River Falls, WI
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River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
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 ...
. It is located mostly within the town of River Falls, and adjacent to the town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is the most populous city in Pierce County. The population was 16,182 at th
2020 census
with 12,546 residing in Pierce County and 3,636 in St. Croix County. It is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area and located approximately east of the center of that region. River Falls is the home of the
University of Wisconsin–River Falls The University of Wisconsin–River Falls (UW–River Falls or UWRF) is a public university in River Falls, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. The campus is situated on the Kinnickinnic River in the ...
.


History

The city's first settlers were
Joel Foster Joel Foster (December 15, 1814August 9, 1885) was an American pioneer farmer, judge and local politician in River Falls, Wisconsin. Background Foster was born the youngest of eleven at Meriden, Connecticut, December 15, 1814. He was libera ...
and his
indentured servant Indentured servitude is a form of Work (human activity), labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract called an "indenture", may be entered voluntarily for a prepaid lump sum, as paymen ...
, Dick, in 1848. The village was started as Kinnickinnic in 1854 by brothers Nathaniel N. and Oliver S. Powell, who were from St. Lawrence County, New York. At the time, the town and village were also known as Greenwood, but this was changed, as another
Greenwood, Wisconsin Greenwood is a city in Clark County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,026 at the 2010 census. Geography Greenwood is located at (44.767826, -90.598959). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ...
already existed. The present name comes from the Kinnickinnic River rapids. On June 23, 1893, a lightning bolt hit the center circus pole at a Ringling Brothers circus performance in River Falls, injuring multiple audience members and performers and killing seven.


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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. River Falls lies on the banks of the Kinnickinnic River, a class one trout stream. The South Fork of the Kinnickinnic River runs through the city, dividing the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus into two sections. River Falls is along Wisconsin Highways 29, 35, and 65. Other routes include Main Street, Cascade Avenue, and Division Street / County Road M.


Climate


Demographics


2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 12,560 people, 4,269 households, and 2,335 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 4,346 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.57% White, 0.53% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95%. Of the 4,269 households 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 27.7% of households were one person and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98. The age distribution was 17.9% under the age of 18, 35.1% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% 65 or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males. The median household income was $41,184 and the median family income was $60,253. Males had a median income of $36,275 versus $27,345 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,667. About 4.4% of families and 14.9% 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 6.6% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.


2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 15,000 people, 5,150 households, and 2,812 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,449 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.8% White, 1.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8%. Of the 5,150 households 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.4% were non-families. 27.1% of households were one person and 8.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 24.2 years. 17.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 34.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 17% were from 45 to 64; and 8.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.


2020 census

At the 2020 census, there were 16,182 people and 5,521 households. The racial makeup of the city was 92.6% White, 0.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3%. Native Hawaiian was 0.1%.


Education

School District of River Falls operates public schools.
River Falls High School River Falls High School is a public high school in River Falls, Wisconsin. Extracurricular activities Marching band The RFHS marching band has won its class in marching band competition 24 times since 1985. It won state titles in 1985, 1987, 1 ...
is the district's public high school. Meyer Middle School acts as the district's middle school. There are also 5 public elementary schools in the school district. River Falls is home to the
University of Wisconsin-River Falls A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
and a branch of the Chippewa Valley Technical College.


Recreation

The Kinnickinnic River, which flows through the heart of the city and its downtown business district, is a popular recreational attraction in River Falls for fly fishers and kayakers. On the bluffs of the Kinnickinnic River is Glen Park, a 41-acre park established in 1898. The park has playgrounds, a swimming pool, soccer fields, a softball diamond, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a gazebo, and several miles of walking trails. The Glen Park Pool was built in 1937 and renovated for its 75th anniversary in 2012. Glen Park's Swinging Bridge offers a view of the South Fork rapids as it enters the Kinnickinnic River. The bridge, a replica of one designed by the Minneapolis Bridge Company and constructed in 1925, is a
suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...
that spans the South Fork Rapids at the site of the former Cascade Mill and Dam. Below the bridge are fishing, swimming, and picnic spots. Hoffman Park, located northeast of downtown River Falls, is a facility that contains baseball fields, a nine-hole disc golf course, a campsite, a skate park, volleyball courts, and the Tri-Angels Playground. The playground was named after Amara, Sophie, and Cecilia Schaffhausen, who were murdered by their father,
Aaron Schaffhausen Aaron Schaffhausen is a man who murdered his three daughters in their house in River Falls, Wisconsin in 2012. Background Aaron and Jessica Schaffhausen married in 2000 and both filed for divorce in 2011; the divorce was finalized in January of ...
. The playground, accessible to handicapped children and built with designs referring to the three girls, opened in 2015. It was constructed at a cost of $550,000 by volunteers. Another attraction is The Falls Theater, a movie theater.


Notable people

* Aldrich Hazen Ames, C.I.A. counter-intelligence officer and analyst; convicted in 1994 of spying for the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
* Abraham D. Andrews, Wisconsin State Senator * Lynn H. Ashley,
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
*
Jule Berndt Jule Berndt (April 18, 1924 – December 7, 1997) was an American Lutheran clergyman and politician. Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Berndt attended Winneconne High School, in Winneconne, Wisconsin, and then served in the United States Army Air Force ...
, Wisconsin State Assembly * William Berndt, Wisconsin State Senator * Kevin Black, All American Wrestler and Olympic Coach * Ellsworth Burnett, Wisconsin State Assembly * Karyn Bye-Dietz,
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
Gold Medal athlete * George W. Chinnock, Wisconsin State Assembly *
Anna Dodge Anna Dodge (October 18, 1867 – May 4, 1945) was an American stage and silent film actress. Biography Anna Bernice Dodge was born in River Falls, Wisconsin, the daughter of Sumner Downing Dodge and Eliza Ann Clementine Pratt Dodge. Her fa ...
, actress * Michael P. Early, Wisconsin State Assembly * J. P. Feyereisen, MLB Relief Pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays * Tommy Novak, NHL Player for the Nashville Predators * Jim Hall, creator of
FreeDOS FreeDOS (formerly PD-DOS) is a free software operating system for IBM PC compatible computers. It intends to provide a complete MS-DOS-compatible environment for running Legacy system, legacy software and supporting embedded systems. FreeDOS ca ...
*
Sheila Harsdorf Sheila E. Harsdorf (born July 25, 1956) is an American dairy farmer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from Pierce County, Wisconsin. She served as the 11th secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and ...
, Wisconsin State Senator * Nils Pederson Haugen, (1849–1931) U.S. Representative from Wisconsin * Jay R. Hinckley, Wisconsin State Assembly * Robert P. Knowles, Wisconsin State Senator * Warren P. Knowles, Governor of Wisconsin *
Maria Lamb Maria Lamb (born January 4, 1986) is an Olympic speed skater from River Falls, Wisconsin, who competed in the 1,500 meter race and the team pursuit at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was also selected to compete in the 5000 m for the US at the 201 ...
,
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
athlete and national champion speedskater * Linde Lee Jacobs, nurse and health advocate * Doug Lloyd,
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
player * Freeman Lord, Wisconsin State Assembly * Landon Lueck, reality TV star and professional cyclist *
Mark Neumann Mark William Neumann (born February 27, 1954) is an American businessman and politician. He represented for two terms, from 1995 to 1999. In 2010, Neumann unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor. In 2012, Neumann ran for t ...
, U.S. Representative * Frank Nye, U.S. Representative from
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 ...
* Francis Paul Prucha, Roman Catholic priest and educator * Heidi "Frankie" Rayder, fashion model * Missy Rayder, fashion model * Dick Ritger, former professional
ten-pin bowler Tenpin bowling is a type of bowling in which a bowler rolls a bowling ball down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The goal is to knock down all ten pins on the first roll of the ...
and bowling coach; member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame * George B. Skogmo, Wisconsin State Senator * David F. Swensen, Chief Investment Officer of the
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
endowment * Horace Adolphus Taylor, Wisconsin State Senator * Kenneth S. White, Wisconsin State Senator * Stanley York, Wisconsin State Assembly *
Shannon Zimmerman Shannon M. Zimmerman (born March 15, 1972) is an American Republican politician and businessman from River Falls, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 30th Assembly district since 2017. Early life ...
, businessman *
Matt Bowen Matthew Jeremy Bowen (born 9 March 1982) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australia international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played in the National Rugb ...
, American collegiate basketball coach


References


External links


City of River FallsRiver Falls Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Pierce County, Wisconsin Cities in St. Croix County, Wisconsin St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota) Minneapolis–Saint Paul