Elkhorn is a city in

Walworth County, Wisconsin Walworth 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 106,478. Its county seat is Elkhorn, Wisconsin, Elkhorn. The county was created in ...

, 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 ...

. It is located southwest of

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 10,247 people, up from 10,084 at the 2010 census.

History

In 1836, Colonel Samuel Phoenix spotted a rack of elk

antlers Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) Family (biology), family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally fo ...

in a tree and proclaimed the area as "Elk Horn." The area's beauty and fertile soil led Daniel Bradley, his brother Milo, and LeGrand Rockwell to create a community in the area. Its growth to a population of 539 led to the first town meeting in 1846. Elkhorn was designated county seat that same year because of its location in Walworth County. In 1851, Elkhorn became the location of the Walworth County Fair, which is now hosted annually at the Walworth County Fairgrounds. The Walworth County Fair is the largest county fair in Wisconsin. In the 1870s,

saline water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wat ...

from springs located in Elkhorn was believed to cure

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

. Because the city places

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

decorations around its center, Elkhorn has been called the "Christmas Card Town" since before

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 ...

. This tradition is celebrated every year by an annual oil painting by local artist Jan Castle Reed. These watercolor paintings are turned into Christmas cards. Elkhorn is also known for the folklore of the Beast of Bray Road, a supposed

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...

type creature that has become the focus of books, documentaries, and other media including 2005 movie, The Beast of Bray Road.

Geography

Elkhorn is located at (42.672900, −88.540342). 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 10,084 people, 3,801 households, and 2,514 families living 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 4,043 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.4%

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 ...

, 1.2%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 4.8% from other races, and 1.6% 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 11.0% of the population. There were 3,801 households, of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,305 people, 2,919 households, and 1,903 families living in the city. The

was 1,005.2 people per square mile (388.0/km²). There were 3,014 housing units at an average density of 414.7 per square mile (160.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.81%

, 0.47%

, 0.40% Native American, 0.55% 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 ...

, 2.83% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6.13% of the population. There were 2,919 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were

living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,395, and the median income for a family was $47,475. Males had a median income of $34,867 versus $22,253 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 $20,003. About 7.4% of families and 9.9% 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 12.7% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Elkhorn was a stop on the Racine & Southwestern branch line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, better known as the Milwaukee Road. In its 1980 bankruptcy, the Milwaukee Road disposed of the Southwestern Line. The Wisconsin & Southern continues to service Elkhorn from a connection at Bardwell to the west.

Notable people

* Lucius Allen,

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

Thomas Ryum Amlie Thomas Ryum Amlie (April 17, 1897 – August 22, 1973) was an American politician who served as a two-time United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. Ryum first served as a Republi ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

* Tom Bigelow, racing driver * Charles Coleman, Wisconsin State Assembly * Ely B. Dewing, Wisconsin State Assembly * Charles Dunlap, Wisconsin State Assembly * Sidney Clayton Goff, Wisconsin State Assembly * John Harris, Wisconsin State Senator * William H. Hurlbut, Wisconsin State Assembly * Greg Kent, NFL Player * Jay G. Lamberson, Wisconsin State Assembly * Hollis Latham, Wisconsin State Assembly * Tallan Noble Latz, musician * John Raleigh,

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 ...

player * Eldo T. Ridgway, Wisconsin State Senator, mayor of Elkhorn * Jim Roslof, fantasy artist * James D. Swan, Wisconsin State Senator''Wisconsin Blue Book 1973'', p. 50 * Patrick Smage, motorcycle racer *

Joseph Philbrick Webster Joseph Philbrick Webster, also known as J.P. Webster (February 18, 1819 – January 18, 1875), was an American songwriter and composer most notable for his musical compositions during the Antebellum South, antebellum and American Civil War period ...

, composer of In the Sweet By-and-By * Clarence J. Wilger, Wisconsin State Assembly

Images

File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Police Department and Municipal Court.jpg, Police department and Municipal Court File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Town Square.jpg, Park in town square File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Downtown Looking South WIS11 WIS67.jpg, Downtown looking south File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Welcome Sign.jpg, Welcome sign File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Medical Center.jpg, Mercy Elkhorn Medical Center File:Elkhorn Wisconsin Downtown Looking East WIS11.jpg, Southern town square

References

External links

City of Elkhorn, Wisconsin website

Elkhorn Chamber of Commerce website
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
1893189819041911
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Walworth County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin