Beloit, Wisconsin

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City of Beloit, Wisconsin
Downtown Beloit

Flag
Nickname(s): Gateway To Wisconsin
Location of Beloit in Wisconsin
Coordinates: 42°30′30″N 89°01′54″W / 42.50833°N 89.03167°W / 42.50833; -89.03167
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
County Rock
Founded 1836
Incorporated February 24, 1846 (village)
March 31, 1856 (city)
Government
 • Manager Larry Arft
 • City Attorney Tom Casper
 • City Council Charles Haynes (President)
Mark Spreitzer (Vice President)
Sheila De Forest
David F. Luebke
Kevin Leavy
James Van De Bogart
Chuck Kincaid
Area[1]
 • Total 17.70 sq mi (45.84 km2)
 • Land 17.37 sq mi (44.99 km2)
 • Water 0.33 sq mi (0.85 km2)
Elevation 751 ft (228.9 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 36,966
 • Estimate (2011[3]) 36,913
Website www.ci.beloit.wi.us

Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966.[4][5] The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.[6]

Contents

History [edit]

Beloit lays claim to such inventions as the speedometer,[7] Korn Kurls,[8] and John Francis Appleby's twine binder.[9] Korn Kurls, which resemble present day Cheetos, are credited for the founding of the snack food industry.

Historic buildings [edit]

Beloit's Water Tower Place went under demolition in 1935, but was halted shortly after because of the sheer cost of tearing down the tower.

Geography [edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.70 square miles (45.84 km2), of which 17.37 square miles (44.99 km2) is land and 0.33 square miles (0.85 km2) is water.[1] Location: 42°30′30″N 89°01′54″W / 42.50833°N 89.03167°W / 42.50833; -89.03167.

The city is located adjacent to the Town of Beloit, Town of Turtle, and the Illinois municipality of South Beloit. There is very little agricultural land remaining between Beloit and Janesville or between Beloit and Rockford, Illinois.

Most of Beloit's development is occurring on the east side, adjacent to Interstates 39/90 and Interstate 43, where the city annexed rural land for the extensive Beloit Gateway Industrial Park, as well as in the newly revitalized downtown located along the Rock River.

Government [edit]

Beloit is represented by Mark Pocan (D) in the United States House of Representatives, and by Ron Johnson (R) and Tammy Baldwin (D) in the United States Senate. Neal Kedzie (R) and Tim Cullen (D) represent Beloit in the Wisconsin State Senate, and Amy Loudenbeck (R) and Janis Ringhand (D) represent Beloit in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Demographics [edit]

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city is $36,414, and the median income for a family is $42,083. Males have a median income of $32,870 versus $23,925 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,912. 12.5% of the population and 9.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.4% are under the age of 18 and 6.3% are 65 or older.

% minority[citation needed]
Beloit 25.43%
Wisconsin 8.47%
United States 23.11%

2010 census [edit]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 36,966 people, 13,781 households, and 8,867 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,128.2 inhabitants per square mile (821.7 /km2). There were 15,177 housing units at an average density of 873.7 per square mile (337.3 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 68.9% White, 15.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 10.0% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.1% of the population.

There were 13,781 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16.

The median age in the city was 33.1 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Railroad Heritage [edit]

Beloit was served by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, better known as the Milwaukee Road, and the Chicago & North Western Railroad (C&NW). The city also had an electric interurban railroad. In its 1980 bankruptcy, the Milwaukee Road disposed of the Southwestern Line. The Union Pacific Railroad, which took over the C&NW, operates in Beloit today over a remnant of the former Milwaukee Road, providing a rail connection to Fairbanks-Morse.[clarification needed] The Canadian Pacific Railway operates other trackage in Beloit.[10]

Economy [edit]

Beloit's major industries:

† indicates Beloit is home to the company's world headquarters.

Beloit's riverfront is popular with many of the city's dwellers. The downtown, home to many small shops and boutiques, has seen a recent[when?] renewal.[citation needed] Upscale downtown condominiums are now visible, with the additions of such venues as Heritage View and the Beloit Inn.

Education [edit]

  • Beloit College is a liberal arts college with undergraduate enrollment around 1,300. The campus has numerous prehistoric Indian mounds.
    Beloit College, Prehistoric Indian mounds along with the Middle College
  • Blackhawk Technical College, which has its main campus between Beloit and Janesville, has an adult education center in downtown Beloit.
  • Beloit Memorial High School is the city's public high school. The school is part of the School District of Beloit.
  • National-Louis University, an accredited private non-profit undergraduate and graduate institution of higher learning
  • The Roy Chapman Andrews Academy, part of the School District of Beloit, is Beloit's project based charter school. Located at the Hendricks Education Center, it serves grades 6-12.

Culture [edit]

Festivals [edit]

Beloit's main festivals include:

Recreation [edit]

Beloit is home to a professional minor league baseball team, the Beloit Snappers.

Recognition [edit]

Question book-new.svg
 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2012)
  • Beloit is the only city in the state of Wisconsin to be home to three multi-billion dollar international companies: ABC Supply Company, Regal-Beloit, Kerry Ingredients
  • Beloit is the only city in Rock County to have been named an All-America City.[6]
  • In 2007, America in Bloom, a national competition among cities declared Beloit "the best-kept secret of the midwest"
  • In September,[when?] America in Bloom named Beloit the overall winner in its population class. Beloit also received top honors for any size city in the category of landscaping.
  • Anthropologist Margaret Mead described Beloit as "America in microcosm"
  • Beloit has been a Tree City for the past 22 years, earning its place as one of the longest running tree cities in the state, and nation.

Notable people [edit]

  • Fairbanks-Morse

  • Beloit Water Tower, constructed in 1889

  • Beloit Ironworks, a group of restored industrial buildings along the city's downtown riverfront

  • Middle College, on the Beloit College campus, Wisconsin's oldest academic building still in use

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  2. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-18. 
  3. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  4. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  5. ^ http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table
  6. ^ a b http://www.ci.beloit.wi.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={AA77531B-C0D5-4BC2-A0AE-B58551C3F8C7}
  7. ^ Arthur Warner
  8. ^ Beloit Historical Society
  9. ^ Appleby, John Francis 1840 - 1917
  10. ^ Beloit Railroad History and Photos
  11. ^ http://www.legis.state.wi.us/spotlight/spotl339.htm

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Beloit, Wisconsin
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Coordinates: 42°30′30″N 89°01′54″W / 42.50833°N 89.03167°W / 42.50833; -89.03167

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