Centralia, Wisconsin
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Wisconsin Rapids is a city in and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Wood County, Wisconsin Wood County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 74,207. Its county seat is Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Rapids. The county is ...
, United States, along the
Wisconsin River The Wisconsin River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, at approximately 430 miles (692 km) long. As a tributary of the Mississippi River, it is part of the Mississippi River System. The river's name was first recorded in 1673 b ...
. The population was 18,877 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Marshfield–Wisconsin Rapids micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Wood County and had a population of 74,207 in 2020. The city was established in the late 1830s as the series of rapids along the Wisconsin River provided good sites for water-driven sawmills, and nearby forests held pine lumber to be sawed and floated down the river. After the lumber dwindled, the waterpower drove electric generators and various other enterprises–particularly paper mills.


History


Establishment

The
Menominee The Menominee ( ; meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recognized tribe of Na ...
claimed the big rapids in the forest prior to European settlement, with
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
and
Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...
lands nearby. They called the place "Ah-dah-wah-gam" meaning "Two-sided Rapids" because the rapids were split by a large chunk of rock. In 1836, the Menominee ceded this land, along with more land to the east, to the U.S. in the
Treaty of the Cedars The Treaty of the Cedars was an 1836 agreement between the Menominee Indian nation and the United States in which the Menominee ceded to the United States about of land for $700,000. The agreement opened that huge tract of forest to logging and Wh ...
. This particular land cession was a strip spanning three miles on either side of the Wisconsin River, starting at
Point Basse Point Basse refers to both a sharp bend in the Wisconsin River near present day Nekoosa, Wisconsin, as well as to a nearby historic village downstream from the point itself, the village no longer being in existence. Other historic spellings include ...
and reaching upstream to Big Bull Falls – the future site of Wausau. The U.S. negotiators pressed the Menominee for this strip before the surrounding lands because it held prime pine timber and was within easy reach of the river. In 1832, Daniel Whitney had built a sawmill downstream, across from modern Nekoosa. Whitney's operation demonstrated the feasibility of rafting lumber to markets downstream. When the treaty of 1836 made the strip along the Wisconsin River available, lumbermen rushed in exploring for mill sites, and by 1839 (when Wisconsin was still a
territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
) two water-powered sawmills were running at the future Wisconsin Rapids, when a surveyor described the site as a "succession of rapids & chutes called the Grand Rapids", with two "extensive lumbering establishments thereon owned by Bloomer, Chamberlain, Adams, Strong, Hill & others, now in operation." The first house in Rapids was a small log cabin built by H. McCutcheon, a cook for Strong and Bloomer's mill. The second came soon after when Nelson Strong built a frame house for himself with boards sawed at his mill - the first frame house in Rapids, built in 1838. Rapids' first church services were conducted by visiting Catholic priests in 1837. In 1842 a Methodist missionary J.S. Hurlburt began ministering too, visiting homes by foot or horseback. He also started a primary school in a log cabin in the early 1840s. The first hotel came in 1843 and the first blacksmith shop in 1844. A post office named Grand Rapids opened in 1845, with mail carried in once a week. Pioneer J.L. Cotey later wrote an account of the early sawmill town as it stood in 1846. He described a community of "130 males and 17 females," with businesses along a slough crossed by a temporary slab bridge, frame homes and log houses and barns, picturesque pine trees, a sawmill with two up-and-down saws, boarding houses and saloons for the workers at the mills, and a stopping place for loggers headed upstream. Across the river on the west side was another sawmill, three frame houses for the men who worked in the sawmill, two shingle shanties, and a block house. At that time supplies were hauled overland to Rapids by ox and wagon from
Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crysta ...
