Gilmanton ( ) is a town in Buffalo County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 426 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated community of Gilmanton is located in the town.

History

Gilmanton was first settled by Samuel Gilman in 1855. He and his four sons started to live upon the land, building cabins and cutting hay for their animal stock. The same year the first child, a girl, was born in Gilman Valley. The first religious meeting was held in a house of one of the settlers, overseen by Rev. B.F. Morse. In 1858 the first post office was established, with William Loumis as the first postmaster. Gilmanton Township was initially called the "Loomis Settlement." The name was changed to Gilmanton May 25, 1858.

Geography

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 town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.20%, is water.

Demographics

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 470 people, 173 households, and 126 families residing in the town. 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 13.0 people per square mile (5.0/km²). There were 180 housing units at an average density of 5.0 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.57%

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 ...

, and 0.43% from two or more races. There were 173 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% 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, 2.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,156, and the median income for a family was $35,469. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $20,268 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 town was $14,769. About 4.6% of families and 7.3% 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 11.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The Gilmanton Free Fair has been held annually since 1947. Activities include a tractor pulling contest, a barbecue cook-off, a bean bag tournament, a softball tournament, and more. The event raises funds for school and community projects.

Notable people

* Harold R. W. Benjamin (1893–1969), American educator and writer; wrote "The Saber-Tooth Curriculum" (1939), was born in the town * Charles W. Gilman (1862–1938), Wisconsin State Representative and lawyer, was born in the town * Franklin Gilman (1825–1880), Wisconsin State Representative and farmer, lived in the town * Elmer A. Kenyon (1870–1922), Wisconsin State Representative, farmer, and businessman, was born in the town * Edward Lees (–1893), politician, lived in the town * Edwin J. Peterson (born 1930), Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice, was born and lived in the town

References

External links

Gilmanton Free Fair
{{authority control Towns in Buffalo County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin