Stoughton, Wisconsin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stoughton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin. It straddles the Yahara River about 20 miles southeast of the capital, Madison. As of 2004, it had a population of 12,692.[1]
Stoughton is known for its Norwegian heritage: It hosts a citywide celebration of Syttende Mai, the Norwegian constitution day, on the weekend closest to May 17, and its sister city is Gjøvik, Norway. Part of the city's celebration of its Norwegian heritage is the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers [1] dance group.
In 2004 a Norwegian TV crew travelled to the Midwest to witness the modern manifestations of Norsky culture in the state. The team was affiliated with the Sogn og Fjordane branch of NRK, Norway’s public television network, but worked as free-lancers on this project. During their stay the team visited Stoughton, as well as Mount Horeb and Decorah, Iowa. In Stoughton the Norwegians focused on Jessica Lippart, then a bunad-clad member of the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers, as she danced and commented on the Norwegian-American cultural aspects of the area. The documentary Ja, de elsker (Litt.: Yes, they love and a reference to the Norwegian national anthem) was aired on NRK1 on the May 16th and May 17th 2006, just in time for that year's Norwegian Constitution Day. [2]
Stoughton was founded in 1847 by Luke Stoughton, an Englishman from Vermont. Many Norwegian immigrants settled in the town from 1865 through the early 1900s.[2]
On August 18, 2005, an F3 tornado cut a 10-mile path across rural subdivisions and farms north of Stoughton, killing one person and damaging hundreds of homes.
Stoughton is home to Stoughton Trailers, LLC, manufacturers of semi-truck trailers and intermodal containers.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.6 km² (4.1 mi²). 10.3 km² (4.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (3.41%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 12,354 people, 4,734 households, and 3,185 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,204.5/km² (3,116.6/mi²). There were 4,890 housing units at an average density of 476.8/km² (1,233.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.66% White, 0.92% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.24% of the population.
There were 4,734 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,633, and the median income for a family was $58,543. Males had a median income of $37,956 versus $26,187 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,037. About 3.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
The current mayor of Stoughton is Helen Johnson. The City Council has 12 members, who serve three-year terms.
[edit] Famous Citizens
- Russ Hellickson b. 1948
One of the country's top wrestlers in the 1970s, Russ Hellickson won the silver medal in freestyle wrestling (light-heavyweight class) at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was the head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin from the 1982 to 1986 and at Ohio State University from 1986 to 2006, and he has been a television commentator at six Olympics. He was a state champion for Stoughton High School in 1966.
- Bob Homme b. 1919 - d. 2000
The beloved children's television entertainer Bob Homme was the star on the long-lived Canadian television series The Friendly Giant. The show was broadcasted for decades on CBC and was one of the most successful children's television series in Canada. He received the Order of Canada, the nation's highest official decoration.
- Andy Rein b. 1958
Andy Rein won the silver medal in freestyle wrestling (lightweight class) at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He was an NCAA champion (150-pound class) at the University of Wisconsin in 1980 and the head wrestling coach there from 1987 to 1993. He was a state champion for Stoughton High School in 1975 and 1976.
[edit] External links
- City of Stoughton
- Stoughton Chamber of Commerce
- Stoughton Historical Society
- Stoughton Opera House
- Stoughton Norwegian Dancers
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
[edit] References
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| Surrounding municipalities (over 10,000) |
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Fitchburg | Middleton | Stoughton | Sun Prairie |
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| (less than 10,000) | |
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Blooming Grove | Bristol | Burke | Cottage Grove | De Forest | Dunkirk | Dunn | Maple Bluff | McFarland | Monona |
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Oregon | Pleasant Springs | Shorewood Hills | Springfield | Town of Madison | Verona | Waunakee | Westport | Windsor |
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| Dane County, Wisconsin | |
| *town ‡village °city §CDP |
