Berlin (/ˈbɜːrlɪn/ BUR-lin) is a city in Green Lake and Waushara counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. The population was 5,571 at the 2020 census. Of this, 5,435 were in Green Lake County, and only 89 were in Waushara County. The city is located mostly within the Town of Berlin in Green Lake County, with a small portion extending into the Town of Aurora in Waushara County.

History

In 1845, Nathan H. Strong (1813–1852) became the first resident of what is today Berlin. He was joined by Hugh G. Martin, Hiram Barnes, and William Dickey. Their settlement was known as Strong's Landing. In 1848, a post office was established. It was named

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

after the capital of

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

, now the capital of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The first school house was built in 1850 and the first church in 1851. Berlin was incorporated as a city in 1857. Wisconsin's commercial cranberry industry was started in the Berlin area, as well as the first milk condensing factory in the mid-west, Carnation Company. From the mid-1860s to the 1990s, Berlin was called “the fur and leather city” due to its industry. These industries provided jobs and attracted immigrants from Scotland, Wales, Poland, and Italy to work. On April 3, 1956 the eastern sections of the city were impacted by an F4 tornado which claimed 7 lives.

Pronunciation

Area residents put the accent on the first syllable of Berlin rather than on the second. It has been said that this was in reaction to the

anti-German sentiment Anti-German sentiment (also known as anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is fear or dislike of Germany, its Germans, people, and its Culture of Germany, culture. Its opposite is Germanophile, Germanophilia. Anti-German sentiment main ...

that swept across the United States during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and that the accent was previously on the second syllable.

Geography

The Fox River runs north-south through the center of the city. 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.

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 5,524 people, 2,296 households, and 1,423 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 2,561 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.4%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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, 0.9% Asian, 3.6% from other races, and 1.0% 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 8.0% of the population. There were 2,296 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% 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, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 39 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 5,305 people, 2,170 households, and 1,425 families residing in the city. The

was 887.4 people per square mile (342.5/km²). There were 2,391 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile (154.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.70%

, 0.15%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.28% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 2.47% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 4.56% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 2,170 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were

living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,896, and the median income for a family was $44,922. Males had a median income of $31,512 versus $21,658 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 $17,667. About 3.6% of families and 7.0% 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 5.3% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The following sites in Berlin are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: * Beckwith House Hotel * Berlin Post Office * Huron Street Historic District * Nathan Strong Park Historic District * Nelson F. Beckwith House * Old Berlin High School * Wisconsin Power and Light Berlin Power Plant

Education

Education is administered by the Berlin Area School District. Clay Lamberton Elementary School, Berlin Middle School, and Berlin High School are all located on the same campus in Berlin.

Media

The '' Berlin Journal'' is a weekly newspaper published in Berlin. WISS (AM) is a radio station located in Berlin.

Infrastructure

Berlin is served by Wisconsin Highway 49 and Wisconsin Highway 91.

Notable people

* Nelson F. Beckwith – Wisconsin State Assembly * Fred Blair – candidate for Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senate * William A. Bugh - lawyer and Wisconsin State Assembly * Valentine Detling - Wisconsin State Assembly * David Evans, Jr. - Wisconsin State Assembly * George Fitch - Wisconsin State Senator * Patricia A. Goodrich - Wisconsin State Assembly * Chris Greisen – NFL player * Gerald Heaney - magician * Katherine Davies Jones - botanist * Andy Jorgensen - Wisconsin State AssemblyAndy Jorgenson
", ''Wisconsin Blue Book 2007-2008'', p. 45. *

William Nigh William Nigh, born Emil Kreuske (October 12, 1881 – November 27, 1955), was an American film Film director, director, screenwriter, writer, and actor. His film work sometimes lists him as either "Will Nigh" or "William Nye". Biography Nig ...

- actor and director * Luther Olsen - Wisconsin State Senator * Hans H. Olson - Wisconsin State Assembly * Reuben W. Peterson - Wisconsin State Assembly * Luther Reed - screenwriter and film director * Daniel E. Riordan - Wisconsin State Senator * Hobart Sterling Sacket - Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate * Fred W. Schlueter - Wisconsin State Assembly * August E. Smith - Wisconsin State Assembly * Newcomb Spoor - Wisconsin State Assembly * George D. Waring - Wisconsin State Senator * Christian C. Wellensgard - Wisconsin State Assembly * Dora V. Wheelock (1847–1923) - temperance activist and writer * Ferdinand T. Yahr - Wisconsin State Senator

References

External links

* * Sanborn fire insurance maps
18841891189519001911
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Green Lake County, Wisconsin Cities in Waushara County, Wisconsin