Augusta is a city in

Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Eau Claire County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,710. Its county seat is Eau Claire. The county took its name from the Eau Claire River. Eau Claire County is included i ...

, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2020 census, up from 1,550 at the 2010 census. The city is bordered by the Town of Bridge Creek.

History

Augusta was formerly called Ridge Creek. A post office has been in operation in Augusta since 1858. The city was named in 1856 after

Augusta, Maine Augusta is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Maine. The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Maine, 12th-most populous city in Maine, and third ...

. Another theory holds that the town was named Augusta after citizens agreed to name the village after the prettiest girl in the area.

Geography

Augusta is located at (44.679656, -91.122664). 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 , all of it land. There are two class 2 trout fishing streams in Augusta: Bridge Creek and its tributary Diamond Valley Creek. The city lies on

US Highway 12 U.S. Route 12 or U.S. Highway 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) a ...

, which serves as the main east-west thoroughfare through town, and also lies on State Trunk Highway 27. It is ten miles north of

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

, and 20 miles southeast of the City of Eau Claire.

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 1,550 people, 614 households, and 384 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 662 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.7%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% 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 3.1% of the population. There were 614 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% 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, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 20% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,460 people, 599 households, and 376 families residing in the city. The

was 721.5 people per square mile (279.1/km²). There were 632 housing units at an average density of 312.3 per square mile (120.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.58%

, 0.41%

, 2.05% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population. There were 599 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were

living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,478, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $31,023 versus $19,226 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 $15,469. About 10.1% of families and 11.0% 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 ...

, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Augusta High School is the local public high school.

Events

Each year, Augusta celebrates

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

and the founding of the town with a "

Bean and Bacon Days A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are tradition ...

" celebration. The festival includes a parade and street fair. The celebration was first established with that name in 1977 by the Augusta Business Association and the Lions Club. The annual sponsor of the celebration is

Bush Brothers and Company Bush Brothers and Company is a family-owned corporation best known for its Bush's Best brand canned baked beans. The company produces approximately 80 percent of the canned baked beans consumed in the United States, representing estimated annual s ...

Notable people

* Ira B. Bradford, Wisconsin State Representative; lived in Augusta * George F. Caldwell, Wisconsin State Representative; lived in Augusta *

Dan Devine Daniel John Devine (December 23, 1924 – May 9, 2002) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the Universi ...

, former head coach of the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

and the

Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

; born in Augusta * Davis A. Donnelly, Wisconsin State Senator; born in Augusta * Oscar Finch, Wisconsin State Representative; Mayor of Augusta * Charles F. Hanke, Wisconsin State Representative; member of the Augusta city council * Lester Johnson, U.S. Representative; died in Augusta * Bernard H. Raether, Wisconsin State Representative; Chairman, Clerk and Assessor of Augusta

References

External links

City of Augusta
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
189419031910
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin