Eureka, Winnebago County, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Eureka, Wisconsin
Census-designated place
Looking southerly in downtown Eureka
Location of Eureka, Wisconsin
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Winnebago
Area
• Total	1.071 sq mi (2.77 km²)
• Land	1.024 sq mi (2.65 km²)
• Water	0.047 sq mi (0.12 km²)
Elevation	743 ft (226 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	247
• Density	230.6/sq mi (89.05/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip Code	54934
Area code(s)	920
FIPS code	55-24475
GNIS feature ID	2586486

Eureka is a small community in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the Fox River. This area is southwest of Omro, where county highways K and E meet. In 2020, about 247 people lived in Eureka.

History of Eureka
Population and People
- Population Details
Culture and Media
- Film Connection
Interesting People from Eureka
- E. R. Jaeger's Adventure
- The Foote Mansion
Images for kids
See also

History of Eureka

Eureka is located on the south side of the Fox River. The first settlers, Lester Rounds and Walton C. Dickerson, arrived in 1850. They moved their businesses to this spot.

Early Development

The first official map of Eureka was recorded on July 24, 1850. Rounds and Dickerson were among the owners of the land. A ferry was started across the Fox River that same year. Four years later, a bridge was built.

Post Office and Steamboats

Eureka got its own post office on July 16, 1850. Lester Rounds became the first postmaster. Walton C. Dickerson built a special landing and warehouse for steamboats. These steamboats traveled daily between Oshkosh and Berlin on the river.

Lumber Industry

Sawmills in Eureka and nearby towns like Delhi and Omro needed pine logs. These logs came from the Wolf River. They were pulled up the Fox River by boats to supply the mills.

Population and People

Eureka's population has grown over the years.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
2000	129	—
2010	220	70.5%
2020	247	12.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population Details

In 2000, Eureka had 129 people. Most residents were White. A small number were Native American or of other races. About 1.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Most homes in Eureka were owned by the people living in them. Many adults had graduated from high school. The average income for families was around $47,500.

Culture and Media

Eureka was once the setting for a movie.

Film Connection

The RKO Radio Pictures film, All Mine to Give, was set in Eureka. This movie helped make the small community known to a wider audience.

Interesting People from Eureka

Eureka has been home to some interesting individuals.

E. R. Jaeger's Adventure

E. R. Jaeger, who was 27 years old, moved from Eureka to Tacoma, Washington, in the late 1800s. He worked in his brother's laundry business. In 1894, he decided to start his own business. He flipped a coin to choose between Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska won! His business, the Alaska Laundry Co., is still run by his family in Juneau today.

The Foote Mansion

The Foote Mansion in Eureka was built by brothers Argalus J. and Augustus I. Foote. It was a very large house with 30 rooms. The house had two sets of 15 rooms that mirrored each other, with a big hall in the middle. Some local stories say the Foote Mansion is haunted. There are also tales that Al Capone, a famous gangster, used it to make whiskey during the time of Prohibition.

Images for kids

Welcome sign
Lift Bridge over Fox River
The Old Post Office
The Eureka Lock and Lock Tender's House on the Fox River, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Eureka Lock and Lock Tender's House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Eunson Home Site on the Fox River
Eureka United Methodist Church (established 1868)
Foote Mansion
The Old Post Office