Lancaster, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lancaster, Wisconsin
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Lancaster City Hall
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| Nickname(s):
City of the Dome
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Location of Lancaster in Grant County, Wisconsin.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Grant |
| Named for | Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.01 sq mi (7.80 km2) |
| • Land | 3.01 sq mi (7.80 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,099 ft (335 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,907 |
| • Density | 1,298.9/sq mi (501.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
53813
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| Area code(s) | 608 |
| FIPS code | 55-42250 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1567823 |
| Website | City of Lancaster official website: http://www.lancasterwisconsin.com/ |
Lancaster is a city in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. It is also the county seat, meaning it is the main city where the county government is located. In 2020, about 3,907 people lived there.
Contents
History of Lancaster
Lancaster was created as a special "planned community." This means it was carefully designed from the start. The goal was for it to be the main city for Grant County. In 1836, a person named Major Glendower M. Price bought the land where Lancaster now stands. He chose this spot because it was in the middle of the county.
In 1837, Major Price drew up the city's plan. He made sure the streets lined up with the compass directions. He also set aside a big square in the center for the new county government buildings. A relative from Lancaster, Pennsylvania convinced him to name the city Lancaster. The first county courthouse was built on this square in 1838. Later, two more courthouses were built, with the current one finished in 1902.
Just outside Lancaster, one of Wisconsin's first African-American communities was started. It was called Pleasant Ridge. The Shepard family founded it in 1849. Lancaster was also home to Nelson Dewey, who was the very first governor of Wisconsin.
Geography of Lancaster
Lancaster is located at 42°50′55″N 90°42′38″W / 42.848505°N 90.710430°W. The city is in a special area of southwest Wisconsin called the "Driftless Area." This area looks different from the rest of the state. It was not flattened by glaciers during the last Ice Age.
The city covers a total area of about 3.01 square miles (7.80 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Climate in Lancaster
The weather in Lancaster changes a lot throughout the year. Summers are usually warm, and winters are cold. The city gets rain and snow, with more precipitation in the warmer months.
| Climate data for Lancaster 4 WSW, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) |
71 (22) |
84 (29) |
95 (35) |
104 (40) |
100 (38) |
108 (42) |
103 (39) |
100 (38) |
94 (34) |
77 (25) |
68 (20) |
108 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 25.3 (−3.7) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
42.9 (6.1) |
56.7 (13.7) |
68.3 (20.2) |
77.4 (25.2) |
80.9 (27.2) |
79.1 (26.2) |
72.2 (22.3) |
59.2 (15.1) |
43.8 (6.6) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
55.6 (13.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 17.1 (−8.3) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
33.8 (1.0) |
46.6 (8.1) |
58.1 (14.5) |
67.8 (19.9) |
71.4 (21.9) |
69.5 (20.8) |
61.9 (16.6) |
49.2 (9.6) |
35.6 (2.0) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
46.3 (7.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 8.9 (−12.8) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
36.5 (2.5) |
47.9 (8.8) |
58.2 (14.6) |
61.8 (16.6) |
59.8 (15.4) |
51.6 (10.9) |
39.3 (4.1) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
16.0 (−8.9) |
37.1 (2.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −31 (−35) |
−31 (−35) |
−22 (−30) |
6 (−14) |
23 (−5) |
35 (2) |
42 (6) |
34 (1) |
20 (−7) |
3 (−16) |
−15 (−26) |
−27 (−33) |
−31 (−35) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.20 (30) |
1.29 (33) |
1.99 (51) |
3.80 (97) |
4.39 (112) |
5.93 (151) |
5.03 (128) |
3.86 (98) |
4.03 (102) |
2.90 (74) |
2.37 (60) |
1.70 (43) |
38.49 (978) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.0 (25) |
8.9 (23) |
4.9 (12) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
2.6 (6.6) |
8.7 (22) |
37.4 (95) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.3 | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.2 | 12.9 | 12.3 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.2 | 9.3 | 117.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.1 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 5.8 | 24.8 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population of Lancaster
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,069 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,543 | 44.3% | |
| 1900 | 2,403 | 55.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,329 | −3.1% | |
| 1920 | 2,485 | 6.7% | |
| 1930 | 2,432 | −2.1% | |
| 1940 | 2,963 | 21.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,266 | 10.2% | |
| 1960 | 3,703 | 13.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,756 | 1.4% | |
| 1980 | 4,076 | 8.5% | |
| 1990 | 4,192 | 2.8% | |
| 2000 | 4,070 | −2.9% | |
| 2010 | 3,868 | −5.0% | |
| 2020 | 3,907 | 1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 Census Information
In 2020, the population of Lancaster was 3,907 people. This means there were about 1,299 people living in each square mile. There were also 1,800 homes in the city. Most of the people (95.3%) were White. About 0.8% were Black or African American, and 0.5% were Asian. About 1.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
2010 Census Information
In 2010, there were 3,868 people living in Lancaster. There were 1,659 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. About 28.3% of these households had children under 18. The average age of people in the city was 41.2 years old. About 23.6% of residents were under 18, and 19.8% were 65 or older.
Architecture in Lancaster
Lancaster is sometimes called the "City of the Dome." This nickname comes from the Grant County Courthouse. This building has a unique octagonal dome made of glass and copper. It was designed by Armand Koch and built in 1905. Inside the dome, there are four beautiful paintings by Franz Edward Rohrbeck.
The Municipal Building, built in 1922, is another important building. It shows an early modern style of architecture called Prairie School. Both the Municipal Building and the courthouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are recognized for their historical and architectural importance.
The L. J. Arthur House is also known for its architecture and is on the National Register. The Lancaster Post Office has a special mural painted in 1940. This mural was part of a government program during the Great Depression to help artists.
The Patrick and Margaret Kinney House in Lancaster was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He was a very famous architect, and this is one of 45 buildings he designed in Wisconsin.
Education in Lancaster
Students in Lancaster attend schools in the Lancaster Community School District. There is also a Catholic school in the town.
Transportation in Lancaster
Several important roads pass through or near Lancaster:
U.S. Route 61 goes north and south through the city center.
Highway 35 enters from the east and then follows U.S. Route 61.
Highway 29 goes around the east side of the city.
County Trunk Highway A goes east and west through the city.
The Lancaster Municipal Airport (73C) serves the city and nearby areas. Before 1980, a train line also served the city, connecting it to Madison.
Notable people from Lancaster
- J. Allen Barber – a lawyer and U.S. Representative.
- George Barnett – a Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
- Charles H. Baxter – a Wisconsin State Senator.
- Lisle Blackbourn – an NFL head coach.
- John Benton Callis – a U.S. Representative from Alabama.
- William Carter – a Wisconsin State Representative.
- John G. Clark – an Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Territory Supreme Court.
- Nelson Dewey – the first Governor of Wisconsin.
- Hugh A. Harper – a Wisconsin State Representative.
- John Chandler Holloway – a President Pro Tem of the Wisconsin State Senate.
- A. H. Kemper – a politician from South Dakota.
- William John McCoy – a Wisconsin State Representative.
- Thomas McDonald, Jr. – a Wisconsin State Representative.
- Joseph Trotter Mills – a Wisconsin State Representative.
- Roger P. Murphy – a Wisconsin State Senator and judge.
- Carson Abel Roberts – a U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General.
- Dave Schreiner – a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
- David Schreiner – a Wisconsin State Representative.
- Reuben B. Showalter – a Wisconsin State Representative.
- William Simon U'Ren – an Oregon politician.
- Arthur W. Worth – a Wisconsin State Representative.
Images for kids
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Lancaster City Hall
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Location of Lancaster in Grant County, Wisconsin.
See also
In Spanish: Lancaster (Wisconsin) para niños
