Waupaca County, Wisconsin

County in Wisconsin, United States

U.S. county in Wisconsin

Waupaca County

U.S. county

Waupaca County Courthouse

Waupaca County Courthouse

Map of Wisconsin highlighting Waupaca County

Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin

Wisconsin's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Wisconsin
Founded| 1853
Named for| Chief Waupaca
Seat| Waupaca
Largest city| New London
Area

• Total| 765 sq mi (1,980 km2)
• Land| 748 sq mi (1,940 km2)
• Water| 17 sq mi (40 km2)  2.3%%
Population

(2020)[1]

• Total| 51,812
• Density| 69.3/sq mi (26.8/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 8th
Website| www.co.waupaca.wi.us

Waupaca County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,812.[2] The county seat is Waupaca.[3] The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1853.[4] It is named after the Waupaca River, a Menominee language name meaning 'white sand bottom', 'pale water', or 'tomorrow river'.[5][6]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Major highways
* 2.2 Railroads
* 2.3 Buses
* 2.4 Airports
* 2.5 Adjacent counties
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 2020 census
* 3.2 2000 census
* 4 Government
* 4.1 County offices
* 4.2 Politics
* 5 Communities
* 5.1 Cities
* 5.2 Villages
* 5.3 Towns
* 5.4 Census-designated places
* 5.5 Unincorporated communities
* 5.6 Ghost towns/neighborhoods
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 Further reading
* 9 External links

## History

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Ancient indigenous peoples constructed earthworks that expressed their religious and political concepts. An early European explorer counted 72 such earthen mounds in what is now Waupaca County, many of them in the form of effigy mounds, shaped like "humans, turtles, catfish and others."[7] There were 52 mounds constructed around what is now called Taylor Lake. Most mounds were lost to agricultural development. One mound, shaped like a catfish, is still visible in a private yard along County Hwy. QQ, just east of Taylor Lake. The site was marked by a local women's club with a commemorative plaque installed on a large stone.[7]

Under pressure from European-American development, the Menominee people ceded their title to the United States for these lands by treaty in 1852. Following that, the flow of new migrant settlers greatly increased from the East, with people moving from New England, New York, and Ohio. They developed the land primarily for agricultural use in the early decades, also quickly establishing sawmills on the rivers.

In the 1870s railroads were constructed in the county: the Wisconsin Central in 1872 and the Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad (later known as Green Bay, Minnesota & St. Paul) in 1873. These improved the county's connections to markets for its lumber and other products. For a period, entrepreneurs and merchants gained high profits from the lumber industry, establishing many fine homes in the larger cities.

## Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 765 square miles (1,980 km2), of which 748 square miles (1,940 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (2.3%) is water.[8] The water includes 22 lakes that form the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes. These lakes are majority spring fed and connected by the Crystal River outlet.[9] Waupaca County is also home to Partridge Lake on the Wolf River.

### Major highways

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* U.S. Highway 10
* U.S. Highway 45
* Wisconsin Highway 22
* Wisconsin Highway 49
* Wisconsin Highway 54

* File:WIS 76.svg Wisconsin Highway 76
* Wisconsin Highway 96
* Wisconsin Highway 110
* Wisconsin Highway 156
* Wisconsin Highway 161

|

### Railroads

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* Canadian National
* Watco

### Buses

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* List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

### Airports

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* KCLI - Clintonville Municipal Airport
* KPCZ - Waupaca Municipal Airport

### Adjacent counties

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* Shawano County \- north
* Outagamie County \- east
* Winnebago County \- southeast
* Waushara County \- southwest
* Portage County \- west
* Marathon County \- northwest

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1860| 8,851| | —
1870| 15,539| | 75.6%
1880| 20,955| | 34.9%
1890| 26,794| | 27.9%
1900| 31,615| | 18.0%
1910| 32,782| | 3.7%
1920| 34,200| | 4.3%
1930| 33,513| | −2.0%
1940| 34,614| | 3.3%
1950| 35,056| | 1.3%
1960| 35,340| | 0.8%
1970| 37,780| | 6.9%
1980| 42,831| | 13.4%
1990| 46,104| | 7.6%
2000| 51,731| | 12.2%
2010| 52,410| | 1.3%
2020| 51,812| | −1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12]
1990–2000[13] 2010–2020[2]

