Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

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Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Location of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 44°56′3″N 91°23′36″W / 44.93417°N 91.39333°W / 44.93417; -91.39333Coordinates: 44°56′3″N 91°23′36″W / 44.93417°N 91.39333°W / 44.93417; -91.39333
Country United States
State Wisconsin
County Chippewa
Area
 - Total 11.4 sq mi (29.5 km2)
 - Land 10.9 sq mi (28.1 km2)
 - Water 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km2)
Elevation [1] 840 ft (256 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 12,925
 - Density 1,191.2/sq mi (459.9/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
FIPS code 55-14575[2]
GNIS feature ID 1563041[1]
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
City name: 'Chippewa' is derived from the Ojibway tribe, and the 'Falls' is named after the Chippewa river.
Image:Cflogo.png
Chippewa Falls logo
Official website: [1]
Location

Location of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Government
County Chippewa
Mayor Gregory Hoffman
Geographical characteristics
Area 11.4 sq mi / 29.5 km2
Land 11.4 sq mi / 28.1 km2
Water 0.5 sq mi / 1.4 km2 (4.66%)
Population
(2000 census)
12,925 (city proper)
148,337 (metro)
Estimate (as of 2005) 13,374 (city)[3]
155,138 (metro)[4]
Density (city) 459.9/km2 (1,191.2/mi.2)
Latitude 44°56'3" N
Longitude 91° 23' 36" W
Time zone Central (UTC-6)
Summer (DST) Central (UTC-5)


Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 12,925 at the 2000 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County[5].

The city's name originated because of its location on the Chippewa River, which is named after the Ojibwa Native Americans. Early settlers misheard the word "Ojibwa" as "Chippewa".

Chippewa Falls is the birthplace of Seymour Cray, and the headquarters for the original Cray Research. It is also the home of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, the Heyde Center for the Arts, a showcase venue for artists and performers, and the annual Northern Wisconsin State Fair.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Chippewa Falls is located at 44°56′03″N 91°23′36″W / 44.934110°N 91.393228°W / 44.934110; -91.393228 (44.934110, -91.393228).[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.4 square miles (29.5 km2), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.1 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.4 km2) of it (4.66%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

At the 2000 census[2], there were 12,925 people, 5,638 households and 3,247 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,191.2 per square mile (459.9/km2). There were 5,905 housing units at an average density of 544.2/sq mi (210.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.62% White, 0.30% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 5,638 households of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.89.

Age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median household income was $32,744, and the median family income was $43,519. Males had a median income of $32,016 versus $22,655 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,366. About 8.7% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

Renovated Chippewa Shoe Factory facing the Chippewa River in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Chippewa Falls was originally a lumber town that became a railroad town, even though the main railroad line of the 1870s went through Eau Claire, about 10 miles to the south. In 1870, the West Wisconsin Railway built a line from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Milwaukee through the area at Eau Claire. Following this, the Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls Railway established a line running from Eau Claire to Chippewa Falls. In 1880, the CF&W was joined by the Wisconsin and Minnesota Railway pushing its way west from Abbotsford. This was followed in 1881 by the Chippewa Falls & Northern Railroad, which built a line north from Chippewa Falls to Bloomer, eventually being extended to Superior.

[edit] Education

The Chippewa Falls Area School District (CFSD) serves the city of Chippewa Falls. It has two high schools: Chippewa Falls Senior High and Chippewa Falls Alternate High School; two middle schools: Chippewa Falls Middle School, and Chippewa Falls Alternate Middle School; and six elementary schools: Parkview, Hillcrest, Southview, Stillson, Halmstad, and Jim Falls Elementary.

In addition there are several parochial schools: McDonell Central Catholic High School, Notre Dame Middle School, Holy Ghost, St. Charles, and St. Peter Elementary Schools, all of which are part of the Chippewa Area Catholic Schools (CACS).

[edit] Chippewa Falls in the media

  • The title character played by Diane Keaton in Woody Allen's film Annie Hall (1977) came from Chippewa Falls. The sequence where Alvy Singer meets Annie's family takes place in the town.
  • In Tommy Boy, Chippewa Falls can be seen on a highway sign behind the fighting traveling companions Tommy Callaghan III, played by Chris Farley, and Richard Hayden, played by David Spade.
  • Chippewa Falls is also the hometown of Dorothy McGuire's character, Pat Ruscomb, in the 1946 movie Till The End Of Time.
  • An instrumental rock band from Newcastle upon Tyne, England is named after Chippewa Falls.
  • Musical artist Al Duvall recorded a song entitled, "When It's Ice Chopping Time (in Chippewa Falls)"
  • In his book, Cadott the Spot that God Forgot... Not, Anthony A. Zenner, Ph.D., writes about spending time with relatives in Chippewa Falls during the 1940s and 1950s. Zenner graduated from McDonell High School in 1958. His educational experience there is described in Chapter VIII (... a hill to climb).

[edit] Notable natives and residents

Spring Street Bridge Chippewa Falls, WI

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

[edit] General

[edit] Tourism

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