Delavan, Wisconsin

Delavan
Watertower and Giraffe statue
Location of Delavan, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 42°37′59″N 88°38′37″W / 42.63306°N 88.64361°W / 42.63306; -88.64361Coordinates: 42°37′59″N 88°38′37″W / 42.63306°N 88.64361°W / 42.63306; -88.64361
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Walworth County
Area
– Total	17.7 km2 (6.8 sq mi)
– Land	16.6 km2 (6.4 sq mi)
– Water	1.1 km2 (0.4 sq mi)  6.15%
Elevation	282 m (925 ft)
Population (2000)
– Total	7,956
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
Website	www.ci.delavan.wi.us

Delavan is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,463 at the 2010 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Delavan.

Economy

Delavan is home to the Wisconsin School for the Deaf, and Andes Candies.

History

Delavan sits in the middle of what was at one time an inland sea. During the Ice Age, many glaciers, the last of which was known as the Michigan tongue, covered this area. The Michigan tongue descended down what is now known as Lake Michigan. A large section of this glacier broke off, pushing southwest into the area now known as Walworth County. Geologists have called this section of the glacier "the Delavan lobe".

The first humans known to inhabit the Delavan area were Native Americans around the era of 1000 BC. Later, between 500-1000 AD, Mound Builders lived in what is now the Delavan Lake area. Mound Builders were of the Woodland culture. The effigy mounds they erected along the shores of Delavan Lake numbered well over 200, according to an archeological survey done in the late 19th century by Beloit College. Many were along the north shore of the lake where Lake Lawn Resort now stands. The Potawotomi Indians also settled around the lake in the late 18th century, although there were only an estimated 240 in the county. Some of their burial mounds are preserved in what is now Assembly Park.

From the mid-17th century through the mid-18th century, this area was known as "New France" and was under the French flag. It came under British rule and a part of the Province of Quebec following the French-Indian War. In accordance with the Treaty of 1783 it was turned over to the United States and a part of the newly established Northwest Territory.

Between the years of 1800 and 1836 the Delavan area was part of the Indiana Territory, followed by the Illinois Territory, finally becoming part of the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. Statehood was granted in 1848.

Delavan's first white settlers arrived in 1836, finding the area to be dense forests with prairies on both the east and west sides with plenty of game available for hunting. ^[1] It was named after Edward C. Delevan, temperance leader in Albany, New York.^[2]

Between 1847 and 1894, Delavan was home to 26 circus companies. The Mabie Brothers U.S. Olympic Circus, then the largest in America, arrived in 1847, to become the first circus to quarter in the territory of Wisconsin. Its famous rogue elephant, "Romeo", stood 19½ feet high, and weighed 10,500 pounds. The original P.T. Barnum Circus was organized here in 1871 by William C. Coup and Dan Costello. Over 130 members of Delavan's 19th century circus colony are buried in Spring Grove and St. Andrew cemeteries.

On July 21, 1948, Delavan was the site of Wisconsin’s Circus Centennial as part of the state's celebration of 100 years of statehood. On May 2, 1966, Delavan was selected by the U.S. Post Office to issue on a first day cover basis, the five-cent American Circus commemorative postage stamp.

Delavan has gained the title of "Circus Capital of the World".^[3]

Delavan has seen extensive growth since the 2000 census, including the addition of a number of stores in a new strip mall area.

Geography

Delavan is located at 42°37′50″N 88°38′17″W / 42.63056°N 88.63806°W / 42.63056; -88.63806 (42.630689, -88.638108)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.7 km²), of which, 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²) of it (6.15%) is water.

Demographics

Art students at the State School for the Deaf, Delavan, Wisconsin

As of the census^[5] of 2010, there were 8,463 people, 3,189 households, and 1,987 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,241.7 people per square mile (479.2/km²). There were 3,500 housing units at an average density of 501.8 per square mile (193.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.2% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 12.7% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 29.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,931 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,551, and the median income for a family was $49,929. Males had a median income of $31,296 versus $23,311 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,624. About 5.7% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Gary Burghoff, actor
• Willard Dillenbeck, Distinguished Service Cross recipient
• Frank V. Dudley, landscape artist
• Ned Hollister, zoologist
• Frank B. James, U.S. Air Force general
• William Moxley, U.S. Representative from Illinois
• Richard Quinney, sociologist
• Ora R. Rice, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
• Webb Schultz, MLB player
• Alfred Delavan Thomas, United States District Court judge, North Dakota
• Evan S. Tyler, North Dakota State Representative
• Scott Walker, politician

References

1. ^ http://ci.delavan.wi.us/history.cfm
2. ^ "Profile for Delavan, Wisconsin". ePodunk. http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=23926. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
3. ^ http://wisconsinology.blogspot.com/search/label/lists
4. ^ "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. 
5. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Delavan, Wisconsin website