, which took three weeks. (The Jones reference gives Cotey's full account.) The business of this ramshackle wilderness outpost was lumber. In the 6-mile strip along the river, lumberjacks working from winter logging camps felled the prized pine trees. They limbed the trees and cut them into 12 to 18-foot logs, then skidded the logs with oxen and horses to rivers and stream banks where they were stored until spring. During spring floods the logs were driven downstream, and, if all went well, captured in booms of the sawmills at Grand Rapids. The sawmills pulled the logs in and sawed them into boards. Some of the boards went into drying piles for local use, but the majority were destined for distant markets like
Portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) 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 '' ...
,
Dubuque Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...
, and
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. These were stacked along the river, then bound into 16 by 16-foot "cribs" of boards. When the river was running well (generally spring) six or seven of these cribs were joined into a "rapids piece" - a 100-foot long, flexible raft suited to running the rocky rapids of the upper Wisconsin River. Of those rapids, Grand Rapids was one of the most dangerous. Before today's placid, flat reservoir, the river surged through a series of rapids a mile long, and rafts had to run when the water was high. In early years that passage was aided by
wing dam A wing dam or wing dike is a man-made barrier that, unlike a conventional dam, only extends partway into a river. These structures force water into a fast-moving center channel which reduces the rate of sediment accumulation, while slowing water f ...
s to focus the current; in later years dams across the river provided chutes for the rafts to plunge down, with spectators watching from the bank. The rafts that succeeded in passing the rapids regrouped at Point Basse and joined three of the rapids-piece rafts side by side into a "Wisconsin raft" for the rest of the Wisconsin River, which was less turbulent. Then at the Mississippi the Wisconsin rafts were joined into huge "Mississippi rafts" for the final leg to Dubuque or St. Louis. In 1848 another treaty with Indians opened most of northern Wisconsin to loggers and settlers, which allowed access to much more timber outside the three-mile strip along the river. In 1856 Grand Rapids became the county seat of the new Wood County when it was split out of Portage County. The town was growing. A promotional booklet in 1857 reported Grand Rapids' population at about 1,000. It reported eight sawmills from Grand Rapids down to Point Basse, plus six steam-powered mills - all producing 19 million board feet of lumber per year, plus around 42 million shingles. Rapids consisted of 187 buildings including homes and a Catholic church, two public schools, a drug store, five general stores, six variety stores, five taverns (probably meaning inns), two saloons, two lawyers, three blacksmiths, two carpenter shops, two shoe shops, a wagonmakers' shop, two tailors, a cabinet maker, a bakery, two lawyers and two doctors. In 1857 the first newspaper began publication - the ''Wood County Reporter''. Mrs. Clarice Arpin later gave her impression of the town when she arrived about 1859: "a rough lumbering town, filled with lumberjacks who engaged in many drunken brawls, and Indians, who when they had an over-supply of firewater yelled and danced in the middle of the streets." The first plat of part of the Rapids had been made in 1847, with others following. Growth slowed during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, when some of the workers left to fight in the Union Army. A bad flood in 1864 and a fire in the business district in 1865 were other setbacks. In 1869 Grand Rapids incorporated as a city. Its first order of business was to require a license to sell liquor. Shortly after, city officials were elected, including Dr. G.F. Witter to "doctor city poor for the sum of $75 per year." A ban on selling liquor on Sunday was passed, and a ban on running hogs loose in the city. Centralia, a somewhat separate community on the west side of the river, had been developing too. George Kline Sr. had built a sawmill there around 1839. By 1855 Centralia had two sawmills, a
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
, a general store, a tavern, and houses and shacks. In the 1850s a ferry carried people across the river between Centralia and Grand Rapids. In the 1860s a wooden bridge was added across the river. A "town of Centralia" was formalized in 1856, perhaps to avoid annexation by Grand Rapids. In 1874 Centralia was incorporated as a city.