### 2020 census

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As of the census of 2020,[1] the population was 51,812. The population density was 69.3 inhabitants per square mile (26.8/km2). There were 25,457 housing units at an average density of 34.0 per square mile (13.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.2% White, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Black or African American, 1.6% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.6% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

### 2000 census

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File:USA Waupaca County, Wisconsin age pyramid.svg2000 Census age pyramid for Waupaca County

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 51,731 people, 19,863 households, and 13,884 families residing in the county. The population density was 69 per square mile (27/km2). There were 22,508 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.93% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 53.1% were of German, 8.5% Norwegian and 6.8% Irish ancestry. 96.6% spoke English, 1.4% Spanish and 1.3% German as their first language.

There were 19,863 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

By age, 25.70% of the population was under 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.40 males.

In 2017, there were 505 births, giving a general fertility rate of 63.4 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 37th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 26 of the births occurred at home.[15]

## Government

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### County offices

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* County board chairman - Dick Koeppen
* Vice Chair - David Morack
* County clerk - Kristy K. Opperman
* County sheriff - Timothy Wilz

### Politics

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United States presidential election results for Waupaca County, Wisconsin[16] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

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|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 18,952  | 65.06% | 9,703  | 33.31%  | 475  | 1.63%
2016 | 16,209  | 62.12% | 8,451  | 32.39%  | 1,435  | 5.50%
2012 | 14,002  | 54.19% | 11,578  | 44.81%  | 260  | 1.01%
2008 | 12,232  | 47.95%  | 12,952  | 50.77% | 327  | 1.28%
2004 | 15,941  | 59.10% | 10,792  | 40.01%  | 241  | 0.89%
2000 | 12,980  | 56.92% | 8,787  | 38.53%  | 1,037  | 4.55%
1996 | 8,679  | 45.10% | 7,800  | 40.53%  | 2,764  | 14.36%
1992 | 10,252  | 44.27% | 6,666  | 28.78%  | 6,241  | 26.95%
1988 | 11,559  | 61.62% | 7,078  | 37.74%  | 120  | 0.64%
1984 | 13,097  | 68.33% | 5,895  | 30.76%  | 175  | 0.91%
1980 | 12,568  | 61.71% | 6,401  | 31.43%  | 1,397  | 6.86%
1976 | 10,849  | 60.13% | 6,857  | 38.00%  | 337  | 1.87%
1972 | 11,040  | 70.13% | 4,418  | 28.07%  | 284  | 1.80%
1968 | 10,606  | 67.13% | 3,978  | 25.18%  | 1,215  | 7.69%
1964 | 8,381  | 54.46% | 6,990  | 45.42%  | 18  | 0.12%
1960 | 12,247  | 72.61% | 4,606  | 27.31%  | 14  | 0.08%
1956 | 11,798  | 78.64% | 3,133  | 20.88%  | 72  | 0.48%
1952 | 13,693  | 81.38% | 3,105  | 18.45%  | 28  | 0.17%
1948 | 8,764  | 67.51% | 4,020  | 30.97%  | 198  | 1.53%
1944 | 11,495  | 74.44% | 3,879  | 25.12%  | 68  | 0.44%
1940 | 11,099  | 69.95% | 4,616  | 29.09%  | 151  | 0.95%
1936 | 6,680  | 45.88%  | 6,920  | 47.52% | 961  | 6.60%
1932 | 5,082  | 37.54%  | 8,179  | 60.42% | 275  | 2.03%
1928 | 8,928  | 72.32% | 3,307  | 26.79%  | 110  | 0.89%
1924 | 3,654  | 33.89%  | 665  | 6.17%  | 6,462  | 59.94%
1920 | 8,302  | 83.04% | 888  | 8.88%  | 807  | 8.07%
1916 | 4,492  | 69.85% | 1,720  | 26.75%  | 219  | 3.41%
1912 | 2,204  | 37.66% | 1,563  | 26.70%  | 2,086  | 35.64%
1908 | 4,785  | 71.93% | 1,483  | 22.29%  | 384  | 5.77%
1904 | 5,471  | 81.34% | 942  | 14.01%  | 313  | 4.65%
1900 | 5,284  | 76.29% | 1,383  | 19.97%  | 259  | 3.74%
1896 | 5,472  | 75.19% | 1,577  | 21.67%  | 229  | 3.15%
1892 | 3,397  | 57.23% | 2,186  | 36.83%  | 353  | 5.95%

Waupaca County has long been one of the most Republican counties in Wisconsin. Only two Democrats have carried the county at the presidential level since the formation of the Republican Party – Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, and Barack Obama in 2008, and in 1936 Roosevelt only won by plurality because of a sizeable vote for Union Party nominee William Lemke. It was one of only three Wisconsin counties, alongside Walworth and Waushara, to vote for Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

In other statewide races, the county is equally Republican. The only Democratic gubernatorial candidate it has backed since at least 1908 is Albert Schmedeman in 1932.[17] Senators Herb Kohl in 2006 and William Proxmire in 1976 and 1970 did carry Waupaca County when they swept every county in the state, but no other Democratic senatorial candidate has won the county since the Seventeenth Amendment.

## Communities

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File:WaupacaCountyWisconsinFairgrounds.jpgWaupaca County Fairgrounds

### Cities

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* Clintonville
* Manawa
* Marion (partly in Shawano County)
* New London (partly in Outagamie County)
* Waupaca (county seat)
* Weyauwega

### Villages

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* Big Falls
* Embarrass
* Fremont
* Iola
* Ogdensburg
* Scandinavia

### Towns

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* Bear Creek
* Caledonia
* Dayton
* Dupont
* Farmington
* Fremont
* Harrison
* Helvetia
* Iola
* Larrabee
* Lebanon
* Lind
* Little Wolf
* Matteson
* Mukwa
* Royalton
* Scandinavia
* St. Lawrence
* Union
* Waupaca
* Weyauwega
* Wyoming

### Census-designated places

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* Chain O' Lakes
* King
* Northport

### Unincorporated communities

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* Baldwins Mill
* Bear Creek Corners
* Buckbee
* Carmel
* Cobb Town
* Evanswood
* Gills Landing
* Hunting (partial)
* Lind Center
* Little Hope
* Nicholson
* Northland
* North Readfield
* Norske
* Ostrander
* Parfreyville
* Readfield
* Red Banks
* Royalton
* Rural
* Shaw Landing
* Sheridan
* Schmidt Corner
* Symco

### Ghost towns/neighborhoods

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* Granite City
* Granite Quarry
* Hatton
* Little Wolf
* Marble
* Nowell
* Petersville

## See also

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* National Register of Historic Places listings in Waupaca County, Wisconsin

## References

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1. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census: Waupaca County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
5. ^ "Here's How Iron Got Its Name". The Rhinelander Daily News. June 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2014 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent. December 28, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved August 25, 2014 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ a b Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce
8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
9. ^ "Chain O' Lakes". Explore Waupaca Co. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
10. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
15. ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
17. ^ "Gubernatorial General Election Results Comparison – Wisconsin". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.

## Further reading

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* Commemorative Biographical Record of the Upper Wisconsin Counties of Waupaca, Portage, Wood, Marathon, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Langlade and Shawano. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1895.
* Ware, John M. (ed.). A Standard History of Waupaca County Wisconsin. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1917.

