Sauk City is a village in

Sauk County Sauk County is a county in Wisconsin. It is named after a large village of the Sauk people. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,763. Its county seat and largest city is Baraboo. The county was created in 1840 from Wisconsin Territor ...

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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

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 th ...

. The population was 3,518 as of the 2020 census. The first incorporated village in the state, the community was founded by

Agoston Haraszthy Agoston Haraszthy (; hu, Haraszthy Ágoston, es, Agustín Haraszthy; August 30, 1812 – July 6, 1869) was a Hungarian-American nobleman, adventurer, traveler, writer, town-builder, and pioneer winemaker in Wisconsin and California, often refe ...

and his business partner, Robert Bryant. The village is adjacent to

Prairie du Sac Prairie du Sac is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,420 at the 2020 census. The village is surrounded by the Town of Prairie du Sac, the Wisconsin River, and the village of Sauk City; together, Prairie du ...

; together, these twin villages are referred to as Sauk Prairie.

History

Impressed by the beautiful scenery,

, a charismatic Hungarian sometimes called "Count" Haraszthy, purchased a small plot of land along the

Wisconsin River The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskous ...

in 1840. Later, with his English-born business partner, Robert Bryant, Haraszthy bought additional land and founded the town of Haraszthy (originally called Széptáj, Hungarian for "beautiful place"). In 1849, the name of the town was changed to Westfield. Three years later, in 1852, it was changed again, this time to the current name of Sauk City. The community was incorporated as a village in 1854, making Sauk City the oldest incorporated village in the state. In 1852, German immigrants founded the Sauk City Free Congregation ('' Freie Gemeinde''). This group, a liberal religious society, celebrated German music, literature, and culture. It met in a private home until 1884, when Park Hall was built as a meeting house. The

building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and func ...

is now home to the Sauk County Free Congregation, a

Unitarian Universalist Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present) ...

fellowship. In the ''

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...

'' magazine of November 21, 1914, Sauk City was named "America's Foremost City". The article cited a pageant, attended by 4000 people, which enacted scenes from the village's history, and concluded with the naming of the school principal as the Civic Secretary, charged with making the school the center of the life of the town. To that end, the ballot box was transferred from the town hall to the school house. On August 28, 1977, Sauk City made national headlines when, during setup for an upcoming circus performance, a fully-grown

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

escaped and stampeded through the village‘s nearby nursing home, completely destroying the ceiling in one of the main hallways. Despite the damage, no one was injured as the incident took place during lunchtime when the residents were in their rooms or the dining area, which the elephant did not enter.

Geography

Sauk City is located at (43.274130, -89.728310). It is on

U.S. Route 12 U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) and I-94, but unlike most U.S. routes that ...

, approximately northwest of suburban

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 ...

. 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 th ...

, 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 3,518. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 1,572 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 89.3%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 3.3% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 7.0%

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 for ...

or Latino 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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 3,410 people, 1,431 households, and 871 families living in the village. The

was . There were 1,508 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.6%

, 0.2%

, 0.9% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 2.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population. Out of a total of 1,431 households, 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% 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 ...

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the village was 39.3 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,109 residents, 1,285 households, and 796 families living in the village. The

was 2,078.0 people per square mile (800.3/km²). There were 1,314 housing units at an average density of 878.3 per square mile (338.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.01%

, 0.39%

, 0.23% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 1.45% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.76% of the population. Out of a total of 1,285 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were

living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.99. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $36,378, and the median income for a family was $45,156. Males had a median income of $29,908 versus $22,996 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 $17,705. About 10.0% of families and 12.5% 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 ...

, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Sauk City is the site of the first

Culver's Culver Franchising System, LLC (Culver's) is an American fast-casual restaurant chain. The company was founded in 1984 by George, Ruth, Craig, and Lea Culver. The first location opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin on July 18, 1984 under the name "Cul ...

restaurant, which opened July 18, 1984. Culver's corporate headquarters are located in neighboring Prairie du Sac. In 1939,

Arkham House Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...

, a firm devoted to preserving in print the work of H. P. Lovecraft and other dark fantasists, was founded by

August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...

and

Donald Wandrei Donald Albert Wandrei (20 April 1908 – 15 October 1987)Minnesota Death Certificates Index
. ...

in Sauk City, where the firm continues to be headquartered. Cuca Records was founded by James Kirchstein in 1959 and was located on Water Street next to Kirchstein's Super Market (founded by James's father, Frank Kirchstein, which was in business from the 1930s to 1982 and featured polka music on 8-track tapes in the store). Cuca Records produced records until the early 1970s, including polka, folk, and jazz. On June 19, 2013 ,

Capital Brewery Capital Brewery is a brewery in Middleton, Wisconsin. Founded on March 14, 1984, by entrepreneur Ed Janus in Madison, Wisconsin, it is situated in a former egg processing plant. The company first began production in 1986 and now produces over ...

, headquartered in

Middleton, WI Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, and a suburb of the state capital, Madison. Middleton's motto is "The Good Neighbor City." The population was 21,827 at the 2020 census. In 2007, Middleton was chosen as the best pl ...

, announced plans to expand their operations with a new primary brewing facility which was to have opened in Sauk City in the summer of 2014. The planned facility was to have an initial capacity of 100,000 barrels per year at a cost of an estimated US$11 million (equivalent to $ million in ).Capital Brewery plans major expansion with new Sauk City brewery : Wsj
/ref> Sauk City is also where Jacob Leinenkugel of the Leinenkugel Brewing Company was born and raised.

Other information

Sauk City is adjacent to

, located directly to the north. Both communities are located on the west bank of the

. They share a municipal boundary, as well as a school system, police department, and hospital, but have separate fire departments and libraries. Efforts have been made to join the two villages into a single entity, Sauk Prairie, but these have failed because of tax differences between the communities. Sauk Prairie High School, located in Prairie du Sac, serves the villages of Sauk City and Prairie du Sac. The school's mascot is the eagle, so named because of the population of eagles found on the Wisconsin River adjacent to Sauk Prairie.

Notable people

, author and publisher *

, traveler, writer, and pioneer winemaker * Greg Jensen, former NFL player * Robert J. Keller, former Wisconsin State Representative * Cyrus Leland, attorney and state assemblyman *

Emanuel L. Philipp Emanuel Lorenz Philipp (March 25, 1861 – June 15, 1925) was an American railroad executive and politician from Wisconsin, who served as the 23rd governor of Wisconsin from 1915 to 1921. Early life Philipp was born in Honey Creek, Sauk Co ...

, former

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscon ...

* John B. Quimby, former Wisconsin State Senator *

Mark Schorer Mark Schorer (May 17, 1908 – August 11, 1977) was an American writer, critic, and scholar born in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Biography Schorer earned an MA at Harvard and his Ph.D. in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1936. Durin ...

, author, professor * Scott Schutt, former NFL player

Images

File:SaukCityWisconsinDowntownWIS78.jpg, Looking north at downtown Sauk City, on Hwy. 78 (Water Street) File:SaukCityWisconsinSignWIS60US12.jpg, Welcome sign on US12/ WIS60 File:SaukCityWisconsinUS12WIS60.jpg, Looking east at Sauk City

Buildings and structures

* Badger Army Ammunition Plant * Cuca Records * Freethinkers' Hall * Lachmund Family House

References

External links

Village of Sauk City website

Sauk Prairie Area Historical Society

Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
189219001915
{{authority control Villages in Sauk County, Wisconsin Villages in Wisconsin 1840 establishments in Wisconsin Territory Populated places established in 1840