families and 10.1% 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 8.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

* Nancy Lange –

First Lady of Peru The First lady or Gentleman of Peru (Spanish: ''Primera Dama o Primer caballero del Perú'') is the title held by the spouse or designated female family member of the president of Peru. The role usually fulfills functions of social work and accom ...

(2016-2018), born in Rock Springs.

Images

File:RockSpringsWisconsinDowntownWIS154WIS136.jpg, Downtown Rock Springs File:RockSpringsWisconsinSignWIS154.jpg, Sign on

WIS 154 State Trunk Highway 154 (often called Highway 154, STH-154 or WIS 154) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs in east–west in south-central Wisconsin from near Loyd to Rock Springs. Route description The highway begins ...

File:RockSpringsWisconsinVillageHallWIS136.jpg, Village hall File:RockSpringsWisconsinFireDepartmentWIS136.jpg, Fire station File:Grain train.JPG, A diesel train loads up with grain at Rock Springs

References

External links

Rock Springs, Wisconsin
*Sanborn fire insurance map
1912
{{authority control Villages in Sauk County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin