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Elroy is a city in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Baraboo River and at the east end of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail. The population was 1,356 at the 2020 census.


History

Elroy was named in 1858, supposedly after a place in Scotland. By another account, the original residents chose "LeRoy" as the name for the community and its post office, but were informed that another community in the state had that name already. Switching the first two letters was suggested and adopted. A post office called Elroy has been in operation since 1862. Elroy was for many years an important railroad hub in the area. The Baraboo Air Line Railroad reached Elroy in the 1870s. The Air Line was later acquired by the
Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, 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 t ...
and the line was pushed on to Sparta, Wisconsin. It eventually became the main line of the CNW between
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
and
Winona, Minnesota Winona ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, United States. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota), Sugar Loaf. The population was 2 ...
. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway also became a presence in Elroy when its line was built from St. Paul, Minnesota, south through
Camp Douglas, Wisconsin Camp Douglas is a village in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 647 at the 2020 census, up from 601 at the 2010 census. Camp Douglas is home to Volk Field Air National Guard Base. History Camp Douglas was laid out in ...
. Both railroad companies kept roundhouses and other operations in Elroy. Rail traffic on the Elroy portion of the CNW eventually declined, due to the construction of better mainline trackage further to the north (via Adams, Necedah, and Wyeville). The rails on this portion were taken up in the mid-1960s and the right-of-way was converted into the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail, as it remains today. The CNW tracks from Elroy southeast to
Reedsburg, Wisconsin Reedsburg is a city in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population in 2020 was 9,984. The city is located northwest of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison within the Madison metropolitan area, Baraboo micropolitan area. The city is surrounde ...
, along with those of the north-south Omaha line, were taken up in the 1990s, and these rights-of-way are now known as the "400" State Trail, and the Omaha Trail, respectively.


Geography

Elroy is located at (43.742016, -90.269597). 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. The city is primarily surrounded by the Town of Plymouth and partially touches the Town of Wonewoc on the southern end.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 1,442 people, 590 households, and 348 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 680 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.8%
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 ...
, 0.3%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% 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 2.2% of the population. There were 590 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.0% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.


2000 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 2000, there were 1,578 people, 632 households, and 396 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 823.0 people per square mile (317.3/km2). There were 692 housing units at an average density of 360.9 per square mile (139.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.48%
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 ...
, 0.32%
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 ...
, 0.32% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.38% 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 1.27% of the population. There were 632 households, out of which 31.5% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,859, and the median income for a family was $42,452. Males had a median income of $31,699 versus $24,250 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $15,529. About 9.9% of families and 14.2% 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 17.3% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.


Gallery


Notable people

* Charles Erwin Booth, Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Elroy * Peter A. Cleary, Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Elroy *
Peter Egan Peter Joseph Egan (born 28 September 1946) is a British actor. He is known for television roles including Hogarth in '' Big Breadwinner Hog'' (1969), the future King George IV in ''Prince Regent'' (1979); smooth neighbour Paul Ryman in the sitco ...
, columnist was born in Elroy * John Grimshaw, Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Elroy *
Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...
, author, lived for a time in Elroy in the early 1880s, during his stay in the United States :no:Elroy (Wisconsin) * Daniyal Mueenuddin, author, lived part-time on a farm outside Elroy * Ed Thompson, ran unsuccessfully for Wisconsin governor on the
Libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
ticket in 2002, brother of Tommy Thompson *
Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American politician who served as the 19th United States secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2005 in the Presidency of George W. Bush, cabinet of President of the United State ...
,
Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's Wisconsin Army National Guard, army and Wisconsin Air National Guard, air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the ...
for four terms and the
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
during the first term of George W. Bush, was an Elroy resident


See also

* List of geographic names derived from anagrams and ananyms


References


External links


City of Elroy
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
1892189819041914
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Juneau County, Wisconsin