Stoughton is a city in

Dane County Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

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. It straddles the

Yahara River The Yahara River is a tributary of the Rock River in southern Wisconsin. It is about longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 (including the distance across inte ...

about 20 miles southeast of the state capital,

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

. Stoughton is part of the Madison

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,173. Known for its Norwegian heritage, Stoughton hosts a citywide celebration of Syttende Mai, the Norwegian constitution day. Part of the city's celebration of its Norwegian heritage is the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers dance group, sponsored by Stoughton High School, as well as Norwegian flags and memorabilia displayed throughout the town.

History

Stoughton was founded in 1847 by Luke Stoughton, an Englishman from Vermont. Many Norwegian immigrants settled in the town from 1865 through the early 1900s. Stoughton claims to be the birthplace of the "coffee break", and hosts a small yearly parade to celebrate the distinction. For much of its history, Stoughton has been Dane County's second-largest and economically important city, after Madison. In 1919, the Stoughton Wagon Company began putting custom wagon bodies on Model T chassis; by 1929

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

was by far the biggest seller of station wagons. On August 18, 2005, an F3 tornado cut a 10-mile path across rural subdivisions and farms north of Stoughton, killing one person and damaging hundreds of homes.

Geography

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 a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020 there were 13,173 people, 5,262 households, and 3,296 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 96.6%

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 ...

, 0.9%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.0%

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 ...

, and 1.7% 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 ...

people of any race were 1.9% of the population. The age and gender makeup of the city was 6.8% under the age of 5, 26.5% under 18, 17.5% over the age of 65 and 52.0% female. Of the total population, 601 were veterans.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 12,611 people, 5,133 households, and 3,296 families residing 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 5,419 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1%

, 1.4%

, 0.2% Native American, 1.3%

, 0.4% 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 1.5% from two or more races.

people of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 5,133 households, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.8% were non-families. 29.4% 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 2.41 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age in the city was 39.2 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,354 people, 4,734 households, and 3,185 families residing in the city. The

was 3,116.6 people per square mile (1,204.5/km²). There were 4,890 housing units at an average density of 1,233.6 per square mile (476.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.66%

, 0.92%

, 0.29% Native American, 0.70%

, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.36% from

, and 1.05% from two or more races.

people of any race were 1.24% of the population. 32.0% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 28.9%

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, 8.5%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and 5.3%

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 ...

ancestry. There were 4,734 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $47,633, and the median income for a family was $58,543. Males had a median income of $37,956 versus $26,187 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 $21,037. About 3.1% of families and 5.0% 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 5.9% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Stoughton is incorporated as a city, with an elected mayor and a 12-member city council. Aldermen from four districts are elected to three-year terms, with the terms staggered so one seat is up for election in each district each spring. The Stoughton Area School District serves the city, and is overseen by an elected board of education.

Economy

The corporate headquarters and

semi-trailer A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. In the United States, the term is also used to refer to the combination of a truck and a semi-trailer; a tractor-trailer. A large proportion of a semi-trailer's weight is supported by a tracto ...

manufacturing facility for Stoughton Trailers are located in Stoughton, where the company has been locally owned and operated for more than 50 years. The 680,000 sq. ft. Stoughton plant houses everything from fabrication of subassemblies to final assembly of all Stoughton dry vans. Stoughton Trailers is one of the largest truck trailer manufacturing companies in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, and is the only American company still manufacturing 53-foot-long "intermodal" freight containers used to ship goods internationally. Another large employer in the city is Uniroyal Engineered Products, makers of

Naugahyde Naugahyde is an American brand of artificial leather. Naugahyde is a composite knit fabric backing and expanded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating. It was developed by Byron A. Hunter, senior chemist at the United States Rubber Company, and is no ...

. Stoughton and its environs are also home to printers, and manufacturers of foodstuffs, chemicals, and sundry other products.

North American Fur Auctions North American Fur Auctions (commonly known as NAFA) is a Canadian company that auctions on consignment fur pelts harvested in Canada and the United States. Its services are used by both large fur farms and small-time trappers. Its auctions a ...

' US offices are based in Stoughton. Stoughton Utilities, a municipally-owned utility, provides electrical, water and sewer service to the city.

Transportation

Stoughton is served by

Interstate 39 Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...

(I-39) and

I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

, which run concurrently and have two exits north (Exit 147) and west (Exit 156) of the city. US Highway 51 comes from Madison and goes along the west side of town, then turns east through downtown towards the Interstates. US Highway 14 has an exit for Stoughton at

Wisconsin Highway 138 State Trunk Highway 138 (often called Highway 138, STH-138 or WIS 138) is a state highway (US), state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs west–east between Oregon, Wisconsin, Oregon and Stoughton, Wisconsin, Stoughton and north&n ...

6 miles west of the city in the village of Oregon. WIS-138 heads west at US-14 from

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

into Stoughton, then goes south towards the unincorporated

Cooksville Cooksville may refer to: Places ;Canada * Cooksville (Mississauga), a neighbourhood in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada **Cooksville GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the neighbourhood **Mississauga East—Cooksville, an electo ...

. A small general aviation airport is located east of the city. Commercial air service is provided by

Dane County Regional Airport Dane County Regional Airport (DCRA) , also known as Truax Field, is a civil-military airport located northeast of downtown Madison,Wisconsin. In the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2023–2 ...

Education

Stoughton is served by the

Stoughton Area School District Stoughton Area School District (SASD) is a school district headquartered in Stoughton, Wisconsin. It includes sections of Dane County and Rock County. History In 1997 it began having 5th and 6th graders in Sandhill School. Beginning in the 197 ...

, which covers most of southeastern Dane County as well as a small portion of Rock County. SASD operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. There is no higher education in the city, but a UW science lab operates in rural Stoughton on Schneider Road.

Media

The weekly ''Stoughton Courier-Hub'' newspaper, founded in 1969, is published on Thursdays. WSTO TV is a

public, educational, and government access Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was crea ...

(PEG)

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...

channel operated by The City of Stoughton's Media Services Department. The 495-seat Stoughton Opera House features about 30 traveling musical, comedy and other acts each year.

Events

The

coffee break A break at work (or work-break) is a period of time during a shift in which an employee is allowed to take time off from their job. It is a type of downtime. There are different types of breaks, and depending on the length and the employer' ...

is said to have originated in Stoughton, when immigrant men became employed en masse at T. G. Mandt's wagon factory, leaving their wives to fill the shortages at the tobacco warehouses. They agreed to work under the condition that they were allowed to go home every morning and afternoon to tend to chores and, of course, drink coffee. The city of Stoughton celebrates the coffee break every summer with the Stoughton Coffee Break Festival. The first weekend in December marks Stoughton's Victorian Holiday Weekend, celebrating the city's Victorian homes and commercial buildings. Events include a Victorian Holiday Ball with period dances, a production of the

Nutcracker Ballet ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

(alternates each year), carriage rides, a silent decorated fire truck parade, a children's parade. The weekend closest to May 17,

Norwegian Constitution Day Constitution Day is the national day of Norway and is an official public holiday observed on 17 May each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to as ''Syttende Mai'' ("Seventeenth of May"), ''Nasjonaldagen'' ("National Day"), or ''Grunnlo ...

, marks Stoughton's Syttende Mai festival. The celebration includes parades, an art fair, Norwegian dance performances, races, and other events. The Stoughton Chamber of Commerce has planned the festival every year since 1967.

In the media

In 2004, a Norwegian TV crew traveled to the Midwest to witness modern manifestations of ''Norsky'' culture in the US. They visited Stoughton,

Mount Horeb Mount Horeb (Hebrew: ''Har Ḥōrēḇ''; Greek in the Septuagint: ; Latin in the Vulgate: ') is the mountain at which the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by Yahweh, according to the Book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Bible. It is described ...

and

Decorah, Iowa Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest commun ...

. Their documentary ''Ja, de elsker'' (''Yes, they love'', a reference to the Norwegian national anthem) was aired on

NRK1 NRK1 (pronounced as ''"NRK en"'' or ''"- ein"'') is the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's (NRK) main television channel. History Test broadcasts started on 12 January 1954, regular test broadcasts started on 13 April 1958 and regular broadca ...

on May 16 and 17, 2006.

Notable people

* Ole Amundsen Buslett, author * John Edward Erickson,

Governor of Montana The governor of Montana is the head of government of MontanaMontana Constitution, Article VI, Section 4. and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either approve or veto ...

, born in Stoughton *

Jerry Frei Gerald L. Frei (June 3, 1924 – February 16, 2001) was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of OregonMcCann, Michael C. (1995). Oregon Ducks Football: 100 Years of Glory. Eugene, OR: McCann Communication ...

, head coach of the

Oregon Ducks football The Oregon Ducks football program is a college football team for the University of Oregon, located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the FBS and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). Although ...

team, NFL assistant coach *

Gale Gillingham {{Infobox NFL biography , name = , image = , alt = , caption = , birth_date = {{Birth date, 1944, 2, 3, mf=yes , birth_place = Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. , death_date = {{death date and age, 2011, 10, 20, 1944, 2, 3, mf=yes , death_plac ...

, Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame *

Russell Hellickson Russell Owen "Russ" Hellickson (born May 29, 1948) is an American former amateur wrestler and collegiate wrestling coach. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Hellickson competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics for the United States, winning the silver medal ...

