New Diggings is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Lafayette 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 502 at the 2010 census, up from 473 in 2000. The unincorporated communities of Etna, Lead Mine, and New Diggings are located in the town.

Geography

The town is in southwestern Lafayette County and is bordered to the south by Jo Daviess County in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. 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 , all of it recorded as land. The town is drained by the Galena River, a south-flowing waterway that meanders back and forth across the western border of the town before entering Illinois.

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 473 people, 176 households, and 127 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 18.7 people per square mile (7.2/km²). There were 194 housing units at an average density of 7.7 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.15%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American and 0.63% Asian. There were 176 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% 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, 4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

for a household in the town was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $50,114. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $20,750 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 $17,122. About 3.3% of families and 6.4% 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 5.7% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Montgomery Morrison Cothren, Wisconsin legislator and jurist * Thomas Cruson, Wisconsin territorial legislator *

Frederick Hird Frederick Sylvester Hird (December 6, 1879 – September 27, 1952) was an American sports shooter who won one gold and two bronze medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Hird started as a professional boxer and semiprofessi ...

, shooter in the 1912 Olympics; born in New Diggings * Francis Little, Wisconsin state senator and chairman of the Town Board of New Diggings *

Samuel Mazzuchelli Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, Order of Preachers, OP (November 4, 1806 – February 23, 1864) was a pioneer Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic missionary priest who helped bring the Church to the Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin tri-stat ...

, founder of Saint Augustine Church in New Diggings * Daniel Morgan Parkinson, Wisconsin state representative * Thomas J.B. Robinson, U.S. representative from

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

; born in New Diggings * Fred Smith, major league baseball player; born in New Diggings

References

{{authority control Towns in Lafayette County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin