Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin

Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the Rock River, a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. Money Magazine named Fort Atkinson "One of America's Hottest Little Boomtowns". The population was 11,621 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Fort Atkinson is located at (42.927091, -88.840446).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.2 km² (5.5 mi²). 14.0 km² (5.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.64%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,621 people, 4,760 households, and 3,070 families residing in the city. The population density was 832.4/km² (2,154.8/mi²). There were 4,983 housing units at an average density of 356.9/km² (924.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.09% White, 0.34% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.87% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.37% of the population.

There were 4,760 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,807, and the median income for a family was $51,689. Males had a median income of $36,442 versus $23,852 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,008. 5.3% of the population and 3.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

History

The City of Fort Atkinson is located at the site of Fort Koshkonong, and is named after General Henry Atkinson. There is a replica of the original stockade just outside of town, although not at its original site.

Much of the history of Fort Atkinson and the surrounding area, as well as natural history is presented at The Hoard Historical Museum and National Dairy Shrine's Visitor Center ^*. The historical museum has a special Civil War library and exhibit as well. The museum is named after the Hoard family who founded the nationally distributed dairy farm magazine Hoard's Dairyman. The Dairy Shrine portion of the complex shows the history and importance of the dairy industry.

Another historic feature of Fort Atkinson is the General Atkinson Mound Group, a group of Indian mounds located just south of town. Similarly to the larger group of mounds at nearby Aztalan State Park in Aztalan, Wisconsin, the mounds are an artifact of Middle Mississippian Tradition in Wisconsin. Some of the mounds are effigy mounds, resembling birds and turtles. There is also a 125-foot long panther intaglio west of town, the last remaining intaglio in the state.

Economy

Fort Atkinson is home to industry and a growing tourist trade. The city's largest employer is The Fireside Dinner Theatre, a self-described motorcoach attraction, which draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. The city itself and key business owners have recently begun to expand the tourist trade with upscale shopping locations as well as general beautification along the river downtown. Other notable tourist attractions include a reconstruction of the original fort and the Cafe Carpe, noted throughout the state for hosting folk music performances.

In industry, Fort Atkinson is home to Nasco Science, a leading supplier of science educational products, Jones Dairy Farm, and Spacesaver.

Notable Residents

Lorine Niedecker - only woman associated with the Objectivist poets
John Offerdahl - former professional football player
Josh Sawyer - a video game designer active in the role playing game genre
George Marston - San Diego community leader and department store owner
Lucien B. Caswell - served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and as a draft commissioner during the American Civil War

External links