Late 19th century

The railroad boom burst upon Rapids in the 1870s. In 1870 the nearest railroad was at New Lisbon, with mail carried from there daily by evening stage. In 1872 the Green Bay and Lake Pepin Railroad reached Rapids itself, heading west. In 1873 the Wisconsin Valley Railway arrived from Tomah. The Port Edwards, Centralia & Northern was built by local interests in 1890, and the
Chicago & Northwestern The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...
line to Marshfield in 1901. With the arrival of the railroads, the transport of lumber from the area began to shift from the unpredictable and dangerous river to more reliable railcars, which could carry the lumber in more directions than downstream. The last rafts of lumber passed through in 1888, from the sawmill at Biron heading downriver for St. Louis. In June of 1880 an unusually high flood of the river forced many businesses to evacuate their stock to higher ground, and in some cases tie buildings down with ropes. Nevertheless, several buildings were swept into the river and one hardware store partner drowned while trying to save his goods. By that year Grand Rapids had 1,367 people and Centralia 800. As pine timber ran out in the vicinity of Grand Rapids, manufacturers took root in Centralia. Around 1880, the big ones were Robb's machine shops, Mackinnon & Griffith's
hub and spoke A hub is the central part of a wheel that connects the axle to the wheel itself. Hub, HUB, or hubs may refer to: Geography Pakistan * Hub Tehsil, Balochistan, an administrative division of southern pakistan ** Hub, Balochistan, capital city o ...
factory, Wharton Brothers'
planing mill A planing mill is a facility that takes cut and Wood drying, seasoned Wood, wooden boards from a sawmill and turns them into finished dimensional lumber. Machines used in the mill include the Thickness planer, planer and matcher, the Moulding plan ...
, Haertel's chair factory, Bremmer's machine shop and
foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
, a flouring mill, Moore's wagon works, and Lyon Bros. shingle works. In 1887 the first
pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit * Pulp (band), an English rock band Engineering * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture ...
mill was built, which would develop into Centralia Pulp and Paper. Paper-making was a big new industry for Rapids. Paper had been made over in the Fox River valley for decades, but not on the Wisconsin River. Around 1885 some of the mills at Rapids - formerly sawmills and gristmills - began converting to pulp-grinding and paper-making. By 1902, after many acquisitions, J.D. Witter and Nels Johnson had organized the many mills and water rights under one corporation - Consolidated Water Power Company. They decided to focus their resources on paper-making. The founders both died shortly after, leaving Witter's son-in-law George Mead to manage the new enterprise. The main plant began with 14 pulp-grinders and two
papermaking Papermaking is the manufacture of paper and cardboard, which are used widely for printing, writing, and packaging, among many other purposes. Today almost all paper is Pulp and paper industry, made using industrial machinery, while handmade pape ...
machines, producing 50 tons of paper per day. Other diversification of the industrial base away from lumber occurred from 1880 to 1920, including the Grand Rapids Brick Company, the Grand Rapids Foundry Co., Wisconsin Ice Machine Co., Prentiss-Wabers Stove Co., Oberback Brothers furniture company, Badger Box & Lumber, Grand Rapids Brewing, Samson Canning, Citizens Factory Company (a pickling
co-op A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democr ...
), Blommer Ice Cream, and Chambers
Creamery A creamery or cheese factory is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has ...
. These last four resulted from farmers settling in the surrounding cut-over lands, which were also transitioning from the logging era. Modern public services began to take shape around the turn of the century. Fire departments were formalized in Centralia in 1887 and in Rapids the following year. At this time that meant a hook-and-ladder, a chemical fire suppression apparatus, and a steam pumping engine. The T.B. Scott Library was started in 1889 with a donation from one of the city's pioneers. In 1890 John Arpin installed an electric
dynamo "Dynamo Electric Machine" (end view, partly section, ) A dynamo is an electrical generator that creates direct current using a commutator. Dynamos employed electromagnets for self-starting by using residual magnetic field left in the iron cores ...
in his home - the first electric service in Rapids. In 1894 Mack and Spencer added a generator at their dam which offered electricity to the public. The Wood County Telephone Company was a member-owned cooperative started in 1895.


20th century to present

In 1900 the cities of Grand Rapids and Centralia merged into one city named Grand Rapids. Prior to the merger, Grand Rapids had a population of 1,702 and Centralia 1,425. The name of the merged city was changed in 1920 to ''Wisconsin Rapids'', after years of mail and other goods being misdirected to the much better known
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
. In 1904 a small purpose-built hospital opened, to take over from the previous location over the Otto drug store; it was replaced in 1916 by the first Riverside Hospital - a 30-bed brick facility. Parks along the river began development with Lyon Park in 1909. The same year, a private "street railroad" company was organized, which ran a street car line eight miles from the west side of Rapids down to Port Edwards and Nekoosa. To lure riders, it built a dance pavilion north of Nekoosa. A municipal pool was built in 1913, pushed by John Arpin in response to regular drownings of swimmers in the river. The city added an airport in 1928. During the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, Consolidated Papers reduced its work week to four days to share existing work across more workers and avoid layoffs. Consolidated also began producing coated papers more efficiently, with their output used to print
Life Magazine ''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly publi ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, many locals volunteered to fight overseas, and some died. Back in Rapids, people grew
victory garden Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I a ...
s, collected scrap metal for the war effort, and rationed coffee and petroleum. Consolidated adapted to manufacture plastic aircraft materials, and Harvard Clothing made coats for the army. In the 1970s corner groceries were disappearing, replaced by supermarkets. A number of old properties on the west side were torn down and replaced with the new Rapids Mall. The Riverview Expressway was built. In the 1980s, Consolidated was the largest producer of enamel papers in the world and a Fortune 500 company. But after those glory years, paper use dropped as TV and computer screens replaced magazines and newspapers. Starting in 2000, Consolidated was bought and then sold by outside companies that eventually filed for bankruptcy, leading to closure of the mill in Rapids in 2020. Remaining large employers are Riverview Hospital and
Renaissance Learning Renaissance Learning, Inc. (also known simply as Renaissance) is a software as a service and learning analytics company that makes Pre-K–12 educational software and adaptive assessments. Renaissance employs about 1,000 employees in nine U.S. cit ...
.


