Eleva, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eleva, Wisconsin
Village
Village hall
Location of Eleva in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Trempealeau
Area
• Total	0.58 sq mi (1.50 km2)
• Land	0.56 sq mi (1.46 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	863 ft (263 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	685
• Density	1,266.51/sq mi (489/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	54738
Area code(s)	715 & 534
FIPS code	55-23175
GNIS feature ID	1564504

Eleva (say "uh-LEE-vuh") is a small village in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. It is located along the Buffalo River. In 2020, about 685 people lived there. Eleva is part of the Town of Albion.

History of Eleva Village

Before settlers arrived, the area was home to Lakota and Ho-Chunk Native American tribes. The Ojibwe people lived nearby. The first European settlers came to the area in 1856. They began farming crops like potatoes, wheat, and corn.

Early Buildings and Businesses

The very first building in what is now Eleva was a log cabin. Joseph and Elizabeth Cooper built it in 1863. In 1876, John Redford and Marsh Goddard opened a store. It was both a general store and a blacksmith shop. Goods were brought in by horse and wagon. Soon after, a hotel and a grist mill were built. The mill ground wheat into flour. By 1877, the community was growing fast. It had more stores, a drug store, and a meat shop. Some people even called it "New Chicago" because it was growing so quickly!

How Eleva Got Its Name

The village was officially planned out in 1877. The name "Eleva" has a few possible stories:

• Some say it came from Native Americans saying "I leave you" when they left.
• Others believe it was named after a place in Ireland.
• A popular story is that "ELEVA" was painted on a grain elevator. Winter came before the painter could finish "TOR." New people thought "ELEVA" was the town's name.
• Some think it was named by Marsh Goddard after a French village.
• Another idea is that it was named for Goddard's daughter, Eva, who died young.

Growth and Modernization

Eleva built its first school in town in 1890. Before that, students went to a school two miles away. A post office also opened in 1885. In 1889, a railroad reached Eleva. This helped the town grow even more. A lumber yard and a train station were added.

By 1890, Eleva was a busy place. It had two grain elevators, a cheese factory, and a flour mill. There were also many shops and services. These included a hardware store, a drug store, and a tailor. The town even had its own doctor and photographer. Interestingly, Eleva had no saloons.

In 1901, the Osseo Telephone Company started phone service in Eleva. Eleva officially became a village in 1902. It had about 314 people then. The village built a new brick school in 1902. It taught students up to tenth grade. The Bank of Eleva opened the next year. In 1914, Eleva started to have electricity. At first, it was only on in the evenings.

The school in Eleva became a high school in 1917. It taught students through twelfth grade. Later, in 1950, a new high school was built between Eleva and Strum. Eleva built a new grade school in 1960.

Geography of Eleva

An aerial view of Eleva

Eleva's downtown in 2016

Eleva is located in Wisconsin at these coordinates: 44°34′31″N 91°28′16″W / 44.57528°N 91.47111°W / 44.57528; -91.47111. The village covers about 0.60 square miles (1.50 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Population of Eleva

In 2010, there were 670 people living in Eleva. There were 292 households. Most people living in Eleva were White. About 24.5% of the residents were under 18 years old. The average age in the village was about 39.5 years.

See also

In Spanish: Eleva (Wisconsin) para niños