Algoma ( ) is a city in

Kewaunee County, Wisconsin Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,563. Its county seat is Kewaunee. The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1859. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', an ar ...

, United States. The population was 3,243 at the 2020 census. Algoma is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area.

History

The Ahnapee settlement, which eventually became known as Algoma, was founded in 1834 by Joseph McCormick of Manitowoc. In 1851, Irish and English pioneers moved to the area and called the place ''Wolf River''. The wolf was a legendary animal in stories told by the local

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

Indians. (This animal eventually became the mascot of the Algoma High School.) In the

Menominee language Menominee , also spelled Menomini (In Menominee language: ) is an endangered Algonquian language spoken by the Menominee people of what is now northern Wisconsin in the United States. The federally recognized tribe has been working to encourage ...

, the town is known as , meaning "snowshoe". In the mid-19th century, immigrants from Germany,

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

, and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

settled in the community. The earliest businesses consisted of a sawmill, a general store, and churches. In 1859, the name of the town was changed from Wolf to ''Ahnapee'' a

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

of the Chippewa meaning "when". The town which surrounds Algoma still bears this name. In 1871, the town survived the

Peshtigo Fire The Peshtigo fire was a large forest fire on October 8, 1871, in northeastern Wisconsin, United States, including much of the southern half of the Door Peninsula and adjacent parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The largest community in ...

that swept from Green Bay and destroyed thousands of acres of land. Local residents were prepared to escape from the fire, but torrential rains extinguished it just before it reached Ahnapee. Growth and development in Ahnapee was greatly advanced in 1892 with the arrival of the

Ahnapee and Western Railway The Ahnapee and Western Railway (A&W) was a common carrier shortline railroad located in northeastern Wisconsin. The railroad ran from a connection with the Kewaunee, Green Bay and Western Railroad at Casco Junction to the lakeshore terminals of ...

, which connected the coastal town with the Kewaunee Green Bay and Western Railroad at Casco Junction. The railroad would connect Algoma with the rest of the nation's rail system for the 94 years. Several factories were built in Ahnapee as a result of the railroad's arrival, including the Ahnapee Seating & Veneer Company. This industry would change owners and names through the years, and operated until 2017 when it closed its doors. Ahnapee incorporated as a city on February 23, 1879. In 1897, the city was renamed ''Algoma'', a name which may have come from an Indian term for "park of flowers". (See also Algoma (word)). The name was changed by action of the Wisconsin state legislature. As a result, the local newspaper also changed its name from the ''Ahnapee Record'' to the ''Algoma Record''. At that time the commercial fishing fleet located in Algoma was the largest on Lake Michigan. Sport fishing is still a major tourist attraction today. In 2020, Algoma was awarded the

All-America City Award The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stron ...

for its plan to counter long-running brain drain, which included a student mentoring program, student vocational opportunities, and a community wellness and fitness center.

Geography

Algoma is located at (44.608226, -87.442342), along

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

at the mouth of the Ahnapee River. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Transportation

WIS 42 State Trunk Highway 42 (often called Highway 42, STH-42 or WIS 42) is a state highway (US), state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs for north–south in northeast Wisconsin from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Sheboygan to the ferry doc ...

Northbound travels to Sturgeon Bay. South it continues into Kewaunee. * WIS 54 connects with Green Bay westbound. * The Ahnapee State Trail, partly coinciding with the

Ice Age Trail The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies including the Ice ...

, connects Algoma with Forestville to the north. The Ice Age trail continues to Kewaunee, but the Ahnapee Trail connects Algoma to Casco.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 3,167 people, 1,406 households, and 862 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 1,702 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.9%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 2.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population. There were 1,406 households, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.7% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 44.6 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.8% were from 45 to 64; and 20.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

, of 2000 there were 3,357 people, 1,493 households, and 900 families residing in the city. The

was 1,374.9 people per square mile (531.2/km²). There were 1,632 housing units at an average density of 668.4 per square mile (258.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.42%

, 0.09%

, 0.30% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population. There were 1,493 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were

living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 35.5% 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 2.19 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,029, and the median income for a family was $46,552. Males had a median income of $30,349 versus $22,650 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,043. About 3.4% of families and 5.2% 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 7.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Every year since 2000, the annual Algoma Car Show is held in the downtown area, featuring classic cars and trucks. The 2019 event was held on June 22. Shanty Days is an annual celebration held the second weekend of August. There are ethnic foods,

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

, and

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

. Features also include an arts and crafts show, a used-book sale, a

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

, a 5k run/walk, wine tasting, fireworks and a street fair. The Concerts in the Park Series takes place in July and August in Heritage Park. The concerts are sponsored by the city of Algoma and local businesses. Soar on the Shore Kite and Beach Festival is held annually on the third full weekend of August. Soar on the Shore is a free family fun event with professional kiters, crafts, and other activities for children.

Notable people

* Harris Burgoyne, former mayor of

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

(buried in Algoma) * Richard W. Fellows,

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

Brigadier General * Lawrence Johnson, Wisconsin State Representative * Maynard T. Parker, Wisconsin State Assemblyperson and jurist * M. W. Perry, Wisconsin State Senator * Mark Francis Schmitt,

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Bishop * Albert D. Shimek, Wisconsin State Representative * De Wayne Stebbins, Wisconsin State Senator

Images

References

External links

City of Algoma

Algoma Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
189419001909
{{authority control Cities in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin Cities in Wisconsin Wisconsin populated places on Lake Michigan Populated places established in 1834 Green Bay metropolitan area 1834 establishments in Michigan Territory