Elroy, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elroy, Wisconsin
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Location of Elroy in Juneau County, Wisconsin.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Juneau |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.97 sq mi (5.09 km2) |
| • Land | 1.97 sq mi (5.09 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 978 ft (298 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,356 |
| • Density | 689.7/sq mi (266.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Zip Code |
53929
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| Area code(s) | 608 |
| FIPS code | 55-23800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1564593 |
Elroy is a city in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located along the Baraboo River and marks the eastern end of the famous Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail. In 2020, the city had a population of 1,356 people.
Contents
History of Elroy
Elroy was named in 1858. One story says it was named after a place in Scotland.
Another story suggests that the first residents wanted to name the community "LeRoy." However, they found out another place in Wisconsin already had that name. So, they simply switched the first two letters to "Elroy," and the name stuck! A post office has been operating in Elroy since 1862.
For many years, Elroy was a very important center for railroads in the area. The Baraboo Air Line Railroad reached Elroy in the 1870s. This railroad line was later bought by the Chicago and North Western Railway. They extended the line all the way to Sparta, Wisconsin. Eventually, this became a main railway route between Chicago, Illinois and Winona, Minnesota.
Another railroad company, the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, also built a line through Elroy. This line connected St. Paul, Minnesota, south through Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Both railroad companies had large buildings and operations in Elroy, including places to repair trains called roundhouses.
Over time, fewer trains used the Elroy part of the Chicago and North Western line. This was because new, better tracks were built further north. In the mid-1960s, the train tracks in Elroy were removed. The old railway path was then turned into the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail, which is still used today.
Later, in the 1990s, other tracks from Elroy were also removed. These included the tracks going southeast to Reedsburg, Wisconsin and the north-south Omaha line. These old railway paths are now known as the "400" State Trail and the Omaha Trail.
Geography of Elroy
Elroy is located in Juneau County, Wisconsin. The city has a total area of about 1.97 square miles (5.09 square kilometers), and all of it is land.
The city is mostly surrounded by the Town of Plymouth. It also touches a small part of the Town of Wonewoc on its southern side.
Population of Elroy
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 663 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,413 | 113.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,685 | 19.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,729 | 2.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,713 | −0.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,546 | −9.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,850 | 19.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,654 | −10.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,505 | −9.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,513 | 0.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,504 | −0.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,533 | 1.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,578 | 2.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,442 | −8.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,356 | −6.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Elroy's Population in 2010
According to the census taken in 2010, Elroy had 1,442 people living there. These people lived in 590 different households, and 348 of these were families. The city had about 728 people per square mile.
There were 680 housing units in Elroy. About 28.8% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (42.4%) were married couples living together. About 13.4% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.
The average age of people in Elroy was 41.6 years old. About 22.5% of the residents were under 18 years old. Also, 19.4% of the people were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (48.2%) and females (51.8%).
Gallery
Notable People from Elroy
Many interesting people have lived in or have connections to Elroy:
- Charles Erwin Booth: He was a Wisconsin State Representative, meaning he helped make laws for Wisconsin.
- Peter A. Cleary: Another Wisconsin State Representative who lived in Elroy.
- Peter Egan: A well-known columnist who was born in Elroy.
- John Grimshaw: He also served as a Wisconsin State Representative.
- Knut Hamsun: A famous author who lived in Elroy for a short time in the early 1880s.
- Daniyal Mueenuddin: An author who spent part of his time living on a farm near Elroy.
- Ed Thompson: He ran for governor of Wisconsin in 2002. He is the brother of Tommy Thompson.
- Tommy Thompson: A very important person from Elroy! He was the Governor of Wisconsin for four terms. He also served as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services for President George W. Bush.
See also
In Spanish: Elroy (Wisconsin) para niños
