Dodgeville is a city in

Iowa County, Wisconsin Iowa County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,709. Its county seat and largest city is Dodgeville. When created, it was part of the Michigan Territory. Iowa County is part of the Madiso ...

, United States, and its

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 ...

. The population was 4,984 at the 2020 census, making it the county's most populous city. Dodgeville is part of the Madison metropolitan area.

History

In 1827,

Henry Dodge Moses Henry Dodge (October 12, 1782 – June 19, 1867) was an American politician and military officer who was Democratic member to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Bla ...

, his family, and about 40 miners began what would become the city of Dodgeville. Dodge made a pact with the local Winnebago Indian leaders so he could build a cabin and smelter. The original community had three settlements: "Dodgeville", "Dirty Hollow" and "Minersville". A fourth settlement, Moon Spring, near the intersection of the present Highway 18 bypass and Bennett Road flourished until the cholera epidemic in the early 1850s. Dodgeville, which was named after Dodge, grew slowly during its early years. It was incorporated as a village in the 1840s. Later a small "war" was fought with Mineral Point over which community would become the seat of Iowa County after Lafayette County was created. At the time, Mineral Point was the seat, because it was centrally located in the 'old' Iowa County that stretched from the Wisconsin River in the north south to the Illinois border. The County seat eventually moved to Dodgeville because of its central location in the 'new' Iowa County. Dodgeville's population grew rapidly, and it became a center for mining and later, dairy product manufacturing and shipping. Miners from England flooded the city, and British and Cornish architecture is still visible in the city today. Dodgeville became the largest city in Wisconsin at the time as well as most of the Midwest north of St. Louis, and west of Cincinnati. The community's boom didn't last long though, and with the decline of mining its population was overtaken by rapidly growing cities like Chicago and Milwaukee. Several factors led to the decline in importance of mining, including the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...

, the

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

, the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, and the emergence of farming, leading to Dodgeville's development as a business and agricultural center. Today the city is most commonly known for being the headquarters for the apparel company Lands' End.

Geography

Dodgeville is located at (42.963373, -90.131161). 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.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Dodgeville has a

warm-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Dodgeville was on July 24, 1901, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 19, 1994.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 4,984. 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 2,238 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.8%

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 ...

, 2.0% Asian, 0.7%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.1%

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. According to the

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 ...

estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household in the city was $65,040, and the median income for a family was $90,729. Male full-time workers had a median income of $48,065 versus $42,755 for female workers. 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 $32,599. About 2.0% of families and 8.3% 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 11.3% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 96.9% were high school graduates or higher and 22.3% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

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 4,693 people, 1,965 households, and 1,229 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 2,117 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.3%

, 0.5%

, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 1,965 households, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.5% 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 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,220 people, 1,751 households, and 1,131 families residing in the city. The

was 1,178.5 people per square mile (455.1/km²). There were 1,831 housing units at an average density of 511.3 per square mile (197.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.06%

, 0.36%

, 0.02% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.05%

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 ...

, 0.17% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.43% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 1,751 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were

living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34, and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males The median income for a household in the city was $41,615, and the median income for a family was $50,755. Males had a median income of $32,738 versus $24,047 for females. The

for the city was $20,962. About 2.7% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the

, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Dodgeville was designated a National Mainstreet Program in 1991. As the seat of an agricultural county, the city's economy provides services for farmers. Dodgeville is home to the corporate headquarters of Lands' End, a global catalog and internet merchant of apparel and home products. Lands' End employs 6,000 people in its Dodgeville headquarters.

Arts and culture

Events

Every summer, Dodgeville holds a "Farmer Appreciation Day" featuring a parade down Dodgeville's Iowa Street and a festival in Harris Park. The event, which takes place the third weekend of July, serves as a way for the people of Dodgeville to show appreciation for the farmers who are the backbone of the local economy. The parade features farming implements, fire trucks and ambulances, and floats constructed by area churches and businesses. The festival features cold BBQ sandwiches, music, rides, tractor pulls, and fireworks.

