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Lake Mills, Wisconsin facts for kids

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Lake Mills, Wisconsin
Franklin Else Bandstand in Commons Park
Franklin Else Bandstand in Commons Park
Location of Lake Mills in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
Location of Lake Mills in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
Lake Mills, Wisconsin is located in Wisconsin
Lake Mills, Wisconsin
Lake Mills, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
County Jefferson
Government
 • Type City Council
Area
 • Total 4.48 sq mi (11.61 km2)
 • Land 4.17 sq mi (10.81 km2)
 • Water 0.31 sq mi (0.80 km2)
Elevation
837 ft (255 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 6,211
 • Density 1,434.08/sq mi (553.69/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip Code
53551
Area code(s) 920
FIPS code 55-41675
GNIS feature ID 1567742

Lake Mills is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. In 2020, about 6,211 people lived there. The city is partly located within the Town of Lake Mills.

History of Lake Mills

Lake Mills is located on the east shore of Rock Lake. The first person to settle here was Captain Joseph Keyes. He named the area "Lake Mills." This was because he built a saw mill (for cutting wood) and a grist mill (for grinding grain) using power from nearby Rock Lake.

The area was officially recognized in 1836. The very first building was built in 1837. The village of Lake Mills became a separate town in 1852. In 1866, the village changed its name to "Tyranena." However, it changed back to "Lake Mills" just one year later. "Tyranena" is thought to be an old local name meaning "sparkling waters."

Geography and Location

Lake Mills is located at 43°4′48″N 88°54′33″W / 43.08000°N 88.90917°W / 43.08000; -88.90917. This means it is in the northern part of the world, west of the Prime Meridian.

The United States Census Bureau says the city covers about 4.44 square miles (11.61 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 4.06 square miles (10.81 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.38 square miles (0.80 square kilometers), is water.

Climate and Weather

Lake Mills has a changing climate with warm summers and cold winters. Here is some information about the weather:

Climate data for Lake Mills Wastewater Treatment Plant, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 60
(16)
71
(22)
84
(29)
89
(32)
103
(39)
104
(40)
110
(43)
104
(40)
100
(38)
90
(32)
77
(25)
66
(19)
110
(43)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 26.8
(−2.9)
31.1
(−0.5)
43.2
(6.2)
57.0
(13.9)
69.5
(20.8)
79.8
(26.6)
83.5
(28.6)
81.0
(27.2)
74.0
(23.3)
60.8
(16.0)
45.2
(7.3)
32.3
(0.2)
57.0
(13.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 19.1
(−7.2)
22.6
(−5.2)
33.9
(1.1)
46.4
(8.0)
58.6
(14.8)
69.1
(20.6)
73.0
(22.8)
70.8
(21.6)
62.9
(17.2)
50.5
(10.3)
36.9
(2.7)
25.1
(−3.8)
47.4
(8.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 11.4
(−11.4)
14.1
(−9.9)
24.6
(−4.1)
35.9
(2.2)
47.7
(8.7)
58.4
(14.7)
62.4
(16.9)
60.6
(15.9)
51.7
(10.9)
40.2
(4.6)
28.5
(−1.9)
18.0
(−7.8)
37.8
(3.2)
Record low °F (°C) −33
(−36)
−32
(−36)
−18
(−28)
8
(−13)
20
(−7)
29
(−2)
40
(4)
34
(1)
24
(−4)
−3
(−19)
−13
(−25)
−24
(−31)
−33
(−36)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.41
(36)
1.52
(39)
2.03
(52)
3.59
(91)
4.39
(112)
5.11
(130)
4.37
(111)
4.50
(114)
3.47
(88)
2.82
(72)
2.12
(54)
1.65
(42)
36.98
(939)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.7
(27)
11.4
(29)
4.9
(12)
2.1
(5.3)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.51)
2.0
(5.1)
10.9
(28)
42.3
(107)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 8.4 6.9 7.3 10.3 11.5 11.6 9.2 9.1 8.6 10.0 8.3 8.5 109.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 6.3 5.8 3.1 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.8 5.9 23.8
Source: NOAA

Population and People

The number of people living in Lake Mills has grown over the years. Here's how the population has changed:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 590
1880 671 13.7%
1890 1,053 56.9%
1900 1,387 31.7%
1910 1,672 20.5%
1920 1,754 4.9%
1930 2,007 14.4%
1940 2,219 10.6%
1950 2,516 13.4%
1960 2,951 17.3%
1970 3,556 20.5%
1980 3,670 3.2%
1990 4,143 12.9%
2000 4,843 16.9%
2010 5,708 17.9%
2020 6,211 8.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
LakeMillsWisconsinSignWIS89
DOT sign
LakeMillsWisconsinDowntownWIS89
The west part of the town square on Highway 89

2010 Census Information

In 2010, a census (an official count of the population) showed that 5,708 people lived in Lake Mills. There were 2,319 households, which are groups of people living together.

Most people in Lake Mills were White (96.1%). Smaller groups included African American (0.7%), Native American (0.2%), and Asian (0.5%). About 3.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the city was 37.2 years old. About 24.9% of the people were under 18. About 13.5% were 65 years old or older. The city had slightly more females (51.2%) than males (48.8%).

Local Media

Lake Mills has its own weekly newspaper called The Lake Mills Leader. This newspaper shares local news and stories with the community.

Schools and Education

The Lake Mills Area School District runs several schools. These include an elementary school, a middle school, and Lake Mills High School.

There are also two Christian schools in Lake Mills. St. Paul Lutheran School teaches students from 3K (preschool) to 8th grade. Lakeside Lutheran High School provides education for older students. Both schools are part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

Notable People from Lake Mills

Many interesting people have come from Lake Mills. Here are a few:

  • Mel J. Cyrak, a Wisconsin State Representative
  • Palmer F. Daugs, another Wisconsin State Representative
  • Ernst F. Detterer, a talented artist
  • Nelson H. Falk, who also served as a Wisconsin State Representative
  • William Everson, a Wisconsin State Representative
  • Charles Greenwood, a Wisconsin State Representative
  • Carleton Bruns Joeckel, a librarian, author, and supporter of public libraries
  • Theodore S. Jones, a Wisconsin State Representative
  • Laura L. Kiessling, a well-known chemist
  • Amy Kellogg Morse (1853–1905), who was the President of the Wisconsin State Woman's Christian Temperance Union
  • Louis Wescott Myers, who became the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court
  • Charles Phillips, a Wisconsin State Representative
  • Hal Raether, a MLB pitcher
  • Jim Wilson, an Oklahoma state senator

See also

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