Wheatland 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 Kenosha 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 3,391 at the 2020 census. The census-designated place of Powers Lake is located partially in the town. The unincorporated communities of Lily Lake, New Munster, and Slades Corners are also located in the town. Settlement in the town is centered along 328th Avenue (Kenosha County Highway W) north of 60th Street (Kenosha County Highway K). The former Wisconsin Central Railway Chicago-Twin Cities main line (now the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

) also runs through the town; a passenger and freight station used was located here well into the 20th century.

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 are land and , or 1.36%, are water.

History

The first settlers in Wheatland were Schuyler Bonday in August 1837 and Adolph Reitbrook in September 1837. Wheatland was formed on May 7, 1842. Its name is derived from the wheat which was said to grow well in the rich soil in the area. The first constable was James B. Powers, for whom Powers Lake is named. When the Town of Wheatland was formed, it was originally in Racine County. On January 30, 1850, the town was transferred to Kenosha County, where it remains today.Wheatland, Town of, Kenosha Co
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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 3,292 people, 1,209 households, and 893 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,379 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.12%

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 ...

, 0.49%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.67% 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 0.97% of the population. There were 1,209 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% 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 3.15. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $52,386, and the median income for a family was $61,797. Males had a median income of $43,000 versus $27,917 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 $21,299. About 3.5% of families and 5.3% 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 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

January 2008 tornado

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

touched down in the town on January 7, 2008. The tornado was rated EF3 on the

Enhanced Fujita Scale The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated EF-Scale) is a scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage a tornado causes. It is used in the United States and France, among other countries. The EF scale is also unofficially ...

, with winds estimated at 140-150 mph. Its path covered and was wide, demolishing 25

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

s and damaging about 100 more. This left 160 people homeless or unable to return to their homes. The damage was estimated at $18 million.

References

*''The Racine Journal'', Tuesday, December 23, 1902, Page 1: "THE BEGINNING OF KENOSHA COUNTY"

External links

Town of Wheatland official website
{{authority control Towns in Kenosha County, Wisconsin Populated places in Kenosha County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin