Trempealeau is a village located along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

Trempealeau County Trempealeau County (, ) is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,760. Its county seat is Whitehall. Many people of Hispanic, Polish, Norwegian and German descent live in this area. History Patche ...

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 1,843 at the 2020 census. The village is surrounded by the Town of Trempealeau.

History

An ancient Native American site with earthwork mounds, also known as Trempealeau, has been studied near the village through archeological excavations in the 21st century. It is theorized as a possible mission site or colony of

Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south-w ...

, the major center of

Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern United States, Midwestern, Eastern United States, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from appr ...

from 1000CE to 1450CE located 500 miles to the south in present-day Illinois near

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

. Studies have been done through the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center associated with the University of Wisconsin Madison. Archeologists Danielle Benden and Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt said they have found some evidence of Mississippian settlement about 1050E. The newcomers are believed to have introduced corn culture to the area.une Patrick B. Anderson, "Trempealeau’s Big Dig: Archaeologists hunt for Native American relics"
'' Winona Daily News'', hosted at ''La Crosse Tribune'', 21 June 2010, accessed 21 April 2015David Tenenbaum, "Town meets gown to explore Wisconsin’s Trempealeau mounds"
23 July 2014, accessed 21 April 2015 The archeology site is slightly downriver of the prominent landmark, Trempealeau Mountain. In 2013 evidence was found of several former structures that exhibited characteristics of Mississippian style. There is some evidence that a religious group came here from Cahokia, perhaps fleeing persecution. European-American settlement did not take place here until the mid-19th century, although French and English

fur traders The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...

interacted with Native Americans of the area from the colonial period and into the 19th century. A post office called Trempealeau was first established in 1852. The village was named after a nearby island in the

, that named by a French explorer.

Geography

Trempealeau is located at (44.006906, -91.434572). 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

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 1,843. 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 921 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.0%

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 ...

, 0.4%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 have o ...

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% 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 4.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.0%

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. According to the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household in the village was $56,383, and the median income for a family was $67,500. Male full-time workers had a median income of $45,278 versus $32,344 for female workers. 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 $30,328. About 2.7% 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 6.4% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 98.3% were high school graduates or higher and 20.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

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 1,529 people, 704 households, and 426 families residing in the village. The

was . There were 835 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.8%

, 0.1%

, 0.4% Native American, 0.4%

, 0.3% from

, and 1.0% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 704 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.74. The median age in the village was 42.7 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 28.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

Notable people

Gideon Winans Allen Gideon Winans Allen (March 28, 1835 – February 28, 1912), was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Gideon Winans Allen was born in New London Township, Ohio on March 28, 1835. He moved to Trempealeau, Wisconsin in 1856 and to ...

, Wisconsin State Representative * Robert Grimes Coman,

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

Commodore *

Charles Kenneth Leith Charles Kenneth Leith (January 20, 1875 – September 13, 1956) was an American geologist. He was head of the University of Wisconsin geology department for 30 years. In 1942, he was awarded the Penrose Medal by the Geological Society of America, ...

, geologist * Todd Auer, NFL Pro Football Player

Images

File:TrempealeauWisconsinDowntown.jpg, Looking south at downtown Trempealeau, part of the Main Street Historic District,

in background File:TrempealeauWisconsinSignWIS35.jpg, Looking west at the population sign along

WIS 35 State Trunk Highway 35 (STH-35, WIS 35) is a Wisconsin state highway running north–south across western Wisconsin. It is 412.15 miles in length, and is the longest state highway in Wisconsin. Portions of WIS 35 are part of the ...

File:TrempeleauWI 1860sHouse.jpg, Coman House, built in the 1860s in Trempealeau File:Building Ruins in Trempealeau.jpg, Melchoir House ruins on the outskirts of Trempealeau File:Building Ruins in Trempealeau2.jpg, Building ruins on the outskirts of Trempealeau, southwest face File:PerrotStateParkWisconsinTrempealeauMountain.jpg, Trempealeau Mountain at

Perrot State Park Perrot State Park is a state park in Wisconsin's Driftless Area at the confluence of the Trempealeau and Mississippi rivers. The park features views of steep limestone bluffs and the river valleys. It has observation platforms for watching wil ...

File:GaleEttickTrempealeauHighSchoolUS53.jpg, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School in Galesville File:MississippiRiverLockAndDam6.jpg, Lock and Dam No. 6

References

External links

Village of Trempealeau Official Website

Trempealeau.net
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
189419001910
{{authority control Villages in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin Archaeological sites in Wisconsin Middle Mississippian culture Wisconsin populated places on the Mississippi River