Dodgeville, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dodgeville, Wisconsin
City
Downtown Dodgeville
Location of Dodgeville in Iowa County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Iowa
Established	1827 (1827)
Founded by	Henry Dodge
Area
• Total	4.06 sq mi (10.52 km2)
• Land	4.06 sq mi (10.52 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,194 ft (364 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,984
• Density	1,215.61/sq mi (469.35/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CDT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CST)
ZIP Code	53533
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-20350

Dodgeville is a city in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. It's the main city and the county seat, which means it's where the county government offices are located. In 2020, about 4,984 people lived here, making it the biggest city in Iowa County. Dodgeville is also close to the larger Madison metropolitan area.

History of Dodgeville

Corner of Iowa and Chapel, Iowa Street Historic District

Dodgeville started in 1827 when Henry Dodge and about 40 miners arrived. Henry Dodge made an agreement with the local Winnebago Native American leaders. This allowed him to build a cabin and a smelter, which is a place to melt down metal.

The first community had three small areas: "Dodgeville," "Dirty Hollow," and "Minersville." Another area called Moon Spring was also important for a while.

Dodgeville was named after Henry Dodge. It grew slowly at first and became a village in the 1840s. There was a small disagreement with Mineral Point about which town would be the county seat. Mineral Point was the county seat before, but Dodgeville became the new one because it was more central in the "new" Iowa County.

After becoming the county seat, Dodgeville's population grew quickly. It became a hub for mining and later for making and shipping dairy products. Many miners from England moved to the city. You can still see British and Cornish (from Cornwall, England) building styles there today.

Dodgeville was once one of the largest cities in Wisconsin and even in parts of the Midwest! But its mining boom didn't last. Other cities like Chicago and Milwaukee grew much faster. Mining became less important due to events like the Black Hawk War and the California Gold Rush. Farming became more popular, and Dodgeville changed into a business and farming center.

Today, Dodgeville is well-known as the home of Lands' End, a big company that sells clothes and home items.

Geography and Climate

Aerial view of Dodgeville

Dodgeville is located at 42°57′48″N 90°7′52″W / 42.96333°N 90.13111°W / 42.96333; -90.13111. The city covers about 4.06 square miles (10.52 square kilometers) of land.

Dodgeville's Weather

Dodgeville has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. This type of weather is called a "warm-summer humid continental climate."

• The hottest temperature ever recorded in Dodgeville was 108°F (42°C) on July 24, 1901.
• The coldest temperature ever recorded was -33°F (-36°C) on January 19, 1994.

Population Information

How Many People Live Here?

In 2020, Dodgeville had a population of 4,984 people. This means there were about 1,227 people living in each square mile.

Most people in Dodgeville are White (91.8%). There are also smaller groups of Asian, Black, Native American, and people of two or more races. About 2.1% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Dodgeville in 2010 was about 37.8 years old. About 26.8% of the people were under 18 years old.

Economy and Jobs

Lands' End corporate office

Dodgeville is an important city for farming in the area. It provides many services for local farmers.

The city is most famous for being the main office of Lands' End. This company sells clothes and home products all over the world through catalogs and the internet. Lands' End is a very big employer in Dodgeville, with about 6,000 people working at its headquarters.

Fun Things to Do and See

Local Events

Every summer, Dodgeville hosts a "Farmer Appreciation Day." This event usually happens on the third weekend of July. It includes a parade down Iowa Street and a festival in Harris Park. It's a way for the community to thank the farmers who are so important to the local economy. The parade features farm equipment, fire trucks, and floats. The festival has food, music, rides, tractor pulls, and fireworks!

Historic Places to Visit

Dodge Mining Camp Cabin

• The Iowa County Courthouse was built in 1859. It's still used today as the county government building. It's the oldest courthouse in Wisconsin! Over the years, new parts have been added, but they match the old style.
• The Dodge Mining Camp Cabin was built around 1828. This cabin shows what homes were like for the lead miners who first settled here. The Iowa County Historical Society moved and fixed up the cabin. It's one of Wisconsin's oldest buildings. It might even be the last mining cabin left from the "Lead Rush" of the 1820s.
• Many historic buildings are found along Iowa Street in downtown Dodgeville. This area is part of the Iowa Street Historic District.

Parks and Outdoor Fun

• The Military Ridge State Trail is a 40-mile (64 km) long path. It goes from Dodgeville all the way to Fitchburg, Wisconsin. This trail used to be a railroad line. Now, people use it for hiking, biking, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing.
• Governor Dodge State Park is located about 3 miles (5 km) north of Dodgeville. This park started being developed in the late 1940s. It's a great place for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and enjoying nature.

Schools in Dodgeville

Dodgeville has its own school district. It serves students from Dodgeville and the nearby village of Ridgeway.

• There is one elementary school for students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade.
• There is one middle school for grades 6 through 8.
• There is one high school for grades 9 through 12.
• St. Joseph's Catholic School also serves students from Kindergarten through 8th grade.

News and Media

Dodgeville has a weekly newspaper called the Dodgeville Chronicle. It comes out every Wednesday and covers news for Dodgeville and nearby towns. You can also get larger newspapers like the Wisconsin State Journal from Madison.

For radio, Dodgeville has:

• WDMP-FM 99.3, which plays country music.
• WZRK 810 AM and 96.9 FM, which plays active rock music.
• Wisconsin Public Radio is also available on WHHI 91.3.

Getting Around

Airports

The Dodgeville Municipal Airport was built in 1967. It closed in 1989 but reopened in 2002 as a private airport called Southwind Airport.

Bus Services

• The Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) has a special van for people with special needs in Iowa County.
• The Iowa County Taxi serves Dodgeville on Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Lamers Bus provides transportation from Green Bay to Dubuque, with a stop in downtown Dodgeville.

Highways

Several major roads go through Dodgeville, including the Dodgeville Expressway, U.S. Route 151, U.S. Route 18, and Wisconsin Highway 23.

Railroads

Dodgeville no longer has train service, but it used to! Both the Chicago and Northwestern and the Illinois Central Railroads served the city. The old Illinois Central freight building is still in downtown Dodgeville.

The Illinois Central train line to Dodgeville was removed in 1942. The metal rails were actually used to help build the Battleship Wisconsin during World War II!

Healthcare

Dodgeville has a health center called Upland Hills Health Center. It started in 1974 when two hospitals, St. Joseph's Hospital and Dodgeville General Hospital, joined together to form Memorial Hospital. Later, it changed its name to Upland Hills Health Center. Today, it includes a clinic, a rehabilitation center, a nursing home, and a hospital.

Sister City

Dodgeville has a "sister city" in another country:

• Oakham, Rutland, United Kingdom

Famous People from Dodgeville

Many interesting people have come from Dodgeville, including:

• Henry Dodge, who was the first governor of Wisconsin Territory and the person Dodgeville is named after.
• Archie Hahn, who won gold medals in sprinting at the 1904 and 1906 Olympics!

See also

In Spanish: Dodgeville (Wisconsin) para niños