River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix 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 sove ...

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 ...

. It is adjacent to the Town of River Falls in Pierce County and the Town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is the most populous city in Pierce County. The population was 16,182 at th
2020 census
with 11,851 residing in Pierce County and 3,149 in St. Croix County. It is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and located approximately east of the center of that region. River Falls is the home of the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.

History

The city's first settlers were

Joel Foster Joel Foster was an American pioneer farmer, judge and local politician in River Falls, Wisconsin. Background Foster was born the youngest of eleven at Meriden, Connecticut, December 15, 1814. He was liberally educated. He came to Alton, I ...

and his

indentured servant Indentured servitude is a form of Work (human activity), labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an "indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensa ...

, Dick, in 1848. The village was started as Kinnickinnic in 1854 by brothers Nathaniel N. and Oliver S. Powell, who were from St. Lawrence County, New York. At the time, the town and village were also known as Greenwood, but this was changed, as another Greenwood, Wisconsin already existed. The present name comes from the Kinnickinnic River rapids. On June 23, 1893, a lightning bolt hit the center circus pole at a

Ringling Brothers The Ringling brothers (originally Rüngling) were seven American siblings who transformed their small touring company of performers into one of the largest circuses in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Four brothers ...

circus performance in River Falls, injuring multiple audience members and performers and killing seven.

Geography

River Falls is located at (44.858701, −92.625097). 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. River Falls lies on the banks of the Kinnickinnic River, a class one trout stream. The South Fork of the Kinnickinnic River runs through the city, dividing the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus into two sections.

Demographics

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 12,560 people, 4,269 households, and 2,335 families living in the city. The population density was 2,524.0 people per square mile (973.8/km). There were 4,346 housing units at an average density of 873.2 per square mile (336.9/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 96.57% White, 0.53% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95%. Of the 4,269 households 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 27.7% of households were one person and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98. The age distribution was 17.9% under the age of 18, 35.1% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% 65 or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males. The median household income was $41,184 and the median family income was $60,253. Males had a median income of $36,275 versus $27,345 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,667. About 4.4% of families and 14.9% 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 ...

, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 15,000 people, 5,150 households, and 2,812 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,449 housing units at an average density of . The

of the city was 94.8% White, 1.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8%. Of the 5,150 households 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.4% were non-families. 27.1% of households were one person and 8.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 24.2 years. 17.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 34.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 17% were from 45 to 64; and 8.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2020 census

At the 2020 census, there were 16,182 people and 5,521 households.

Education

School District of River Falls operates public schools. River Falls High School is the district's public high school. Meyer Middle School acts as the district's middle school. There are also 5 public elementary schools in the school district. River Falls is home to the

University of Wisconsin-River Falls A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

and a branch of the Chippewa Valley Technical College.

Recreation

The Kinnickinnic River, which flows through the heart of the city and its downtown business district, is a popular recreational attraction in River Falls for fly fishers and kayakers. On the bluffs of the Kinnickinnic River is Glen Park, a 41-acre park established in 1898. The park has playgrounds, a swimming pool, soccer fields, a softball diamond, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a gazebo, and several miles of walking trails. The Glen Park Pool was built in 1937 and renovated for its 75th anniversary in 2012. Glen Park's Swinging Bridge offers a view of the South Fork rapids as it enters the Kinnickinnic River. The bridge, a replica of one designed by the Minneapolis Bridge Company and constructed in 1925, is a

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical ...

that spans the South Fork Rapids at the site of the former Cascade Mill and Dam. Below the bridge are fishing, swimming, and picnic spots. Hoffman Park, located northeast of downtown River Falls, is a facility that contains baseball fields, a nine-hole

disc golf Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...

course, a campsite, a skate park, volleyball courts, and the Tri-Angels Playground. The playground was named after Amara, Sophie, and Cecilia Schaffhausen, who were murdered by their father,

Aaron Schaffhausen Aaron Schaffhausen is a man who murdered his three daughters in their house in River Falls, Wisconsin in 2012. Background Aaron and Jessica Schaffhausen married in 2000 and both filed for divorce in 2011; the divorce was finalized in January of ...

