Jefferson is a city in

Jefferson County, Wisconsin Jefferson County is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 84,900. Its county seat is Jefferson, Wisconsin, Jefferson. Jefferson County comprises the ...

, 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 lies at the confluence of the

Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

and

Crawfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some spe ...

rivers. The population was 7,793 at the 2020 census. The city is partially bordered by the Town of Jefferson.

History

Jefferson's founders were settlers from

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

, part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

during the early 1800s. Specifically, on December 18, 1836, three settlers, all of them from

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 ...

, Rodney J. Currier, Andrew Lansing and Capt. Robert Masters, came from Bark Mills (Hebron) and "distributed" themselves about the Jefferson area. Currier and Lansing were the first known settlers in the area as they later erected a log cabin on a claim previously made. Most arrived as a result of the completion of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

as well as the end of 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 ...

. Jefferson's location was selected to make use of the water power and transportation opportunities offered by the Rock River. It was the furthest point a

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

could navigate the Rock in 1839. Later bridges built downstream prevented such navigation. When settlers arrived in what is now Jefferson there was nothing but dense

virgin forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...

and wild prairie. They built farms, roads, and government buildings and established post routes. They brought many of their

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...

values, such as a passion for education, establishing many schools as well as staunch support for

abolitionism Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. ...

. They were mostly members of the

Congregationalist Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...

though some were

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

. Due to the

second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the late 18th to early 19th century in the United States. It spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching and sparked a number of reform movements. Revivals were a k ...

some had converted to

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

and others had become

Baptists Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

before moving to Jefferson. Like much of Wisconsin, Jefferson would be culturally very continuous with New England culture for most of its early history. Jefferson was incorporated as a village by an 1857 act of the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

and was then incorporated as a city in March 1878. During

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 ...

, Camp Jefferson, a prison camp for German POWs, was erected at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. The Jefferson County Fairgrounds hosted horse buggy racing prior to the renovations to the new fairgrounds.

Gemütlichkeit ''Gemütlichkeit'' () is a German-language word used to convey the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer. Other qualities encompassed by the term include cosiness, peace of mind, and a sense of belonging and well ...

Days was started in 1971 to celebrate the German heritage of many of the residents of the Jefferson area. The festival was first held under tents in the downtown area. The festival quickly grew and in 1975 the festival was moved to the Jefferson County Fair grounds and has been held there every year since then.Jefferson celebrates German heritage at Gemuetlichkeit Days
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Geography

Jefferson is located at (43.003091, -88.807855). 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. Jefferson's elevation is at the center of downtown.

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 7,973 people, 3,132 households, and 1,989 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 3,378 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.2%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 5.4% from other races, and 1.5% 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 11.8% of the population. There were 3,132 households, of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.5% were non-families. 29.8% 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 2.42 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 37.5 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,338 people, 2,816 households, and 1,819 families living in the city. The

was 1,645.9 people per square mile (635.3/km²). There were 2,934 housing units at an average density of 658.1 per square mile (254.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.28%

, 0.53% African American (U.S. Census), Black or Race (United States Census), African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), Pacific Islander, 3.04% from Race (United States Census), other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 6.79% of the population were Hispanic or Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino of any race. There were 2,816 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,962, and the median income for a family was $47,737. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $25,142 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,124. About 5.4% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over

Education

In Jefferson there are six schools: two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and two private schools. The names of the schools are East Elementary, West Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, Jefferson High School (Jefferson, Wisconsin), Jefferson High School, St. John's Catholic, and St. John's Lutheran. East Elementary School was built as a public works project in 1939 during the Great Depression. The fight song for Jefferson High School is a version of 'On Wisconsin' music with words dedicated to the students of JHS.

Economy

Renew Energy, Valero Renewables is an ethanol plant located in Jefferson. There is also a Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, Purina cat food manufacturing plant and a Generac Power Systems plant.

Notable people

* Claire B. Bird, Wisconsin state senator, born in Jefferson * Ira W. Bird, Wisconsin State Representative and mayor of Jefferson * Paul M. Blayney, U.S. Coast Guard admiral * Christopher Grimm (politician), Christopher Grimm, Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Jefferson * George Grimm, Wisconsin State Representative and judge, born in Jefferson * Kenneth E. Gruennert, Medal of Honor recipient, attended school in Jefferson * Robert Kirkland Henry, United States House of Representatives, congressman, born in Jefferson * Rosemary Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy, lived in Jefferson * Lance Leipold, head football coach at the University of Kansas * William W. Reed, Wisconsin state senator and representative, lived in Jefferson * Oscar F. Roessler, Wisconsin State Representative and newspaper editor, was born in Jefferson * Zeke Sanborn, Olympic Games, Olympic gold medalist in rowing (sport), rowing, born in Jefferson * Joseph Stoppenbach, Wisconsin State Representative, born in Jefferson * Wilbur H. Tousley, Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Jefferson

Notes

External links

City of Jefferson official website

Jefferson Area Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
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{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Jefferson County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin