Waukon, Iowa
| Waukon, Iowa | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Nickname(s): Waukeezy | |
| Motto: Love it or Leave it USA #1 | |
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| Coordinates: 43°16′8″N 91°28′45″W / 43.26889°N 91.47917°WCoordinates: 43°16′8″N 91°28′45″W / 43.26889°N 91.47917°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Allamakee |
| Township | Makee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.9 sq mi (7.6 km2) |
| • Land | 2.9 sq mi (7.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,237 ft (377 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 4,131 |
| • Density | 1,404.3/sq mi (542.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 52172 |
| Area code(s) | 563 |
| FIPS code | 19-82740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0462754 |
| Website | www.cityofwaukon.com |
Waukon is a city in Makee Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, United States, and the county seat of Allamakee County.[1] The population was 4,131 at the 2000 census. It is home to the annual Allamakee County Fair.
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[edit] History
Waukon is often said to be named for Waukon Decorah,[2] a Ho Chunk (Winnebago) leader who was a U.S. ally during the 1832 Black Hawk War, although the city is also said to be named for his son Chief John Waukon.[3] Winnebagos lived in this area of Iowa in the 1840s, before being forced to relocate to Minnesota.
The terrain between Waukon and the Mississippi River is the steepest along the Iowa bank of the Mississippi, and while the more gradual slopes of counties to the South attracted early, major railroad development, Waukon struggled to be served by a branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (The Milwaukee Road) starting in 1877. It ran as a branch line from Waukon Junction on the Mississippi River NW to termination in Waukon. It was originally built as a narrow gauge railroad but was converted to standard gauge after purchase by the Milwaukee Road. Its only marginal traffic through its existence led to the road's abandonment in the late 1960s. [4]
[edit] Geography
Waukon is located at 43°16′8″N 91°28′45″W / 43.26889°N 91.47917°W (43.268889, -91.479212).[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
| Waukon Historical Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1880 | 1,350 | — |
| 1890 | 1,610 | +19.3% |
| 1900 | 2,153 | +33.7% |
| 1910 | 2,025 | −5.9% |
| 1920 | 2,359 | +16.5% |
| 1930 | 2,526 | +7.1% |
| 1940 | 2,972 | +17.7% |
| 1950 | 3,158 | +6.3% |
| 1960 | 3,639 | +15.2% |
| 1970 | 3,883 | +6.7% |
| 1980 | 3,983 | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 4,019 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 4,131 | +2.8% |
| Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. | ||
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 4,131 people, 1,790 households, and 1,068 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,404.3 people per square mile (542.5/km²). There were 1,909 housing units at an average density of 649.0 per square mile (250.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.74% White, 0.10% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.
There were 1,790 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,325, and the median income for a family was $41,068. Males had a median income of $27,532 versus $18,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,047. About 8.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Parks and recreation
Waukon Family Aquatic Area: The aquatic pool is the main attraction in Waukon's park. Also in the park is a small area with a lake, as well as some playgrounds. The park also includes some softball/athletic fields.
[edit] Education
Children in Waukon attend the schools of the Allamakee Community School District, which is headquartered in the city.[7]
[edit] School sports
The name for the sports teams of Waukon High School is Indians [7]
[edit] Media
[edit] Newspaper
[edit] Radio
[edit] Notable people
- Dudley W. Adams, horticulturalist who led the granger movement
- Mark Farley, head football coach of the University of Northern Iowa
- Hugh Kidder, officer in the United States Marine Corps during World War II
- Edward P. Ney, famous professor at the University of Minnesota
- Cletus F. O'Donnell, second Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison
- Joseph Taggart, member of the U.S House of Representatives
- Matt Breitbach, head baseball coach and AD at Waukon High School
[edit] References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Virgil J. Vogel, Indian names on Wisconsin's map (University of Wisconsin Press, 1991), 61.
- ^ Val Swinton (August 16, 1994). "Winnebago tribe leaves Iowa legacy: Chief's descendant researches history". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City). http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=0EAFE79A5FE0DCF1&p_docnum=1. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
- ^ Rehder and Cook (December, 1972). "Grass Between The Rails". http://allamakeehistory.com/?p=56. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b "Allamakee Community School District". Adv. Web Design. http://www.allamakee.k12.ia.us/. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Waukon, Iowa |
- Waukon, Iowa
- Waukon Chamber of Commerce
- KNEI/KHPP Radio
- City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Waukon
- Allamakee History
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