Thorp is a town in Clark County 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 sover ...

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 ...

. The population was 730 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Eadsville, Eidsvold, and Junction are located in the town as well as a portion of the City of Thorp.

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 town has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.1 km²), all of it land.

History

The six mile square that would become the town of Thorp was first

surveyed Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

in the summer of 1847 by a crew working for the U.S. government. Then in late 1849 another crew marked all the section corners in the

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

, walking through the woods and swamps, measuring with

chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

and

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

. When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:

''The Surface in this Township is generally level and wet and but a small portion of it in the South East part fit for agricultural purposes. There are two Streams running from North to South through the Eastern part, affording a good supply of water power. There is a good supply of
Pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...
timber in the Township of good quality but it is generally Scattering. The whole Township is heavily wooded with thrifty(?) young timber of nearly every variety''

Demographics

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 2000, there were 730 people, 245 households, and 190 families residing in the town. 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 20.8 people per square mile (8.0/km²). There were 255 housing units at an average density of 7.3 per square mile (2.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.04%

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 ...

, 0.55% Native American, 0.14%

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 0.27% from two or more races. 0.14% of the population were

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. There were 245 households, out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% 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, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.42. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $39,063, and the median income for a family was $42,750. Males had a median income of $26,389 versus $18,984 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 town was $16,236. About 7.7% of families and 8.9% 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 t ...

, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Town Board

The town board meets monthly at the Town of Thorp town hall located on County Highway X. The town board consists of a town chairman, two supervisors, a clerk, and a treasurer. The town also has a hired man who does work in the town.

References

{{authority control Towns in Wisconsin Towns in Clark County, Wisconsin