Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin | |
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![]() Location of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin | |
Country | United States |
State | Wisconsin |
County | Milwaukee |
Area | |
• Total | 2.1 sq mi (5.5 km2) |
• Land | 2.1 sq mi (5.5 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
Elevation | 650 ft (198 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 14,163 |
• Density | 6,610.8/sq mi (2,552.5/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
FIPS code | 55-86700Template:GR |
GNIS feature ID | 1576675Template:GR |
Whitefish Bay is a village in Milwaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,508 as of the 2005 census. Often assosiated with the prestidgeous North Shore suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Geography
Whitefish Bay is located at 43°6′42″N 87°54′3″W / 43.11167°N 87.90083°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (43.111711, -87.900762)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), all of it land.
History
Whitefish Bay was first settled by Native Americans and later by fishermen and farmers. In 1889, Captain Frederick Pabst, one of Milwaukee's beer barons, spent $30,000 to take advantage of Whitefish Bay's unique location by developing a popular lakeshore resort, which he called the Pabst Whitefish Bay Resort.
As many as 10,000 visitors would come to the resort on a summer day by horse and buggy, railroad, trolley or excursion steamer. They came to enjoy the scenic view, to ride the Ferris wheel, attend daily concerts (double concerts on Sunday), rent row boats, watch outdoor movies, drink beer and dine on fine fare, including five types of whitefish netted daily in the adjoing bay. The resort's popularity faded in 1914, and the park was closed. In 1915 the land was subdivided into residential lots.
Whitefish Bay's emphasis on education began when farmers in the area demanded local schooling for children living in the area. In 1892, the 392 residents incorporated a village and built a school of their own on a triangle of land now known as Old Schoolhouse Park, across from today's public library.
Whitefish Bay had a surge of home building in the 1920s and a bigger boom in the late 1940s and early 1950s. At its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, the village's population was over 18,000, but it is currently just over 13,500.
Although the village has experienced substantial population loss, it still maintains itself as one of the most prestigious suburbs in the state of Wisconsin. The development of newer suburbs such as Mequon and Brookfield increased competition for the regions most well to do residents. Today Whitefish Bay is thought of as an old money suburb in contrast to the new money of Brookfield or Mequon.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 14,163 people, 5,457 households, and 4,016 families residing in the village. The population density was 6,610.8 people per square mile (2,555.3/km²). There were 5,553 housing units at an average density of 2,592.0/sq mi (1,001.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.09% White, 0.98% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 5,457 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $80,755, and the median income for a family was $95,744. Males had a median income of $63,011 versus $43,893 for females. The per capita income for the village was $39,609. About 2.4% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Whitefish Bay School District maintains four public schools and one recreational facility. These facilities include:
- Whitefish Bay High School – a high school teaching grades 9-12.
- Whitefish Bay Middle School – a middle school/junior high school teaching grades 6-8
- Cumberland Elementary School – an elementary school teaching age-4 kindergarten through grade 5
- Richards Elementary School – an elementary school teaching age-4 kindergarten through grade 5
- Lydell School – a community recreation facility
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee maintains two Catholic schools in Whitefish Bay: Holy Family School and St. Monica School, each serving kindergarten through grade 8. In addition, the Sinsinawa Dominicans, a Catholic Order, sponsor Dominican High School.
Notable residents
- Kristen Johnston - Actress
- Craig Counsell - MLB