Brussels, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brussels, Wisconsin
|
|
|---|---|
Looking east at Brussels on WIS 57
|
|
Location of Brussels, Wisconsin
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Door |
| Area | |
| • Total | 36.1 sq mi (93.6 km2) |
| • Land | 36.1 sq mi (93.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 722 ft (220 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,125 |
| • Density | 30.8/sq mi (11.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 920 |
| FIPS code | 55-10700 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1582880 |
| Website | http://www.townofbrussels.com/ |
Brussels is a town in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. It's a small place with a population of about 1,125 people as of 2020. The communities of Brussels, Misere, and Kolberg are located within the town. The community of Rosiere is also partly located here.
Contents
History
Brussels officially became a town in Door County on November 12, 1858.
This area is home to the largest group of Belgian-Americans in the United States. They live in parts of Brown, Kewaunee, and Door counties, near Green Bay. People from a region in Belgium called Wallonia settled here in the 1850s. Their descendants still make up a large part of the population today.
You can see the Belgian influence in many ways. This includes place names like Brussels, Namur, Rosiere, and Luxemburg. You might also hear the Walloon language spoken by some. Belgian surnames are common, and traditional foods like booyah, trippe, and jutt are popular. The annual Kermis harvest festival is also a big event.
Many of the first wooden homes built by Belgian-Americans were destroyed in a huge fire. This firestorm swept across southern Door County in October 1871. However, some stone houses made from local rock survived. Later, in the 1880s, many red brick houses were built. These homes are usually small and have round "bull's-eye" windows on the gable ends. Some houses even have separate summer kitchens with ovens in the back. Many Belgians were devout Catholics. They built small roadside chapels, just like the ones in their home country.
Most Belgian-American Towns
Brussels, Wisconsin, has the third-highest percentage of Belgian-American residents in the United States.
- Union, Door County, Wisconsin: 49%
- Red River, Wisconsin (Kewaunee County): 47%
- Brussels, Wisconsin (Door County): 36.4% (this includes the "Brussels community" and "Namur Community")
- Lincoln, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin: 35.4%
- Green Bay (town), Wisconsin (Brown County): 31.8%
Geography
The town of Brussels covers about 36.2 square miles (93.6 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.
Brussels Hill
the pit cave at the foot of Brussels Hill|Door Peninsula#Caves and sinkholes Brussels Hill is 102 feet (31 meters) tall and is the highest point in Door County. It reaches an elevation of 851 feet (259 meters). Some scientists think it might have been formed by a meteorite hitting the Earth. The hill also shows signs of being shaped by glaciers. Large blocks of rock were pulled away by the ice. This created flat and vertical rock surfaces where the rock was already weak. This type of landscape is called glaciokarst.
Demographics
Population in 2000
In 2000, there were 1,112 people living in Brussels. There were 403 households and 303 families. About 97.93% of the people were White. Other groups included African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 0.45% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Many households (37%) had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.76 people. The average family had 3.19 people. The median age in the town was 36 years old.
Population in 2010
By 2010, the population of Brussels had grown slightly to 1,136 people. There were 430 households and 330 families.
Population in 2020
As of the 2020 census, Brussels had 1,125 people. Most residents (94.2%) were White. About 1.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.
Many residents have German ancestry (31.6%). Other common ancestries include Irish, Polish, Czech, Italian, French, Norwegian, and English.
The median age in 2020 was 42.3 years old. About 24.8% of the population was under 18 years old. About 16.4% of the population was 65 or older. The median household income was $90,952.
Notable people
See also
In Spanish: Brussels (Wisconsin) para niños
