Plover is a village in Portage 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 ...

, United States. A

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Stevens Point Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858. Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...

, it is part of the Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,519 at the

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History

An 1825 treaty establishes a "Plover Portage of the Ouisconsin" as a boundary point between the Chippewa and Winnebago The area that later became Plover was selected as the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

in 1844. The election for the county seat only noted the general location of an unsettled area around present-day Plover. Until the area was settled, county business was actually conducted in the community of Rushville. The Plover area was platted in 1845, and received a post office at the same time under the name "Plover Portage".Malcolm Rosholt.
PLOVER, the Unincorporated Village of
" in ''Our County Our Story: Portage County, Wisconsin''. Stevens Point, Wis.: Portage County Board of Supervisors, 1959, pp 370-377. The name of the post office was changed to "Plover" in 1850.Michael Riley,

". In 1857, State Senator

Luther Hanchett Luther Hanchett (October 25, 1825 – November 24, 1862) was an American lawyer, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He represented Wisconsin in the United States House of Representatives and was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. Biogr ...

of Plover introduced a bill to incorporate the Village of Clayton in the community; he later amended the bill to make the name the Village of Algernon. That bill passed the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republican ...

, incorporating the Village of Algernon on March 6, 1857. (Algernon was probably named for Algernon B. Crosby, a postmaster in Portage County.) On May 4, 1858, the name of the village was again changed, this time to the Village of Stanton. And in 1864, the name of the village was finally changed to Plover. In 1868, the county seat was moved to

, following an energetic battle in newspapers and the state legislature. The village of Plover was dissolved, and government of the area fell to the Town of Plover. Plover was again incorporated as a village on March 8, 1912 after area residents' approval in an election. This incorporation was not long lived, as Plover was again dissolved on October 7, 1931 after another election. An attempt at re-incorporation failed in 1965. Plover re-incorporated, for the third time, on September 28, 1971. The vote for incorporation was narrow: 311 for and 289 against. The population of the village at that time was 2618. It incorporated about of territory, and increased to about in 1981, after annexation. Annexations continued nearly every year until the present. The village president is Tom Davies, who was first elected in 2015.

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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 13,519. 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 5,936 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 86.8%

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, 5.0%

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 ...

, 1.3%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% 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 4.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 5.1%

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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.

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 12,123 people, 4,948 households, and 3,242 families living in the village. The

was . There were 5,188 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 92.8%

, 0.5%

, 0.4% Native American, 3.8%

, 1.0% from

, and 1.5% from two or more races.

of any race were 3.2% of the population. There were 4,948 households, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.5% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age in the village was 35.9 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 10,520 people, 3,985 households, and 2,845 families living in the village. The

was 1,238.2 people per square mile (477.9/km²). There were 4,133 housing units at an average density of 486.5 per square mile (187.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.82%

, 0.43%

, 0.42% Native American, 0.95%

, 0.04%

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 ...

, 0.41% from

, and 0.94% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population were

of any race. There were 3,985 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11. In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $51,238, and the median income for a family was $60,146. Males had a median income of $40,206 versus $26,521 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 $23,085. About 4.2% of families and 6.0% 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 8.0% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Saint Bronislava Catholic Church, Woodlands Church, and Divine Word Lutheran Church, affiliated with the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee ...

(WELS), are in Plover.

Notable people

James S. Alban James Shane Alban (October 30, 1809April 7, 1862) was an American lawyer, Wisconsin pioneer, and Union Army colonel in the American Civil War. He died leading the 18th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Shiloh. He also served as a memb ...

, Wisconsin State Senator *

Dennis Hall Dennis William Hall (born February 5, 1971) is a Greco-Roman wrestler from Neosho, Wisconsin, United States. Hall was a 10-time US National Champion, a World Champion, and 3-time USA Olympian. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympi ...

, world champion wrestler,

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medalist,

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

gold medalist * Harley M. Jacklin, Wisconsin State Senator * Robert Lampman, economist * Alexander S. McDill, United States representative * Joe Pavelski,

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

player,

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...

* Clayton K. Slack,

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. ...

* Walt Wilmot, baseball player, stole 76 bases in one season for 1890

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

References

External links

Plover, Wisconsin

Plover Area Business Association
{{authority control Villages in Portage County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin