Fox Lake is a city in

Dodge County, Wisconsin Dodge 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 89,396. Its county seat is Juneau, Wisconsin, Juneau. The county was created from the ...

, United States. The population was 1,604 at the 2020 census. The city is located within the Town of Fox Lake.

History

Established in 1838, Fox Lake was the first settlement in Dodge County. The first inhabitants were Winnebago Indians who had named the area "Hosh-a-rac-ah-tah", meaning "good land". The area was later named Fox Lake, either in honor of a Winnebago Indian named Big Fox who saved a lost trapper or for the English translation of the Indian name of the town.

Geography

Fox Lake is located at 43°33'45" North, 88°54'35" West (43.56265, -88.90994). 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. The 2,713 acre lake also known as Fox Lake is found north of the city.

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 1,519 people, 663 households, and 400 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 801 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.0%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 0.5% 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 2.4% of the population. There were 663 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% 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, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 42.5 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.0% male and 48.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,454 people, 615 households, and 373 families living in the city. The

was 1,036.1 people per square mile (401.0/km²). There were 695 housing units at an average density of 495.3 per square mile (191.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.32%

, 0.76%

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

, 0.21% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.00%

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 ...

, 0.48% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. 3.51% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 615 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% 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 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,607, and the median income for a family was $44,904. Males had a median income of $33,105 versus $21,833 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 $17,753. 7.7% of the population and 4.7% of families 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 ...

. 9.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

The Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee is an annual celebration in May in honor of jazz trumpeter

Bunny Berigan Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...

. The festival began in 1973 and is a three-day event featuring various musical entertainers and presentations on Berigan.

Tourism

In 1983 Wisconsin's largest archaeology discovery was made in Fox Lake. Artifacts from the dig and local history are displayed in the Fox Lake Historical Museum, located inside the 1884 Fox Lake Railroad Depot. The Depot is on the list of the

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

and a model of the Loop & Junction railroad, working blacksmith shop, Congregational Church and Sinclair Gas Station are on display inside the depot.

Education

Public schools

Fox Lake is served by the Waupun School District. The school district has several schools including SAGES, Meadow View Primary, Rock River Intermediate and Waupun High School. SAGES (School for Agriculture and Environmental Studies) is located in Fox Lake.

Private schools

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church and School is a private coeducational school located in Fox Lake. It is affiliated with 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 ...

Libraries

The Fox Lake Public Library is located in Fox Lake.

Infrastructure

Prisons

Fox Lake Correctional Institution is located in Fox Lake and is a medium security facility for adult offenders. It is a state prison operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Notable people

, jazz trumpeter, considered Fox Lake to be his hometown * Willis G. Calderwood,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

progressive politician * Harley Sanford Jones, U.S. Air Force general * Stoddard Judd, physician and politician * William E. Smith, 14th Governor of

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

Gallery

File:FoxLakeWisconsinSkyline.jpg, Fox Lake skyline File:FoxLakeWisconsinWaterTowerWIS33.jpg, Water tower File:FoxLakeWisconsinSignWIS33.jpg, Sign on WIS 33 File:FoxLakeWisconsinFireDepartmentWIS68.jpg, Fire station

References

External links

City of Fox Lake
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Dodge County, Wisconsin