Evansville, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evansville, Wisconsin
City
Location of Evansville in Rock County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Rock
Area
• Total	3.31 sq mi (8.58 km2)
• Land	3.25 sq mi (8.43 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2)
Elevation	912 ft (278 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3
• Density	1,752.1/sq mi (676.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-24550
GNIS feature ID	1564732

Evansville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. In 2020, about 5,703 people lived there. Evansville is part of a larger area that includes the cities of Janesville and Beloit. It is also connected to the Madison area.

History of Evansville

Evansville was first settled in the 1830s. People from New England came because they liked the beautiful forests and the calm Allen Creek. By 1855, the city had its first official map (called a plat). It was growing with homes, shops, and churches. The city is named after Dr. John M. Evans. He was a doctor and postmaster in the early days of Evansville.

Growth and Economy

In 1863, the Chicago and North Western Railway came to Evansville. This helped the city grow even faster. At that time, Evansville's economy was based on making things like carriages, wagons, pumps, windmills, and iron parts. Farming was also very important. People raised dairy cows, grew wheat and tobacco, and raised other animals.

By the early 1900s, Evansville had over 1,900 residents. By the 1920s, most of the buildings in what is now the city's Historic District were finished.

The first newspaper in Evansville was called Badger. It started in 1894 and was run by two sisters, Eleanor and Marilla Andrews, and their all-female staff.

Events During World War I

On November 11, 1918, people in Evansville were celebrating the end of World War I. However, some citizens unfairly targeted others. They believed these people had not supported the war enough, especially by not buying war bonds.

Some residents were pressured to show their support for the war. One 73-year-old woman, Mary J. Shaw, was mistreated even though she had bought bonds and helped the Red Cross. She was eventually helped by other citizens. Her attempts to get justice for what happened were not successful.

Evansville's Historic District

A historic home in Evansville, around 1890.

The Evansville Historic District is a special area around Main Street. It includes many old homes and buildings. The Wisconsin Historical Society says Evansville has "the finest collection of 1840s to 1915 architecture of any small town in Wisconsin." This means the buildings show great examples of how architecture changed during that time.

Eager Free Public Library

The Eager Free Public Library building was built in 1908. A citizen named Almeron Eager left money for it in his will. The building was designed in the Prairie style. It has beautiful stained glass windows and plaster designs near the roof. In 1994, a new part was added to the library. It was made to look like the old building and added more space, making it easier for everyone to use.

Around the library, you can see other interesting old buildings. These include a Greek Revival home, a High Victorian Gothic brick home, and a classic Victorian "Painted Lady" home.

Evansville Seminary

The Evansville Seminary was a school located near College Drive. Its building is now used as apartment homes. In 1978, the entire historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical area.

Railways in Evansville

In the 1860s, the C&NW Railroad connected Evansville to Beloit. Later, another line was built to Janesville. This made travel between Madison, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois more direct. The part of the railway between Evansville and Beloit was no longer used in the late 1970s.

In 1995, Union Pacific took over C&NW. They stopped using much of the railway between Madison and Evansville. The Evansville Depot, built in 1910, was no longer used by 1970. It was later fixed up and is now used by the local Legion VFW Post 6905.

Geography and Location

Evansville is located in Wisconsin. It covers about 3.31 square miles (8.58 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Evansville is about 23 miles (37 km) south of Madison, Wisconsin. It is also about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Janesville, Wisconsin. And it is about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Beloit, Wisconsin.

Lake Leota

Lake Leota is an 18-acre (7.3 ha) lake in Evansville. It was created in the 1840s by building a dam on Allen Creek. Over the years, dirt from upstream farms made the lake shallower. By 2000, it was only about one and a half feet deep on average.

The city decided to restore the lake. In 2005, the dam was opened to let the lake drain and dry out. In 2008, citizens voted to dredge the lake. Dredging means removing the mud and dirt from the bottom. This project was finished in 2009, making the lake up to ten feet deep.

The dam was closed, and Lake Leota slowly refilled. A celebration was held on July 4, 2009. Now, people can enjoy the lake for boating (without motors) and fishing. The lake has been stocked with fish like panfish and bass.

Population and Demographics

2020 Census Information

According to the census of 2020, Evansville had 5,703 people. The city had about 1,752 people per square mile. There were 2,363 homes.

Most of the people (91.0%) were White. Other groups included Asian (0.9%), Black or African American (0.9%), and Native American (0.3%). About 5.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

2010 Census Information

In the census of 2010, there were 5,012 people living in Evansville. There were 1,942 households, which are groups of people living together. About 40.6% of these households had children under 18.

The average age in the city was 34.7 years. About 29.3% of residents were under 18 years old. And 11.3% were 65 years or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (48.9%) and females (51.1%).

Community Life in Evansville

Evansville has many useful places for its residents. These include gas stations, banks, a large grocery store, and various unique shops and restaurants. In recent years, many buildings downtown have been updated to look like they did when they were first built.

In 2008, three blocks of Main Street were repaved with old-style bricks. This added to the "old time" feel of the downtown area. This paving happened while major improvements were made to the city's underground pipes and wires.

Evansville shares a fire department with nearby towns. A new fire station was built in 2008. The police department then moved into the old fire station building. The Evansville EMS (Emergency Medical Services) is in a separate building.

Parks and Recreation

The city has a large central park called Leonard-Leota Park. It is partly named after an early settler, Levi Leonard. This park includes Lake Leota, where people can fish, boat, and swim.

The park also has a cold-war era M60 Patton tank. You can see it on the east side of the park. Other park features include baseball fields, tennis courts, a basketball court, a splash pad, picnic areas, and playgrounds. A skateboard park was added in 2006.

Evansville also has smaller parks like Countryside, Franklin, and Brzezinski. In 2008, a new large park opened on the west side of Evansville. It was first called West Side Park. In 2024, it was renamed Larson Acres Park. This park has the Evansville Aquatic Center with a new swimming pool. It also has baseball fields and soccer fields. More courts and paths are still being built.

Education in Evansville

Evansville has four schools for different age groups:

• Levi Leonard Elementary
• Theodore Robinson Intermediate School
• J.C. McKenna Middle School
• Evansville High School

In 2005, Evansville High School received a Blue Ribbon award from the United States Department of Education. The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors schools that are excellent in academics or show great improvement in student learning.

Businesses and Industries

A Baker cast iron pump, similar to those made in Evansville.

Some of the main employers in Evansville include:

• Baker Manufacturing Company: This company makes pumps and well equipment.
• Stoughton Trailers: They build parts for semi-trailers.
• Varco-Pruden: This company makes pre-made metal buildings.
• Evansville Manor: This is a nursing home.

Evansville also has a local bank that has been in business for over 100 years. There are several other banks in the city too.

Some old railway tracks from the Chicago & North Western railway still exist. However, after 1996, when Union Pacific railway bought the line, most of the railway facilities in town were removed.

Media Coverage

Newspapers

One of the first newspapers in Evansville was the "Badger." It was published by Marilla and Eleanora Andrews from 1894 to 1906. It came out every Saturday and cost $1.00 per year. Other early newspapers included "Enterprise," "Evansville Review," and "Tribune."

Radio

WWHG (105.9 FM) is a mainstream rock radio station. It is licensed to Evansville, but its studios are in Janesville. It serves the areas of Janesville and Madison. Evansville also gets radio stations from the Janesville, Madison, and Rockford areas.

Television

Evansville was featured on a Wisconsin tourism TV show called Discover Wisconsin in February 2017. Evansville is part of the Madison television market. This means it receives TV channels from Madison. Channels from Rockford are also available.

Notable people from Evansville

See also

In Spanish: Evansville (Wisconsin) para niños