, silver medalist in freestyle

wrestling at the 1976 Summer Olympics At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, 20 wrestling events were contested, all for men only. There were 10 weight classes in each of the freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling disciplines. Medal summary Freestyle Greco-Roman Medal ...

Bob Homme Robert Mandt Homme, C.M. ( ; March 8, 1919 – May 2, 2000) was an American-Canadian television actor. Homme was best known as the host of '' The Friendly Giant'', a popular children's television program that aired from the 1950s through the 198 ...

, star of the Canadian television series ''

The Friendly Giant ''The Friendly Giant'' was a children's television program that aired on CBC Television from September 30, 1958 through to March 1985. It featured three main characters: a giant (mythology), giant named Friendly (played by Bob Homme), who lived in ...

'' *

Henry Huber Henry Allen Huber (November 6, 1869January 31, 1933) was an American lawyer and Progressive Era , progressive Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from Stoughton, Wisconsin. He was the 25th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, ser ...

, Lieutenant Governor of

* Justin Jacobs, 2014

PECASE The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The White ...

winner,

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

statistician * Ole C. Lee, Wisconsin State Representative * Thomas A. Loftus, United States ambassador to

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, Wisconsin politician * Louis K. Luse, Wisconsin State Representative and lawyer * Per Lysne, artist * Alonzo J. Mathison, Wisconsin State Representative * John McCarthy, Nebraska politician and member of the United States House of Representatives, born in Stoughton * John E. McCoy,

U.S. Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

general *

Henry Everett McNeil Henry Everett McNeil (25 September 1862 – 14 December 1929) was a leading children's author of the 1910s and 1920s, and was an original and core member of the Kalem Club circle around the writer H.P. Lovecraft. McNeil played a crucial role ...

, writer * William P. Murphy,

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

laureate * Truman O. Olson,

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 valor. ...

recipient *

Andrew Rein Andrew "Andy" Roland Rein (born March 11, 1958) is an American former wrestler who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics, for the United States. Rein was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin. In 1984, he won the silver medal in the freestyle 68 kg competi ...

, silver medal in freestyle wrestling (lightweight class) at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

* Ole K. Roe, Wisconsin State Representative * Christopher J. Rollis, Wisconsin State Representative and newspaper editor *

Rudy Silbaugh Rudy Silbaugh (born September 10, 1930) is a former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Silbaugh was born on September 10, 1930 in Viroqua, Wisconsin. He is married with three children. Career Silbaugh was first elected to the Asse ...

, Wisconsin State Representative * Carl W. Thompson, Wisconsin State Senator * Charles D. Wells, Wisconsin State Representative * Norman Wengert, political scientist * Wayne W. Wood, Wisconsin State Representative *

Ralph Wise Zwicker Major General Ralph Wise Zwicker, USA, (April 17, 1903 – August 9, 1991) was a highly decorated American Army officer who came to public attention during Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigation in 1954. Biography Zwicker was born on April 17 ...

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

Major General

Images

File:Stoughton Opera House and City Hall.jpg , Stoughton Opera House and City Hall File:StoughtonWisconsinWelcomeSignUS51.jpg, Welcome sign File:StoughtonWisconsinTrainDepotHistoricalSocietyChamberofCommerceUS51.jpg, Train depot File:StoughtonWisconsinFireStationUS51.jpg, Fire station File:StoughtonWisconsinPostOfficeUS51.jpg, Post office File:StoughtonWisconsinPublicLibraryUS51.jpg, Public library File:StoughtonHospitalWisconsin.jpg, Stoughton Hospital File:Stoughton damage.jpg, Damage from 2005 tornado File:Main Street Stoughton Wisconsin.jpg, Stoughton, Wisconsin's Main Street from a street view File:Lyman Brown House.jpg, Brown-Sewell House File:Jens and Ingeborg Cold House.jpg, Jens and Ingeborg Cold House File:117 S. Franklin St., East Side Historic District, Stoughton, WI.JPG, Part of the East Side Historic District File:Iverson-Johnson House.jpg, Iverson-Johnson House File:Jens Naeset House.jpg, Jens Naeset House File:Northwest Side Historic District, Stoughton, Wisconsin.jpg, Part of the Northwest Side Historic District File:Ole K. Roe House front 1.JPG, Ole K. Roe House File:Ovren House.jpg, The Ovren House, part of the Southwest Side Historic District File:Stoughton High School.jpg, The historic Stoughton High School building

References

External links

City of Stoughton

Stoughton Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Norwegian-American culture in Wisconsin Cities in Dane County, Wisconsin Populated places established in 1847 1847 establishments in Wisconsin Territory