Wonewoc is a village along the Baraboo River in Juneau County,

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 816 at the time of the 2010 census.

History

The name “Wonewoc” is of Indigenous American origin, probably meaning "howling hills". However, at the time of colonization, the site and subsequent town were known to the native Hoocąk (Winnebago) people as ''Wonį́wąk'', which derives ultimately from an infinitive meaning, "to be wicked, bad." However, Josephine White Eagle says that ''wōnį́wąk'' means more precisely, "you (sg.) are naughty, foolish, not thinking." Apparently, a settler asked a native resident, "What do you call this place?" and the man replied, "You're a knucklehead." George and Lucinda Willard first settled the area in 1851. The town was incorporated as a village in 1878, and once the railroad was built village growth exploded. The population of the town was largely settled by Yankee colonists from New England, according to the 1860 census. When the railroad era ended Wonewoc’s growth halted. Wonewoc is now a quiet, scenic town known for its beauty and close-knit community.Wonewoc, Juneau Co., WI
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Geography

Wonewoc is located in the southernmost part of Juneau County, in an unglaciated region of Wisconsin. The resulting landscape is filled with jagged bluffs, with the scenic Baraboo River flowing next to the town. The Wonewoc Formation was first described here and named for the village. Wonewoc is located at 43°40' North, 90°14' West (43.654, -90.223). 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 t ...

, 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 in ...

of 2010, there were 816 people, 359 households, and 215 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 406 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.9%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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, 0.4%

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 ...

, 0.2% 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 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 1.3% of the population. There were 359 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.1% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the village was 40.8 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.3% male and 53.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 834 people, 369 households, and 225 families residing in the village. The

was 803.3 inhabitants per square mile (309.6/km²). There were 392 housing units at an average density of 377.6 per square mile (145.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.92%

, 0.00%

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 ...

, 0.36% Native American, 0.36%

, 0.00%

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 ...

, 0.00% from

, and 0.36% from two or more races. 0.36% of the population were

of any race. There were 369 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.82. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $28,393, and the median income for a family was $36,667. Males had a median income of $28,611 versus $20,125 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 $18,957. 9.6% of the population and 3.9% of families 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 ...

. Out of the total population, 12.2% of those under the age of 18 and 13.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government

The village government is made up of a president and board of trustees. The president is Lee Kutcher, and the board of trustees include Rick Field, Nick Baldwin, Kevin Jennings, Sherry Roehling, Amy Miller, and Scott Jennings. The chief of police is Julie Ott.

Religion

The

Wonewoc Spiritualist Camp Wonewoc Spiritualist Camp is a Spiritualist Church A spiritualist church is a church affiliated with the informal spiritualist movement which began in the United States in the 1840s. Spiritualist churches are now found around the world, but are ...

is in Wonewoc. Within the village are three churches: United Methodist Church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and St. Jerome’s Catholic Church.

Tourism and recreation

Wonewoc is the midpoint of the 400 Trail, one of the area's many trails used by bikers, hikers, horse riders and snowmobile enthusiasts. The Baraboo River is used for canoeing and kayaking, as are the nearby lakes, Dutch Hollow and Lake Redstone, which also offer fishing, swimming, and other water sports. Wonewoc has a public pool, camping, and parks.

Notable people

* Belle Case La Follette, activist and wife of Robert M. La Follette, Sr. *

Job Grant Job N. Grant (October 4, 1832 – 1910) was an American farmer from the Town of Wonewoc, Wisconsin, near Union Center, who held a number of local public offices, and spent a single one-year term as a Reform Party member of the Wisconsin State As ...

pioneer, farmer, and legislator * Clinton G. Price, lawyer and politician * Elmore Y. Sarles, 9th governor of

governor of North Dakota The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is vested in the governor" in Secti ...

* Robert Schulz, jazz and Dixieland cornetist

References

External links

*
Wonewoc Library
* Fire insurance maps
189419011914
{{authority control Villages in Juneau County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin Populated places established in 1878 1878 establishments in Wisconsin