## External links

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* Waupaca County
* Waupaca County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
* Waupaca County History and Genealogical Website

Places adjacent to Waupaca County, Wisconsin

| Marathon County | Shawano County |

|
|

|  |
Portage County |

Waupaca County

| Outagamie County
|  |
Waushara County |  | Winnebago County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States

County seat: Waupaca

Cities|

* Clintonville
* Manawa
* Marion‡
* New London‡
* Waupaca
* Weyauwega

File:Map of Wisconsin highlighting Waupaca County.svg

Villages|

* Big Falls
* Embarrass
* Fremont
* Iola
* Ogdensburg
* Scandinavia

Towns|

* Bear Creek
* Caledonia
* Dayton
* Dupont
* Farmington
* Fremont
* Harrison
* Helvetia
* Iola
* Larrabee
* Lebanon
* Lind
* Little Wolf
* Matteson
* Mukwa
* Royalton
* Scandinavia
* St. Lawrence
* Union
* Waupaca
* Weyauwega
* Wyoming

CDPs|

* Chain O' Lakes
* King
* Northport

Other
communities|

* Baldwins Mill
* Bear Creek Corners
* Buckbee
* Carmel
* Cobb Town
* Evanswood
* Gills Landing
* Hunting‡
* Lind Center
* Little Hope
* Nicholson
* North Readfield
* Norske
* Northland
* Ostrander
* Parfreyville
* Readfield
* Red Banks
* Royalton
* Rural
* Schmidt Corner
* Shaw Landing
* Sheridan
* Symco

Former
communities|

* Granite City
* Granite Quarry
* Hatton
* Little Wolf
* Marble
* Nowell
* Petersville

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

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State of Wisconsin

Madison (capital)

Topics|

* Outline
* Agriculture
* Dairy industry
* Geography
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* People
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Society|

* Administrative divisions
* Crime
* Culture
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Politics

Regions|

* Apostle Islands
* Central Plain
* Chippewa Valley
* Door Peninsula
* Driftless Area
* Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
* Fox River Valley
* Great River Road
* Lake Superior Lowland
* Northern Highland
* Western Upland

Major metropolitan areas
(pop. over 500,000)|

* Chicago metropolitan area
* Madison metropolitan area
* Milwaukee metropolitan area
* Twin Cities metropolitan area

Largest cities
(pop. over 50,000)|

* Appleton
* Eau Claire
* Green Bay
* Janesville
* Kenosha
* La Crosse
* Madison
* Milwaukee
* Oshkosh
* Racine
* Waukesha
* West Allis

Smaller cities
(pop. 15,000 to 50,000)|

* Beaver Dam
* Beloit
* Brookfield
* Cudahy
* De Pere
* Fitchburg
* Fond du Lac
* Franklin
* Greenfield
* Hartford
* Hudson
* Kaukauna
* Manitowoc
* Marshfield
* Menasha
* Menomonie
* Mequon
* Middleton
* Muskego
* Neenah
* New Berlin
* Oak Creek
* Oconomowoc
* Onalaska
* River Falls
* Sheboygan
* South Milwaukee
* Stevens Point
* Sun Prairie
* Superior
* Watertown
* Wausau
* Wauwatosa
* West Bend
* Wisconsin Rapids

Largest villages
(pop. over 15,000)|

* Ashwaubenon
* Bellevue
* Caledonia
* Fox Crossing
* Germantown
* Howard
* Menomonee Falls
* Mount Pleasant
* Pleasant Prairie

Counties|

* Adams
* Ashland
* Barron
* Bayfield
* Brown
* Buffalo
* Burnett
* Calumet
* Chippewa
* Clark
* Columbia
* Crawford
* Dane
* Dodge
* Door
* Douglas
* Dunn
* Eau Claire
* Florence
* Fond du Lac
* Forest
* Grant
* Green
* Green Lake
* Iowa
* Iron
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Juneau
* Kenosha
* Kewaunee
* La Crosse
* Lafayette
* Langlade
* Lincoln
* Manitowoc
* Marathon
* Marinette
* Marquette
* Menominee
* Milwaukee
* Monroe
* Oconto
* Oneida
* Outagamie
* Ozaukee
* Pepin
* Pierce
* Polk
* Portage
* Price
* Racine
* Richland
* Rock
* Rusk
* Sauk
* Sawyer
* Shawano
* Sheboygan
* St. Croix
* Taylor
* Trempealeau
* Vernon
* Vilas
* Walworth
* Washburn
* Washington
* Waukesha
* Waupaca
* Waushara
* Winnebago
* Wood

Coordinates: 44°29′N 88°58′W﻿ / ﻿44.48°N 88.97°W﻿ / 44.48; -88.97
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