Withee, Wisconsin
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Withee is a village in
Clark County Clark County may refer to: *Clark County, Arkansas *Clark County, Idaho *Clark County, Illinois *Clark County, Indiana *Clark County, Kansas *Clark County, Kentucky *Clark County, Missouri *Clark County, Nevada, containing Las Vegas *Clark County, ...
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 ...
. The population was 487 at the 2010 census. The village is located mostly within the Town of Hixon, with a small portion extending south into the Town of Longwood.


History

James S. Boardman was the first settler in Withee, arriving in 1870. George Richards and David R. Goodwin arrived shortly after. A post office named ''Winneoka'' was established there in 1874 at the farm of Bernard Brown, who also sold small supplies. Before that, both mail and supplies had been hauled from
Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth ...
and
Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls () is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,731 in the 2020 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County. The city's name orig ...
. In 1880 the Wisconsin Central Railroad built the line through Withee connecting Abbotsford to
Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls () is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,731 in the 2020 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County. The city's name orig ...
. The initial village of Withee was platted the following year, named for Niran Withee, a
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
schoolteacher,
La Crosse La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 20 ...
lumberman, and Wisconsin legislator. With the railroad came fast growth. E.A. Eaton built Withee's first store in 1881, then sold it to W.S. Tufts, who ran the post office there. Then William Valiquette added a saloon. Another
general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...
soon followed, a grocery and
confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two bro ...
, a hotel, a
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
, another saloon, and a lumber yard. The first one-room school was built in 1883. A four-room school was added in 1890. By 1890, a
stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
line ran north out of Neillsville, through Christie, Greenwood, and Longwood, connecting with the railroad at Withee. In 1893, attracted by Spaulding Company's offer of land for a church, a Danish
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
minister from Chicago, a follower of
N. F. S. Grundtvig Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (; 8 September 1783 – 2 September 1872), most often referred to as N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician. He was one of the most influential p ...
, moved with a few families into the Town of Hixon, north of Withee, to form a Danish community and church. Other Danes joined them from around the state, and by 1896 the congregation included thirty families. The Danish language was spoken, and in 1913 the community even hired a teacher of Danish folk-dancing and gymnastics. Gradually the Danish community blended with the surrounding English speakers, but Nazareth Lutheran church remains. Withee incorporated as a village in 1901, and was the shipping point for D.J. Spaulding Mills of Owen through 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 ...
. Electricity became available in the village in 1902, provided by the Paul A. Paulsen mill. Most living outside the village went without electicity for another 35 years, when electric lines were finally put up about 1937 by the new Clark Electric Cooperative, funded by a loan from the
New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...
Rural Electrification Administration The United States Rural Utilities Service (RUS) administers programs that provide infrastructure or infrastructure improvements to rural communities. These include water and waste treatment, electric power, and telecommunications services. It i ...
. The village water system was installed in 1907 and a volunteer fire department was established in 1908. The 1906 plat map shows the depot, post office, and a church in the original plat between Division and Pine streets. By then other plats had been added east of Division Street, holding the school, two more churches, a hall, and the State Bank of Withee. Today, Withee is largely a farming community located one mile from the town of
Owen Owen may refer to: People and fictional characters * Owen (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Places United States * Owen, Missouri, a ghost town * Owen, Wisconsin * Owen County, Indiana ...
. It includes one gas station, 5 churches, a post office and pharmacy, as well as a few smaller shops. Although the Village of Withee and the City of Owen are separate
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
, they operate and communicate as one large community, even sharing the same elementary and high school, the Owen-Withee school district.


Geography

Withee is located at (44.955168, -90.598908). 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 village has a total area of , all land.


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 487 people, 232 households, and 131 families living in the village. 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 254 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.0%
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 ...
, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.6% 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 2.3% of the population. There were 232 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the village was 45.5 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.3% male and 50.7% 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 507 people, 213 households, and 142 families living in the village. 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 606.2 people per square mile (233.5/km2). There were 228 housing units at an average density of 272.1 per square mile (104.8/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.43%
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 ...
, 0.39% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.39% of the population were
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. There were 213 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% 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, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.89. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median income for a household in the village was $29,625, and the median income for a family was $38,542. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $21,250 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 village was $18,874. About 3.8% 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 15.2% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.


Notable person

*
Bruce F. Beilfuss Bruce Frederich Beilfuss (January 8, 1915August 18, 1986) was an American lawyer and jurist from Clark County, Wisconsin. He was the 22nd chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, from 1976 to 1983, and served a total of 20 years on the high ...
, Chief Justice of the
Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...


References


External links


Village of Withee official website

Withee Public Library
{{authority control Villages in Wisconsin Villages in Clark County, Wisconsin