Blair, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blair, Wisconsin
City
Junction of U.S. Route 53 and Wisconsin Highway 95 in the foreground
Location of Blair in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Trempealeau
Area
• Total	4.39 sq mi (11.36 km2)
• Land	4.30 sq mi (11.14 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2)
Elevation	853 ft (260 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,325
• Density	308.0/sq mi (118.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-08075
GNIS feature ID	1561910

Blair is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. It is located along the Trempealeau River. In 2020, about 1,325 people lived there. Blair was once on the Green Bay and Western Railroad, which followed the Trempealeau River valley all the way to Winona, Minnesota.

History of Blair

Baseball game between Blair and Arcadia in 1912

The city of Blair was first settled in the 1850s. Many people living in Blair today are descendants of Norwegian settlers. A smaller group came from German families.

Blair's Norwegian heritage is still celebrated. Churches hold annual dinners with traditional foods like lefse and lutefisk. People also enjoy polka music. There is even a company in Blair that makes lefse.

The city's name used to be Porterville. It changed to Blair in 1873. This happened when the Green Bay and Western Railroad built its tracks through the city. The new name, Blair, came from John Insley Blair, who was a main investor in the railroad.

At one time, a smaller branch line connected the railroad to the nearby village of Ettrick. This line is no longer used. However, the main railroad still operates today, though under a different name.

Blair has grown over the years. Its population almost doubled between 1950 and 2000. This is special because many small towns in the Midwest have lost people as young residents move away for jobs.

In the past, Blair often had floods during the spring when snow melted. But now, better farming methods have made flooding rare. Recently, some Amish farming families have moved to the area. You might see their horse-drawn carriages on the roads.

Geography of Blair

Lake Henry in Blair

Blair covers about 4.39 square miles (11.36 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Two main highways connect to Blair:

• Highway 53: This road runs north and south.
• Highway 95: This road runs east and west.

The closest large cities are Eau Claire to the north and La Crosse to the south. Whitehall, which is the county seat (the main city for the county government), is only seven miles away.

The area around Blair is mostly rural. Nearby communities include Taylor, Arcadia, Independence, Hixton, and Galesville.

The Trempealeau River near Blair was dammed to create Lake Henry. This lake is named after one of the first settlers in the area.

Blair is located in the Driftless Area. This is a special region that was not covered by the last great ice age glaciers in North America. It is also known as the Coulee Region. This area has rolling hills and valleys. The forested hills are popular for deer hunting. People also hunt pheasants and grouse. Local streams are good for fishing, especially for trout, which are regularly added to the streams.

Climate in Blair

Blair has a "Dfb" climate. This means it has warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

Population of Blair

2010 Census Information

In 2010, there were 1,366 people living in Blair. These people lived in 571 households, and 319 of these were families. The city had about 1,188 people per square mile (459 people per square kilometer).

Most of the people in Blair were White (96.6%). A small number were African American (0.4%), Native American (0.2%), or Asian (0.1%). About 1.3% were from other racial groups, and 1.4% were from two or more groups. About 3.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

About 30% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 41% were married couples. The average household had 2.27 people, and the average family had 2.97 people.

The average age in Blair was 41.1 years old. About 24% of residents were under 18. About 23% were 65 or older. The population was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

Economy in Blair

Frac sand facility in Blair

The local post office in Blair provides box service only. The city used to have a newspaper called The Blair Press, but it closed in 2019.

Blair has a creamery operated by the Associated Milk Producers. This facility processes milk and makes cheese. In the past, they made a lot of Colby cheese for the Kraft company.

The largest employers in Blair are:

• The public schools
• Sand mines
• AMPI (Associated Milk Producers)
• Grandview, a nursing home

Arts and Culture in Blair

Blair hosts an annual festival called the Cheese Fest. It takes place every year in mid-September.

The city has a park and a public swimming pool located along Lake Henry. Blair also has two Lutheran churches and one Catholic church.

See also

In Spanish: Blair (Wisconsin) para niños