. The playground, accessible to handicapped children and built with designs referring to the three girls, opened in 2015. It was constructed at a cost of $550,000 by volunteers. Another attraction is The Falls Theater, a movie theater.

Notable people

* Aldrich Hazen Ames, C.I.A. counter-intelligence officer and analyst; convicted in 1994 of spying for the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

* Abraham D. Andrews, Wisconsin State Senator * Lynn H. Ashley,

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, e ...

Jule Berndt Jule Berndt (April 18, 1924 – December 7, 1997) was an American Lutheran clergyman and politician. Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Berndt attended Winneconne High School, in Winneconne, Wisconsin, and then served in the United States Army Air F ...

, Wisconsin State Assembly * William Berndt, Wisconsin State Senator * Kevin Black, All American Wrestler and Olympic Coach *

Ellsworth Burnett Ellsworth Burnett (August 5, 1836April 14, 1895) was an American politician and Wisconsin pioneer. He served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Pierce County in the 1877 session. Early life Burnett was born in Madrid, Ne ...

, Wisconsin State Assembly * Karyn Bye-Dietz,

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

Gold Medal athlete * George W. Chinnock, Wisconsin State Assembly * Anna Dodge, actress * Michael P. Early, Wisconsin State Assembly *

J. P. Feyereisen Jonathon Paul Feyereisen (born February 7, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020 and has also played for the Tampa B ...

, MLB Relief Pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays * Jim Hall, creator of FreeDOS * Sheila Harsdorf, Wisconsin State Senator * Nils Pederson Haugen, (1849–1931) U.S. Representative from Wisconsin * Jay R. Hinckley, Wisconsin State Assembly * Robert P. Knowles, Wisconsin State Senator *

Warren P. Knowles Warren Perley Knowles III (August 19, 1908 – May 1, 1993) was an American lawyer and politician, and was the 36th Governor of Wisconsin. Prior to that, he was the 32nd and 34th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, and represented St. Croix, ...

, Governor of Wisconsin * Maria Lamb,

athlete and national champion speedskater *

Doug Lloyd Doug Lloyd (born August 31, 1965) is a former running back in the National Football League. He was a member of the Los Angeles Raiders during the 1991 NFL season. Previously, he had been drafted in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Rai ...

, NFL player * Freeman Lord, Wisconsin State Assembly * Landon Lueck, reality TV star and professional cyclist *

Mark Neumann Mark William Neumann (born February 27, 1954) is an American businessman and politician. He represented for two terms, from 1995 to 1999. In 2010, Neumann lost a bid to become the Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin. Neumann was a cand ...

, U.S. Representative * Frank Nye, U.S. Representative from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

Francis Paul Prucha Francis Paul Prucha (January 4, 1921 – July 30, 2015) was an American historian, professor ''emeritus'' of history at Marquette University, and specialist in the relationship between the United States and Native Americans. His work, ''The Great ...

, Roman Catholic priest and educator * Heidi "Frankie" Rayder, fashion model *

Missy Rayder Melissa "Missy" Rayder (born June 21, 1978) is an American fashion model. She is the younger sister of Model (person), model Frankie Rayder. Her career is highlighted by appearances on several leading high fashion magazines such as ''Vogue Itali ...

, fashion model * Dick Ritger, former professional ten-pin bowler and bowling coach; member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame * Maddie Rowe, defensemen for the

Minnesota Whitecaps The Minnesota Whitecaps are a professional ice hockey team in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF; formerly known as the National Women's Hockey League). They play in Richfield, Minnesota, part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, a ...

* George B. Skogmo, Wisconsin State Senator * David F. Swensen, Chief Investment Officer of the

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

endowment * Horace Adolphus Taylor, Wisconsin State Senator * Kenneth S. White, Wisconsin State Senator * Stanley York, Wisconsin State Assembly * Shannon Zimmerman, businessman

References

External links

City of River FallsRiver Falls Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Pierce County, Wisconsin Cities in St. Croix County, Wisconsin Minneapolis–Saint Paul