Kaukauna, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Kaukauna, Wisconsin
City
Kaukauna's south side downtown, as seen from Statue Park. The Fox River is in the foreground and the Civic Center is on the far right.
Nickname(s):  The Electric City, The Lion on the Fox
Location of Kaukauna in Outagamie County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Outagamie, Calumet
Surrounding Towns	Kaukauna, Buchanan, Harrison, Vandenbroek
Settled	1793
Incorporated	1885
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• City	8.23 sq mi (21.32 km2)
• Land	7.82 sq mi (20.25 km2)
• Water	0.41 sq mi (1.07 km2)  4.96%
Elevation	650 ft (198 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	17,089
• Density	2,076.4/sq mi (801.55/km2)
• Metro	360,000
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	54130
Area code(s)	920
FIPS code	55-38800
GNIS feature ID	1567364
Website	www.cityofkaukauna.com

Kaukauna is a city in Outagamie and Calumet counties, Wisconsin, United States. It is situated on the Fox River, approximately 100 miles (160 km) north of Milwaukee. The population was 15,462 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Appleton, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Kaukauna is a Native American word and in various dialects means "portage", "long portage", "place where pickerel are caught", and "place of pike". Prior to 1880, and shortly afterwards, Kaukauna was known as "The Lion on the Fox". This nickname was changed to "The Electric City" upon the completion of the hydroelectric plant. When the city was incorporated in 1885, it was separated from the adjacent rural parts of the town. The first recorded land deed in Wisconsin was assigned to Dominique Ducharme in 1793. He obtained 1,281 acres (518 ha) from the Menominee Indians for two barrels of rum and other gifts. These acres are the original site of the town of Kaukauna. The property was purchased by Charles A. Grignon (and recorded Dec. 18, 1828), who built a mansion on the river on Kaukauna's north side. The home, which bears Grignon's name, is operated as a museum by the Outagamie County Historical Society.

Geography

Kaukauna is located in southeastern Outagamie County, with a small portion extending south into Calumet County along State Highway 55 (Friendship Drive). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.06 square miles (20.88 km²), of which 7.66 square miles (19.84 km²) is land and 0.40 square miles (1.04 km²) is water.

The city is divided into the North Side and South Side by the Fox River, which is spanned by four bridges.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,462 people, 6,270 households, and 4,090 families living in the city. The population density was 2,018.5 inhabitants per square mile (779.3/km²). There were 6,596 housing units at an average density of 861.1 per square mile (332.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.5% White, 0.7% African American, 0.8% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 6,270 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

Transportation

Kaukauna is located at the intersections of several major roads. Interstate 41, which forms the backbone of the Fox Cities' transit network, runs along the northern edge of the city and intersects Wisconsin Highway 55, Wisconsin Highway 96, and two county roads that serve as major thoroughfares in the city. US 10 is just to the south of Kaukauna, and Wisconsin Highway 441 is just to the west. Kaukauna is a member of Valley Transit, which provides bus service. Kaukauna is served by Appleton International Airport for airport service.

Religion

Kaukauna has two Lutheran churches: Bethany Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) and Trinity Lutheran Church (Wisconsin Synod), and three Roman Catholic churches: Holy Cross, St. Mary's and St. Aloysius.

National Register of Historic Places

Locations in Kaukauna that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

• Capt. Matthew J. Meade House
• Charles A. Grignon House
• Charles W. Stribley House
• Fargo's Furniture Store
• Former United States Post Office
• Frank St. Andrews House
• Free Public Library of Kaukauna
• Holy Cross Church
• Julius J. Martens Company Building
• Kaukauna Locks Historic District
• Klein Dairy Farmhouse
• Kuehn Blacksmith Shop-Hardware Store
• Lindauer and Rupert Block
• Merritt Black House
• Nicolet Public School
• Norman Brokaw House
• St. Mary's Catholic Church

Gallery

• 

  The North Side from the top of Beaulieu Hill

• 

  The South Side from the Statue Park on Wisconsin Avenue

• 

  Veterans Memorial Bridge from Veterans Memorial Park

• 

  Veterans Memorial Park, looking east from Lawe Street

• 

  The Charles A. Grignon home, also known as "The Mansion in the Woods"

• 

  The Thilmany paper mill from Veterans Memorial Park

• 

  Southside downtown

• 

  Northside downtown

• 

  City hall

• 

  Fox River dam

• 

  Army Corps of Engineers office

Economy

The city has diverse industrial and manufacturing businesses, including the Oscar Thilmany Paper Mill, constructed in 1883. The name dropped off the mill when it was purchased by HammerMill in 1969, which was in turn bought by International Paper in 1986.

In 2005, New York-based equity firm Kohlberg & Company bought the mill, changed the name back to Thilmany, and created a company of the same name. It is now owned by KPS Capital Partners, and was renamed Expera Specialty Solutions in 2013. In 2018, it was sold to Ahlstrom-Munksjo. Kaukauna cheese, once made in the city, is now manufactured by the Bel/Kaukauna corporation in the neighboring village of Little Chute.

Education

Kaukauna is served by the Kaukauna Area School District, whose enrollment totals almost 4,000 students between kindergarten and 12th grade. There are four public elementary schools, one middle school, and Kaukauna High School. Two parochial schools for children through the eighth grade exist in Kaukauna St. Ignatius Catholic school and Trinity Lutheran School.

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Kaukauna (Wisconsin) para niños