New Richmond is a city in
St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 10,079 as of the 2020 census. New Richmond is within the
Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area.
History
New Richmond was founded in 1857. The first permanent settlement was established by Hiram Foster, who had led a group of settlers from
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
into the area in search of virgin
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 ...
timber for harvesting. Foster built and operated a sawmill on the banks of the
Willow River, which gradually drew more settlers from New England into the area. For the first few years the settlement was called Foster's Crossing, and was later renamed after Richmond Day, the land surveyor who plotted the town. Because another town in Wisconsin had already taken the name Richmond, it was decided to call the town New Richmond. In 1871, New Richmond was made a station on the southwestern branch of
Chicago
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 ...
,
St. Paul,
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
&
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
Railroad's 'Omaha X' network, initially working northwards from
Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson Rodrigues dos Santos, Brazilian f ...
to New Richmond and providing a direct connection to St. Paul. Construction on the line continued northeast of New Richmond, reaching
Spooner, Wisconsin in 1879. In addition to a steady stream of newcomers from New England, New Richmond saw an influx of
Irish immigrants throughout the 1870s and early 1880s, later followed by large numbers of
Germans
Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
,
Norwegians
Norwegians () are an ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the Norsemen, Norse of the Early ...
and a few
Swedes
Swedes (), or Swedish people, are an ethnic group native to Sweden, who share a common ancestry, Culture of Sweden, culture, History of Sweden, history, and Swedish language, language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, ...
throughout the 1880s and 1890s. In 1885, the
Wisconsin Central Railroad built a line into the north side of town westward from
Chippewa Falls, from where it later continued towards
Stillwater and on to St. Paul.
On the early evening of June 12, 1899,
a deadly tornado tore through St. Croix,
Polk
DNA polymerase kappa is a DNA polymerase that in humans is encoded by the ''POLK'' gene. It is involved in translesion synthesis
DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell (biology), cell identifies and corrects damage to the ...
and
Barron counties along a 46-mile path. While most of the
F5-strength storm's path was confined to rural areas, New Richmond suffered a direct hit, with half the town's residences leveled as well as the entire business district. In all, the tornado killed 117 people, 111 at New Richmond alone, injured more than 125, left over 1,500 people homeless and caused an estimated $18 million in damage. Due to state and federal aid and a large amount of donations, most of the homes and all but two of the businesses destroyed in the storm were able to rebuild by the following winter. Today, the tornado ranks as the deadliest ever recorded in Wisconsin and the ninth deadliest tornado in American history. Most of Main Street (Knowles Avenue) was rebuilt within five months.
Geography
New Richmond is located at (45.119856, −92.539142).
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.
A major source of
hydrological
Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...
water is from the
Willow River, which is
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
med near the center of town.
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 8,375 people, 3,421 households, and 2,094 families residing 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 3,684 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%
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 ...
, 1.3%
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 ...
, 0.6%
Native American, 0.7%
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 2.1% of the population.
There were 3,421 households, of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 33.9 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% 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 6,310 people, 2,561 households, and 1,546 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,657 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.15%
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 ...
, 0.22%
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 ...
, 0.24%
Native American, 0.35%
Asian, 0.13% from
other races, and 0.92% 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 0.78% of the population.
There were 2,561 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% 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, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,475, and the median income for a family was $52,422. Males had a median income of $37,306 versus $27,153 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 $19,840. About 4.2% of families and 6.8% 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 4.8% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The New Richmond School district consists of three elementary schools, Starr, Hillside, and Paperjack; New Richmond Middle School; and
New Richmond High School. There is also a private elementary and middle school, St. Mary School.
Northwood Technical College New Richmond is a technical college that serves New Richmond and the surrounding area. Northwood also has campuses in
Rice Lake,
Ashland, and
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...
.
Infrastructure
New Richmond station previously served passenger trains on the
Soo Line Railroad
The Soo Line Railroad is one of the primary United States railroad subsidiaries for the CPKC Railway , one of six U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Saul ...
.
Roads
Wisconsin Highways
64 and
65 are main routes in the community. Highway 64 runs east–west, and Highway 65 / Knowles Avenue runs north–south. Other main routes include County Roads A, CC, and K, and Fourth Street.
Airport
The
New Richmond Regional Airport (
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
: KRNH) is a large general aviation airport north of New Richmond's central business district that serves the region and the military. The airport is considered the largest in Wisconsin in terms of the number of hangars at the airport, which total 117. The airport ranks second in Wisconsin in terms of based aircraft totaling 225. The nearest airport with commercial flights is
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
Notable people
*
Robert M. Boche,
Wisconsin State Representative, resided in New Richmond
*
Jessie Connors, contestant from the first season of The Apprentice (US), born in New Richmond
*
John Doar
John Michael Doar (December 3, 1921 – November 11, 2014) was an American lawyer and senior counsel with the law firm Doar Rieck Kaley & Mack in New York City.
During the administrations of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, h ...
, civil rights attorney, born and practiced law in New Richmond
*
Michael P. Early, Wisconsin State Representative, born in New Richmond
*
Casey Finnegan, college football coach, born in New Richmond
*
Albert W. Hillestad,
Episcopal Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, born in New Richmond
*
Warren P. Knowles,
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 ...
, practiced law in New Richmond
*
Scott Lynch, fantasy author, resides in New Richmond
*
John McNally, football player for the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
(1929–1936), member of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
, former NFL head coach, born in New Richmond
*
Ethan B. Minier, Wisconsin State Representative, lawyer, and farmer, lived near New Richmond
*
David William Olien, Author, General Officer of the University of Illinois, Executive Vice President of the University of Wisconsin, was raised in New Richmond
*
George Oakes, Wisconsin State Representative and lawyer, born near New Richmond
*
Roy Vassau, professional football player for the
Milwaukee Badgers
The Milwaukee Badgers were a professional American football team, based in Milwaukee, that played in the National Football League from 1922 to 1926. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, later known as Borchert Field, on Milwaukee ...
, born in New Richmond
*
William W. Ward, Wisconsin State Representative and lawyer, resided in New Richmond
*
Orrin J. Williams, Wisconsin State Representative, resided in New Richmond
See also
*
List of cities in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state, state located in the Midwestern United States. As of January 1, 2021, there were 190 cities in Wisconsin, and 1,883 municipalities.Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. ''State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2011-2012'', p. ...
References
Further reading
* Reppe, James D., Beverly S. Hooser, and Mary A. Sather. ''Over on the East Side, New Richmond, Wisconsin''. New Richmond, Wis: New Richmond Heritage Center, 2007.
* Reppe, James D., and Mary A. Sather. ''Down on the South Side, New Richmond, Wisconsin.'' New Richmond, Wis: New Richmond Heritage Center, 2008.
* Reppe, James D., and Mary A. Sather. ''Moving West: The First Suburb, New Richmond, Wisconsin''. New Richmond, Wis: New Richmond Heritage Center, 2005.
* Reppe, James D., and Mary A. Sather. ''Up on the Northside, New Richmond, Wisconsin''. New Richmond, Wis: New Richmond Heritage Center, 2006.
* Sather, Mary A. ''Sesquicentennial Tales: 150 New Richmondites, 1857-2007, New Richmond, Wisconsin''. New Richmond, Wis.: New Richmond Heritage Center, 2007.
* Sather, Mary A. ''They Built Their City Twice: A History of New Richmond, Wisconsin''. New Richmond, Wis: New Richmond Preservation Society, 1998.
* Sather, Mary A., and James D. Reppe. ''Historic New Richmond Downtown, 1899-2009, New Richmond, Wisconsin''. New Richmond, Wis: New Richmond Heritage Center, 2009.
External links
New Richmond Heritage CenterCity of New Richmond* Sanborn fire insurance maps
1887189219001912
New Richmond aerial photos
{{authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in St. Croix County, Wisconsin