Historical sites

The Iowa County Courthouse was dedicated in 1859 and continues to serve as the seat of government in Iowa County, functioning as the oldest courthouse in the state. Several additions to the building have been added over the years, in keeping with the historic and classic architectural style of the original structure. The Dodge Mining Camp Cabin, originally built circa 1828, is representative of the housing constructed by lead diggers at "Dodge's Camp" - the original lead mining claim of Colonel Henry Dodge and family. The Iowa County Historical Society restored the cabin and moved it to its present location on Fountain Street. It is one of Wisconsin's oldest structures and may be the last extant mining camp cabin from the days of the "Lead Rush" of 1827–1830. Spang's Opera House was built in the early stages of Dodgeville's development. It was demolished during the 1990s to build a convenience store at the intersections of Highway 23—Bequette, North and Spring Streets. The structure's foundation walls were among the oldest stone structures in Dodgeville, dating from the 1840s. In the 1940s the lower level of the opera house was the first location of the Iowa County Dairy Cooperative, before the coop built a structure near the intersection of Hwy. 191 and Section Line Road on the east side of Dodgeville. At one time the Opera House was in the center of a thriving business area, with several hotels in the immediate vicinity: The Cocking Hotel, the Wisconsin House, and the Western Hotel, all on North Main Street. Today, only the Western Hotel survives, and is now rental units. Begun in 1928, construction was completed on the Dodgeville Masonic Temple in 1930, with the building dedicated on May 13 of that year. This structure is among the last Masonic Temples built in Wisconsin that is still functioning as a Masonic Lodge. Dodgeville Lodge #119 dates to 1859. Today, the structure also houses a Masonic Museum for the Southwestern Wisconsin region. The Dodgeville Primitive Methodist Church stood on this site until the present Plymouth Congregational UCC structure was built in 1907. Downtown Dodgeville's historic buildings stretch six blocks along north and south Iowa Street. Much of the downtown is included in the Iowa Street Historic District. The Jones and Owens family, prominent merchants in Dodgeville constructed a Mausoleum in the East Cemetery on East Division Street where several of the family members are entombed. Family mausoleums were quite common in larger urban areas in the late 19th century, but less common in smaller communities. The Jones and Owens mercantile business building is located on South Iowa Street and currently houses the Quality Bakery (since 1946), among other businesses. The Jones family mansion is located on North Main Street across from Plymouth UCC and the Owens family mansion is located on South Iowa Street near the intersection with Valley Street. Both structures are private dwellings. Built in 1878, the David J. and Maggie Jones House was originally built for J.C. Hocking and was later purchased by David J. Jones.

Parks and recreation

Military Ridge State Trail is a trail that runs from Dodgeville to Fitchburg, Wisconsin following the former Chicago and Northwestern Railroad paths (MRT). It is used for hiking, bicycling, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing. The original military road from Fort Howard in Green Bay to Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien followed much of the same corridor in the 1820s through the 1840s and was the primary land route crossing the state. Governor Dodge State Park is located on Highway 23, about north of Dodgeville. The park's development began in the late 1940s, followed by the development of Cox Hollow Lake in the 1950s. The park is in the upper reaches of the Twin Parks watershed, a major soil and water conservation project in the area of the Lower

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 ...

watershed.

Government

The foundations for the Iowa County Courthouse located at 222 North Iowa Street were laid in 1859, making it the state's oldest continuously active courthouse. The mayor of Dodgeville is Barry N. Hottmann.

Education

The Dodgeville School District serves students from Dodgeville and the village of Ridgeway and comprises three schools - one

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, one

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

, and one

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

. The elementary school covers pre-K through 5th grade. The middle school serves grades 6 through 8, and the high school 9 through 12. St. Joseph's Catholic School serves students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. In the metropolitan building downtown, SWATC adult education classes are offered.

Media

Dodgeville's weekly newspaper is the '' Dodgeville Chronicle'', published every Wednesday. With a circulation of about 5,300, the newspaper serves Dodgeville and surrounding communities. Dodgeville is also served by the '' Wisconsin State Journal'', published in Madison, and the Dubuque '' Telegraph Herald'', ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...

'', and ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

''. Dodgeville is home to WDMP-FM 99.3 offering a full service country format and WZRK 810 AM and 96.9 FM offering an active rock format, Dodgeville is also served locally by

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 ...

transmitter WHHI 91.3 licensed to nearby

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

. Dodgeville is a part of the larger Madison radio and television market with Madison-based broadcasters available over the air and on cable, satellite and OTT services.

Transportation

Airports

The Dodgeville Municipal Airport, built in 1967, was originally known as the Governor Dodge Quinn Airport. Closed in 1989, it reopened as the Southwind Airport, a private airport, in 2002.

Bus service

The Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) has a special needs van that serves Iowa County. The bus is available on Tuesdays for people wanting to travel around Dodgeville. Residents over the age of 60 or individuals with disabilities may use the Iowa County Aging & Disability Resource Center Volunteer Driver Escort program for non-emergency medical purposes. The Iowa County Taxi serves Dodgeville on Wednesdays and Fridays and Lamers Bus provides transportation from Green Bay to Dubuque, stopping in downtown Dodgeville.

Highways

Dodgeville Expressway, U.S. Route 151 (US 151), US 18, and

Wisconsin Highway 23 State Trunk Highway 23 (often called Highway 23, STH-23 or WIS 23) is a Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System, state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The highway's route is signed as a north–south route from Shullsburg, Wiscon ...

travel through the city.

Railroads

Dodgeville no longer has rail service, but was once served by both the Chicago and Northwestern and the

Illinois Central The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the Central United States. Its primary routes connected Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, and thus, the Great Lak ...

Railroads. The former Illinois Central freight depot still stands in downtown Dodgeville. The former C&NW passenger depot was relocated from North Dodgeville to the former Don Q Inn Supper Club and Motel north of Dodgeville in the 1970s. Dodgeville was the northernmost terminus for an Illinois Central line from

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the largest city in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is k ...

. The C&NW line extended from Madison to Dodgeville and then to points west and south, with its terminus in

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 ...

. The Illinois Central line to Dodgeville was removed in February 1942 and the rails were used in the construction of the Battleship Wisconsin, which was commissioned during World War II and served into the Vietnam era.

Healthcare

In 1974, St. Joseph's Hospital and Dodgeville General Hospital merged to form Memorial Hospital. In 2001, Memorial Hospital changed its name to Upland Hills Health Center. Later other structures were added to the hospital, which were eventually demolished to build the much larger existing Upland Hills Health Center. The center now comprises a clinic, rehabilitation center, nursing home, and hospital.

Sister city

Oakham Oakham is a market town and civil parish in Rutland (of which it is the county town) in the East Midlands of England. The town is located east of Leicester, southeast of Nottingham and northwest of Peterborough. It had a population of 12,14 ...

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Notable people

* Glenn A. Abbey, U.S. diplomat * Melancthon J. Briggs, Wisconsin State Assembly *

, first territorial governor of Wisconsin for whom Dodgeville was named * William D. Dyke, former U.S. vice presidential candidate * Thomas Evans, Wisconsin State Assembly * Homer Fieldhouse, landscape architect * Francis Gehon, member of the Iowa Territorial Legislature * Bradley M. Glass, Illinois state legislator and lawyer * Archie Hahn, Gold medal Olympic sprinter in the 1904 and 1906 Olympics * Steve Hilgenberg, Wisconsin State Assembly * Thomas Jenkins, Wisconsin State Assembly * John J. Jones, Union Army general * Roy C. Smelker, Wisconsin State Assembly * Joel Whitman, Wisconsin State Senator * Platt Whitman, Wisconsin State Assembly * John "Weenie" Wilson, Hall of Fame football, basketball, and baseball coach

References

External links

City of Dodgeville

Dodgeville Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
1894189919051915
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Iowa County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin Populated places established in 1827 1827 establishments in Michigan Territory