Oconto, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oconto, Wisconsin
City
The Oconto County Courthouse in Oconto
Location of Oconto in Oconto County, Wisconsin
Oconto, Wisconsin Location in Wisconsin
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Oconto
Area
• Total	7.14 sq mi (18.48 km2)
• Land	6.79 sq mi (17.57 km2)
• Water	0.35 sq mi (0.91 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,609
• Density	679.3/sq mi (262.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	54153
Area code(s)	920
FIPS code	55-59350

Oconto is a city in Wisconsin, USA. It's also the main city, or 'county seat', of Oconto County. In 2020, about 4,609 people lived here. Oconto is part of the larger Green Bay area. The city is partly located within the nearby town of Oconto.

History of Oconto

Oconto is home to Copper Culture State Park. This park has ancient remains that are about 5,000 to 6,000 years old. It is a burial ground of the Copper Culture Native Americans. This burial ground is thought to be the oldest cemetery in Wisconsin. It is also one of the oldest in the entire nation. The Menominee people, who have lived here for thousands of years, are descendants of these early groups.

Early European Contact

The first Europeans to arrive in the Oconto area were the French. They considered this land part of New France. A French Jesuit priest and missionary, Father Claude-Jean Allouez, held the first Christian Mass in Oconto. This happened on December 3, 1669. The Menominee people living here started trading furs with the Europeans. Some also began to adopt Christianity.

Land Treaties and Settlement

This area was part of the land given up by the Menominee to the United States government. This happened in the 1836 Treaty of the Cedars. In this treaty, the Menominee gave up over four million acres of land. This followed many years of talks. The talks were about how to make space for the Oneida, Stockbridge-Munsee, and Brothertown peoples. These groups were being moved from New York to Wisconsin.

After the treaty, the land became officially open for American settlers. However, soldiers and lumber workers had already been in the area for some time. In the same year the treaty was signed, George Lurwick bought a home and a sawmill. This was along the Oconto River. He became the first private landowner in the town after the land was sold to the United States.

City Incorporation and Name

The city of Oconto was officially formed in 1869. The city got its name from the nearby Oconto River. The name Okāqtow comes from the Menominee language. It means "the place of the pike." This is one of several local place names related to pike fish.

First Christian Science Church

The very first Christian Science church in the world was built in Oconto in 1886. It is still standing today. You can find it at the corner of Main Street and Chicago Street. The land for the church was given by Henry (1837–1904) and Victoria Sargent (1848–1930).

Oconto Log Drivers Baseball

In 1891, the city had its own minor league baseball team. They were called the Oconto Log Drivers. They were one of the first teams in the Wisconsin State League. The league started playing on May 14, 1891. The Log Drivers only played for that first season.

The Great Frog Emergence of 1952

In the summer of 1952, something very unusual happened. Over two days, about 175 million leopard frogs appeared in the town! They came from nearby marshes. The water level of Lake Michigan had risen in the spring. This flooded the wetlands where the frogs laid their eggs. Usually, when the lake level goes down in summer, many eggs would die. But in 1952, Lake Michigan stayed high. This allowed a huge number of frog eggs to grow into live amphibians.

Geography of Oconto

Oconto, 1:10 AM CDT

Oconto is located at 44°53′N 87°52′W / 44.883°N 87.867°W / 44.883; -87.867 (44.8877, -87.8704).

The United States Census Bureau says the city covers a total area of about 7.14 square miles (18.48 square kilometers). Most of this, 6.79 square miles (17.57 square kilometers), is land. The rest, 0.35 square miles (0.91 square kilometers), is water.

Oconto is located where the Oconto River flows into Lake Michigan.

Climate in Oconto

Oconto has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 105°F (41°C) in July. The coldest was -35°F (-37°C) in January and February. The city gets a good amount of rain and snow throughout the year.

Population and People

The number of people living in Oconto has stayed pretty much the same over the last 100 years.

Population in 2020

According to the census of 2020, Oconto had 4,609 residents. This means there were about 679 people per square mile (262 people per square kilometer). There were 2,175 homes in the city.

Most of the people in Oconto were White (91.8%). Other groups included Native American (2.1%), Black or African American (0.5%), and Asian (0.4%). About 4.5% of people were from two or more races. Around 3.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Population in 2010

In the census of 2010, there were 4,513 people living in Oconto. There were 1,872 households, which are groups of people living together. About 1,172 of these were families. The average household had 2.35 people, and the average family had 2.95 people.

The average age of people in the city was 39.6 years old. About 23.4% of residents were under 18 years old. About 15.8% were 65 years or older. The city had slightly more females (50.3%) than males (49.7%).

Education in Oconto

Welcome signs on U.S. Route 41

Looking north at the eastern end of Wisconsin Highway 22 at U.S. Route 41 in Oconto

Oconto has several schools for students of different ages:

• Oconto Elementary School
• Oconto Literacy Charter School
• Oconto Middle School
• Oconto High School

Transportation in Oconto

Major Highways

• US 41 is a main highway. If you go north, it leads to Marinette. If you go south, it continues toward Green Bay.
• WIS 22 connects Oconto with Oconto Falls and Gillett if you travel south.

Airport

The J. Douglas Bake Memorial Airport (KOCQ) serves Oconto and the towns around it.

Notable Businesses in Oconto

• Cruisers yachts is a company in Oconto that builds fancy pleasure yachts.

Notable People from Oconto

See also

In Spanish: Oconto (Wisconsin) para niños