Geography

Wisconsin Rapids is located at (44.3835763, -89.8173466). 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

As of the 2022
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
, there are 8,527 estimated households in Wisconsin Rapids with an average of 2.15 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $51,186. Approximately 14.3% of the city's population lives at or 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 ...
. Wisconsin Rapids has an estimated 63.2% employment rate, with 16.3% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 91.4% holding a high school diploma. The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.0%), Spanish (0.9%), Indo-European (0.6%), Asian and Pacific Islander (3.5%), and Other (0.0%). The median age in the city was 38.3 years.


2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 18,877 people, 8,655 households, and 4,465 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 9,265 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.38%
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 ...
, 1.37%
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 ...
, 0.93% Native American, 3.52% Asian, 0.03%
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 ...
, 1.47% from some other races and 5.30% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
people of any race were 4.59% of the population. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.2% were under 5 years of age, and 19.7% were 65 and older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.3% male and 54.7% female.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 18,367 people, 8,296 households, and 4,626 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 8,972 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was %
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 ...
, %
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 ...
, % Native American, % Asian, %
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 ...
, % from some other races and % from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
people of any race were 2.91% of the population. The racial makeup of the city was 92.2%
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 ...
, 0.7%
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 ...
, 1.0% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. There were 8,296 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.2% were non-families. 38.7% 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 2.17 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 41.1 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.


2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 18,435 people, 7,970 households, and 4,782 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 8,426 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.04%
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 ...
, 0.34%
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 ...
, 0.80% Native American, 3.46% 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 ...
, 0.37% from some other races and % from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
people of any race were 1.31% of the population. There were 7,970 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% 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, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,956, and the median income for a family was $43,594. Males had a median income of $36,098 versus $22,466 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 $17,723. About 7.0% of families and 9.1% 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 12.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Known for its
papermaking Papermaking is the manufacture of paper and cardboard, which are used widely for printing, writing, and packaging, among many other purposes. Today almost all paper is Pulp and paper industry, made using industrial machinery, while handmade pape ...
history, Wisconsin Rapids is also an important location for the
cranberry Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines up to long and in height; they have slender stems that are not th ...
industry. Wisconsin Rapids is the corporate home of the international educational software company,
Renaissance Learning Renaissance Learning, Inc. (also known simply as Renaissance) is a software as a service and learning analytics company that makes Pre-K–12 educational software and adaptive assessments. Renaissance employs about 1,000 employees in nine U.S. cit ...
. From its founding in 1894, Wisconsin Rapids was home to the corporate headquarters of
Consolidated Papers, Inc Consolidated may refer to: Companies *Consolidated Aircraft, an American aircraft manufacturer active 1923–1943 *Consolidated Communications, an American broadband and business communications provider *Consolidated Edison, an American energy com ...
, which was acquired by the Finnish company
Stora Enso Stora Enso Oyj (from and ) is a Finnish and Swedish forest industry company. It develops and produces various materials, mostly based on wood, for a range of industries and applications worldwide. It has headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, an ...
in early-2000. In 2007,
NewPage NewPage was a leading producer of printing and specialty papers in North America with $3.1 billion in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2012. NewPage was headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, and owned paper mills in Kentucky, Maine, Marylan ...
acquired the paper production facility. In 2015,
Verso Corporation Verso Corporation, now Billerud Americas Corporation, was a North American producer of coated papers including coated groundwood, coated freesheet, and specialty products. The company restructured in 2016 following Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Verso ...
acquired the mill. Verso continued its presence in the area with a
paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...
that houses two
paper machine A paper machine (or paper-making machine) is an industrial machine which is used in the pulp and paper industry to create paper in large quantities at high speed. Modern paper-making machines are based on the principles of the Fourdrinier Machin ...
s and a
kraft Kraft Foods Group, Inc. was an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate (company), conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. on October 1, 2012, and was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz on July ...
pulp mill A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber sources into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical, or ...
. In June 2020, Verso announced the closing of their paper mill for at least two months, with the resulting loss of 900 jobs. After being closed for 2 years, Billerud (also known as BillerudKorsnäs) acquired with Verso in 2022. Since the closing in 2020, the only use of the property has been a lease with Sonoco, another paper manufacturer, which operates in a secondary building of the plant.


Arts and culture

There are three museums, the South Wood County Historical Corporation Museum, the Alexander House, and the Wisconsin River Paper Making Museum, all of which are housed in historical family homes. The South Wood County Historical Corporation Museum houses multiple exhibits covering the history of the South Wood County area. The building is the former Witter family home, Shadowlawn. The Alexander House is a museum to the history of the Nekoosa Edwards Paper Company (NEPCO) and also hosts art exhibitions. The building is the former home of the Alexander Family, which ran the Nekoosa Edwards Paper Company. There is a
prairie chicken ''Tympanuchus'' is a small genus of birds in the grouse family. They are commonly referred to as prairie-chickens. Taxonomy The genus ''Tympanuchus'' was introduced in 1841 by the German zoologist Constantin Wilhelm Lambert Gloger for the gre ...
sanctuary at the Buena Vista Wildlife Reservation, and every year the Prairie Chicken Festival is held. The Souper Snow Sculpture Spectacular that takes place every February is one of the largest
snow sculpture Snow sculpture, snow carving or snow art is a sculpture form comparable to sand sculpture or ice sculpture in that most of it is now practiced outdoors often in full view of spectators, thus giving it kinship to performance art. The materials an ...
competitions in the country by numbers of sculptures. The FRM Music Festival happens every June, as does the Cranberry Blossom Festival. The Grand Affair Arts Festival takes place in September of each year.


Parks and recreation

Wisconsin Rapids has several local parks, including Robinson Park, Gaynor Park, and Lyon Park. There is also a skate park. The state water-skiing championships are held at Lake Wazeecha every year and the national BMX Bandit cycling championships are held at the Central Wisconsin BMX
velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...
. The state boys and girls cross country championships have been held in Wisconsin Rapids since 1988 with the exception of 2020. The Wisconsin Rapids Aquatic Center opened in July 2020 and features several pools and other recreational facilities including a tennis court,
pickleball Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played i ...
courts, an adventure playground, ice-skating rink, and splash pad. There is a municipal zoo which is free to enter and operated during the summer only. The Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings are a hockey team that is a member of the
United States Premier Hockey League The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is an American ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL has grown to over 60 organizations from across the United States/Canada fielding teams in the National Collegiate Development Conference ...
and won the Midwest Elite Championship in the 2016–2017 season. The Riverkings currently play their home games at the South Wood County Recreation Center. The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a collegiate summer baseball team formed in 2010 who are a member of the
Northwoods League The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not ...
. The Rafters won the league championship in 2016. They currently play their home games at
Witter Field Witter Field is a baseball ballpark A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into two field sections called the infield and the outfield. The infield is an area whose d ...
.


Education

Wisconsin Rapids is served by Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools. Lincoln High School is the local public high school, serving grades 9 through 12. Assumption High School is a private Catholic high school. River Cities High School is an alternative to the local high schools. The city has two middle schools, Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School (grades 6–8) and Central Oaks (Virtual) Academy (6–8). East Junior High was a junior high school for grades 8–9 before it closed after the 2017–2018 school year. Immanuel Lutheran School (4K-8th grade) is a Missouri Synod lutheran school that has won multiple national education awards. Good Shepherd Lutheran School (1–8th grade) and St. Paul's Lutheran School (3K–8th grade) are two grade schools of 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 Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...
in Wisconsin Rapids.
Mid-State Technical College Mid-State Technical College (Mid-State) is a public technical college in central Wisconsin with major campuses in Adams, Marshfield, Stevens Point, and Wisconsin Rapids. It is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college is a ...
, which has a campus in the city, offers vocational diplomas, and
Lakeland University Lakeland University is a private university affiliated with the United Church of Christ, with its main campus in Herman, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, Herman, Wisconsin, United States, and seven evening, weekend, and online centers located through ...
offers qualifications in academic subjects. McMillan Memorial Library serves Wisconsin Rapids and southern Wood County. McMillan was a Finalist for the 2019
National Medal for Museum and Library Service The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is an award given annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to American libraries and museums with outstanding service to their communities. The IMLS refers to the medal as " ...
.


Media

Both the ''
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune The ''Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune'' is a daily newspaper published in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. It is owned by Gannett, which also owns the nearby '' Stevens Point Journal'' and '' Marshfield News-Herald. The newspaper was formerly owned ...
'', a daily newspaper founded in 1920, and the ''Wisconsin Rapids City-Times'', a daily
online newspaper An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the electronic publishing, online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical literature, periodical. Goin ...
launched in 2013, serve the community. ''WRCM'' is a
public, educational, and government access Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television special ...
(PEG) broadcast on
cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television broadcast programming, programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This ...
. Radio stations based in Wisconsin Rapids include: * '' WFHR'' 1320 kHz, News/talk Radio – Established November 1940 – Originally broadcasting at 1340 kHz * ''Country Legends 24/7'' 105.5Mhz
WIRI Wiri is a mostly industrial-commercial focused suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It was formerly part of Manukau City until the merger of all of Auckland's councils into the ' super city' in 2010. The area was named after the chief Takaanini W ...
– 1980s, 1990s, and contemporary. Established as KZZA in 2003, later WRCW. * ''Hot 96-7'' 96.7Mhz WHTQ
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
– Established as WYTE in 1985, later WLJY * '' WIFC'' 95.5Mhz – CHR – Established 1969 – Formerly WSAU-FM * '' WDEZ'' 101.9Mhz
Country & western Country (also called country and western) is a music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is primarily focused on singing sto ...
– Established as WRIG-FM in 1964 * ''Y106.5'' 106.5Mhz
WYTE WYTE (106.5 FM, Y106.5) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Marshfield, Wisconsin, United States, the station serves the Wausau-Stevens Point area. The station is currently owned by NRG Media, LLC. History The ...
– Contemporary Country & Western – Established as WDLB-FM in 1965 * '' WGLX'' 103.3Mhz
WGLX-FM WGLX-FM (103.3 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting a Classic rock format. Licensed to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, US, the station serves the Wausau-Stevens Point area. The station is currently owned by NRG Media. Former call letters are WWRW ...
– Classic Rock – Established as WFHR-FM in 1946, later WWRW. * ''
WSPT WSPT (97.9 FM) is a radio station that is licensed to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States and serves the Stevens Point-Wisconsin Rapids area. The station is owned by Richard L. Muzzy, through licensee Muzzy Broadcast Group, LLC and broadca ...
'' 97.9Mhz WSPT-FM – Greatest Hits – Established 1961. * ''Wisconsin Public Radio'' 89.1 MHz
WHAA WHAA (89.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to Adams, Wisconsin. The station is part of Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), and airs WPR's "Ideas Network", consisting of news and talk programming. WHAA covers a large previously underserved portion of S ...
– News, current affairs, and arts programming. Part of the
Wisconsin Public Radio Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) is a network of 38 public radio radio station, stations in the state of Wisconsin. WPR's network is divided into two distinct services, the ''WPR News Network'' and the ''WPR Music Network''. History Wisconsin Publ ...
network, established locally 2007.


Transportation

The
South Wood County Airport South Wood County Airport , also known as Alexander Field, is a public use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) south of the central business district of Wisconsin Rapids, a city in Wood County, Wisconsin, United States. The airpor ...
(IATA: ISW, ICAO: KISW, FAA LID: ISW), also known as Alexander Field, is a public use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) south of the central business district of Wisconsin Rapids.
Dial-a-ride Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...
transit services are provided by River City Cab.


Notable people

* Ken Anderson, professional wrestler *
Mark E. Anderson Mark E. Anderson is a Major general (United States), major general in the Army National Guard, currently serving as the Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Biography Anderson graduated from the Universit ...
,
U.S. National Guard The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the U.S. military's reserve components of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force when activated for federal missions.Bonnie Bartlett Bonnie Bartlett Daniels (born June 20, 1929) is an American retired actress. Her career spans about seven decades, with her first major role being on a 1950s daytime drama, '' Love of Life''. Bartlett is known for her role as Grace Snider Edwar ...
, actress *
Vince Biegel Vincent James Biegel ( ; born July 2, 1993) is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football at Wisconsin. Early life Biegel's father, Rocky, was a linebacker for BYU from 1988–92 and a second-team All-Western ...
, NFL linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens *
Bruno Block James "Jimmy" John Block (born James John Blochowicz on March 13, 1885 – August 6, 1937) was a catcher over parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball. He was known during his playing days as Jimmy Block. He reported to the Washington Senat ...
,
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
catcher * Theodore W. Brazeau, Wisconsin legislator * Arthur J. Crowns, Wisconsin legislator * James Daly, actor *
Paul Dauenhauer Paul Dauenhauer (born 1980), a chemical engineer and MacArthur Fellow, is the Lanny & Charlotte Schmidt Professor at the University of Minnesota (UMN). He is recognized for his research in catalysis science and engineering, especially, his con ...
, Engineer & inventor * George R. Gardner, Wisconsin legislator * Orestes Garrison, Wisconsin legislator * John A. Gaynor, Wisconsin legislator * Harvey F. Gee, Wisconsin legislator * Bill Granger, journalist and novelist * George Hambrecht, Wisconsin legislator *
Jidenna Jidenna Theodore Mobisson (born May 4, 1985), known mononymously as Jidenna, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He signed with Janelle Monáe's record label Wondaland Arts Society, an imprint of Epic Records to release his debut sing ...
, hip-hop musician * Stephen E. Johnson,
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
admiral * William Merriam, Wisconsin legislator * Tom Metcalf, MLB pitcher * Edith Nash, educator and poet *
Philleo Nash Philleo Nash (October 25, 1909October 12, 1987) was an American government official, anthropologist, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (1961–1966) during the preside ...
, professor and anthropologist *
Grim Natwick Myron "Grim" Natwick ( Nordveig; August 16, 1890 – October 7, 1990) was an American artist, animator, and film director. Natwick is best known for drawing the Fleischer Studios' most popular character, Betty Boop. Background Born in Wisc ...
, animator and film director * George Allen Neeves, Wisconsin legislator * Casey Nelson, NHL player *
John Offerdahl John Arnold Offerdahl (born August 17, 1964) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire eight-year career as a linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for t ...
,
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
player *
Peter Pernin Jean-Pierre Pernin (February 22, 1822 – October 9, 1909), also known as Peter Pernin in America, was a French people, French Roman Catholic priest, who came to the United States in 1864 as a missionary, working in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minn ...
, Catholic pastor and
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 ...
memoirist * John M. Potter, Wisconsin legislator * Bryan Reffner,
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver *
Don Rehfeldt Don Rehfeldt (January 7, 1927 – October 16, 1980) was an American basketball player. He was the second overall pick in the 1950 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets from the Wisconsin Badgers. Basketball career He was a graduate of Amundse ...
, All-American college and NBA basketball player * Donald E. Reiland, Wisconsin legislator * Scott Scharff, NFL player * Thomas B. Scott, Wisconsin legislator * Arthur H. Treutel, Wisconsin legislator *
Dick Trickle Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
, NASCAR driver * Robert Uehling, Wisconsin legislator * Byrde M. Vaughan, Wisconsin legislator * Charles M. Webb, Wisconsin legislator * William E. Wheelan, Wisconsin legislator * Herman C. Wipperman, Wisconsin legislator * Isaac P. Witter, Wisconsin legislator * Joseph Wood, merchant, and Wisconsin legislator


References


External links


City of Wisconsin Rapids – official website

Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce

Wisconsin Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Wisconsin Rapids City Times

Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools


Historical Fire Insurance Maps


December 1884
*
September 1891

September 1895

August 1902

October 1909

February 1919
{{Authority control 1920 establishments in Wisconsin Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Wood County, Wisconsin Wisconsin Rapids-Marshfield County seats in Wisconsin