Spencer is a village in

Marathon County, Wisconsin Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,013. Marathon County's seat is Wausau. It was founded in 1850, created from a portion of Portage County. At that time the cou ...

. It is part of the

Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city into east and west. The city's suburbs include Schofield, Weston, Mosinee, Maine, Rib Mountain, Kronenwetter, an ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. The population was 1,925 at the 2010 census. The village, which lies between two marshes (Spencer Marsh to the northwest and McMillan Marsh to the southeast) was founded in 1874 at a branch on the Wisconsin Central Railway. Today it sits at the crossroads of

Wisconsin Highway 13 State Trunk Highway 13 (often called Highway 13, STH-13 or WIS 13) is a state highway running north–south across northwest and central Wisconsin. WIS 13 serves as a major north–south route connecting the communities of Wisconsin Del ...

(WIS 13) and WIS 98 and serves as the terminus of several Marathon County Trunk Highways. Spencer lies about northwest of Marshfield, along WIS 13.

History

Spencer was known by the name Waltham. Then the name was changed to Irene, after the wife of James L. Robinson, a settler who had built a sawmill there. Later the town was named Spencer, after

Spencer, Massachusetts Spencer is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,992 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Spencer, please see the article Spencer (CDP), Massach ...

.Caryn Hannan, Jennifer L. Herman, and Oscar B. Chamberlain. ''Wisconsin Encyclopedia''. Hamburg, MI: State History Publications, 2008, p. 491.

Geography

Spencer is located at (44.756406, -90.298178). 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 , all of it land.

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 1,925 people, 816 households, and 540 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 875 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.4%

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 o ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.1% 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 1.1% 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 2.0% of the population. There were 816 households, of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the village was 38.1 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,932 people, 800 households, and 530 families living in the village. The

was 971.6 people per square mile (374.8/km²). There were 852 housing units at an average density of 428.5 per square mile (165.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.17%

, 0.05%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.26% Native American, 0.05%

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 ...

, 0.26% from

, and 0.21% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were

of any race, or gender. There were 800 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the village was $40,665, and the median income for a family was $45,268. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $25,000 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 $17,665. About 1.9% of families and 4.1% 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 3.7% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Spencer Branch Library

In 1875, a library was formed in Spencer. In 1973, the library became a branch of the newly formed

Marathon County Public Library The Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) is a consolidated county library with nine locations in Marathon County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Its headquarters are in Wausau. The library has its origins in the Wausau Free Public Library, which was founded ...

Notable people

* Albert B. Barney, Wisconsin State Representative and lawyer *

Tyler Dennett Tyler Dennett (June 13, 1883 Spencer, Wisconsin – December 29, 1949 in Geneva, New York) was an American historian and educator, best known for his book ''John Hay: From Poetry to Politics'' (1933), which won the 1934 Pulitzer Prize for Biograp ...

, Pulitzer Prize-winning author * Dave Dudley, country singer *

Ted Fritsch Theodore Leo Fritsch (October 31, 1920 – October 4, 1979) was an American baseball, basketball, and football player who played running back for the National Football League's Green Bay Packers from 1942 to 1950. He also played two seasons for ...

, fullback for the NFL

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

and pro basketball player *

Carol Kolb Carol Kolb is an American comedy writer. She was a writer for and editor-in-chief of ''The Onion'', and a former head writer for the Onion News Network. She served as a writer on '' Kroll Show'', and later worked as a staff writer on the televisi ...

, comedy writer

the Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satire, satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on ...

* Gilbert Vandercook, Wisconsin State Representative, lawyer, and editor

Images

File:Spencer Wisconsin Downtown WIS13.jpg, Downtown Spencer on WIS13 File:Spencer Wisconsin Sign WIS13.jpg, Sign on WIS13 File:Northcentral Technical College Spencer Wisconsin Campus.jpg, Spencer campus for

Northcentral Technical College Northcentral Technical College (NTC) is a public community college in Wausau, Wisconsin. It is a member of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The district of the college includes all of, or portions of, Marathon, Lincoln, Taylor, Price ...

References

External links

Village of Spencer official website

{{authority control Villages in Marathon County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin