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Platteville, Wisconsin
Platteville Main Street
Platteville Main Street
Location of Platteville in Grant County, Wisconsin.
Location of Platteville in Grant County, Wisconsin.
Country United StatesUnited States
State WisconsinWisconsin
County Grant
Area
 • City 6.18 sq mi (16.00 km2)
 • Land 6.18 sq mi (16.00 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
991 ft (302 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • City 11,224
 • Estimate 
(2019)
12,087
 • Density 1,956.46/sq mi (755.43/km2)
 • Metro
49,681
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s) 608
FIPS code 55-63250
Website http://www.platteville.org/

Platteville is the largest city in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin. The population was 11,224 at the 2010 census, growing 12% since the 2000 Census. Much of this growth is likely due to the enrollment increase of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. It is the principal city of the Platteville Micropolitan Statistical area, which has an estimated population of 49,681. Platteville is located atop the greater Little Platte River valley, in the Southern Driftless Region of Wisconsin.

History

Platteville was a small farming and fur trading community along the Platte River, from which the town got its name. In the 1820s, lead ore or Galena was discovered in the area, a mining boom took the area by storm. The mining district encompassed a significant portion of southwest Wisconsin. More specifically, the counties of Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, and Jo Davies County (Illinois) played a major role in the mining of lead and zinc ore. The Galena, Illinois mining district, an area south of Platteville, had been known to many for years. Beginning in 1825, lead prices saw a dramatic boost and the Platteville economy flourished. The "grey gold" (a common nickname for lead ore) was brought development of businesses and schools. Platteville's landscape was shaped by the mining that helped build the town, and mineral holes abounded everywhere.

By the 1849s lead ore production was decreasing. However, the mining of zinc ore quickly filled the void for prospective work. Platteville was now an established town, complete with schools, an academy, newspaper, several churches, and a telegraph service as of November 1849."

During this time, a teachers' college and a mining college were founded. The Normal School was established on October 9, 1866. The Wisconsin Mining Trade School opened in January 1908. In 1959, these two colleges merged to become Wisconsin State College and Institute of Technology. It was not until 1971 that the college became University of Wisconsin–Platteville, a school that specializes in engineering. Nowadays, UW Platteville is also considered the best criminal justice college in the mid-west.

PostcardPlattevilleWIMainStreetAerialView1910
Main Street, about 1910

Today, Platteville is mainly a college town, with some development in the white-collar sector. That growth is a result of the increasing number of engineering firms locating in Platteville to take advantage of UW-P's engineering program.

From 1984 until 2001 the Chicago Bears football team held training camp on the campus of University of Wisconsin–Platteville. This resulted in a substantial infusion of money into the local economy each summer. That money stopped flowing after the Bears decided to hold training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois.

In 2004, the University of Wisconsin System gave its approval to the University of Wisconsin–Platteville's plan to expand the student enrollment from 5,000 to 7,500.

In 2004, U.S. Highway 151 was upgraded to a limited-access highway whose lanes run further south of Platteville, bypassing the city. Prior to the upgrade, the highway exits were closer to Platteville and Platteville has already made changes to adjust to the new southern US 151 bypass. A new hospital was built just north of US 151 and next to its off ramps. A Walmart Supercenter and a Menards have opened near the northern end of the US 151 bypass.

Historic buildings

Former Historic Library Building
Former Carnegie library building

Geography

Platteville is located at 42°44′13″N 90°28′39″W / 42.73707°N 90.477501°W / 42.73707; -90.477501 (42.73707, -90.477501). It is in the Hollow Region, as named by early southern miners, in the rolling hills of southwestern Wisconsin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.45 square miles (14.12 km2), all of it land.

Platteville is serviced by Wisconsin State Highways 80 and 81, as well as U.S. Highway 151. Originally, U.S. 151 went through the valley that made up the southern border of the city limits, but with the completion of the four-lane limited-access superhighway, traffic has been rerouted and now loops south of the city.

The minerals in the area consist of galena, a sulfide of lead (lead 86.6, sulfur 13.4). Sphalerite or zinc sulfide is also, common in the region. Zinc and lead mining were in heavy production through the 1820s – 1920s. Consequently, there are few straight streets in Platteville. As a result of the mining in the 1800s, a honeycomb of abandoned old mines, streets were located to avoid the mines.

Climate

Weather chart for Platteville
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.7
 
26
9
 
 
1.6
 
31
13
 
 
2.8
 
43
24
 
 
3.8
 
57
35
 
 
4.7
 
69
46
 
 
5.4
 
78
55
 
 
6
 
82
60
 
 
5.9
 
79
58
 
 
4.1
 
71
49
 
 
3.2
 
58
37
 
 
2.8
 
43
26
 
 
2
 
31
14
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 2,537
1880 2,687 5.9%
1890 2,740 2.0%
1900 3,340 21.9%
1910 4,452 33.3%
1920 4,353 −2.2%
1930 4,047 −7.0%
1940 4,762 17.7%
1950 5,751 20.8%
1960 6,957 21.0%
1970 9,599 38.0%
1980 9,580 −0.2%
1990 9,708 1.3%
2000 9,989 2.9%
2010 11,224 12.4%
2019 (est.) 12,087 7.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,224 people, 3,644 households, and 1,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,059.4 inhabitants per square mile (795.1/km2). There were 3,840 housing units at an average density of 704.6 per square mile (272.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.7% White, 2.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.

There were 3,644 households, of which 18.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.1% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 22.4 years. 11.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 49.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.3% were from 25 to 44; 14.3% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 56.3% male and 43.7% female.

Transportation

Platteville Municipal Airport entrance
Entrance to Platteville Municipal Airport.

Aside from Platteville Municipal Airport (KPVB), which serves the city and surrounding communities for general aviation, Platteville has minimal commercial air access. The closest airport with any regularly-scheduled commercial service is Dubuque Regional Airport, and the closest airport with regularly-scheduled commercial international flights is Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Platteville's primary road access is via U.S. Route 151, which acts as an expressway for the region; US 151 has three exits near the city center. Wisconsin state routes 80 and 81 also serve Platteville, cutting through the central business district as sort of a "main street".

Platteville Public Transportation provides the community with bus service and paratransit service.

Platteville no longer has railroad service. It was previously served by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad (C&NW) via an 8-mile branch off the Montfort Junction to Galena line at Ipswich. The line entered Platteville from the east-southeast and curved around to the north. The line then joined the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific (Milwaukee Road). This in effect created a large 180° curve in the southeastern part of Platteville where the mines, depots and other rail-dependent industries were located. The Milwaukee Road branch continued on to the ENE then east for 17 miles where it branched off another Milwaukee Road branch line to Mineral Point at the town of Calamine. Passenger service ended on the C&NW in 1951 and was replaced by mixed train service on the Milwaukee Road in 1952. Freight service continued on the Milwaukee Road until 1974 when the line was abandoned and pulled up. It left the C&NW moving only a few cars per week which applied to abandon the route. The abandonment was granted in 1980 and the line was pulled up forever ending railroad service to Platteville.

Culture

The main source of culture in Platteville is the Center for the Arts on University of Wisconsin–Platteville campus, which sponsors a steady stream of well-attended professional touring events.

The "Heartland Festival", a semi-professional theater festival that produced four shows that run throughout the summer, was a summer attraction featured at the UWP-Center for the Arts. The casts were a combination of professionals and local residents.

Historic Second Street Platteville Wisconsin
Historic 2nd Street

Attractions

  • The Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums

At the museums one can tour Lorenzo Bevan's 1845 lead mine, ride a 1931 zinc mine train, and view many exhibits on Platteville's mining history as well as Rollo Jamison's personal collection of artifacts.

  • Stone Cottage

Built in 1837 by the Rev. Samuel Mitchell, this home still contains many of the original furnishings. The home was a home of the Major John Rountree, one of Platteville's founders. The walls are two feet thick and made of dolomite Galena limestone.

  • The Big M
Platte Mound
World's largest M on the Platte Mound

Platteville has the world's largest M, a claim that its Chamber of Commerce states is unchallenged. The M is a monogram for the former Wisconsin Mining School (now the University of Wisconsin–Platteville).

The first M was first constructed in 1936 when two men, Raymond Medley and Alvin Knoerr climbed the Platte Mound and trudged through 2 feet of snow to form a huge letter M. Actual construction of the stone M began in the spring of 1937 and was completed in the fall of the same year.

The M is composed of rocks laid on Platte Mound and is whitewashed (not painted) every year. The M is 241-feet tall, 214-feet wide and legs that are 25-feet wide.

The M can be seen many places in Platteville and sometimes in Iowa, on a clear day. Atop the Platte Mound and the M viewers can see three states: Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois.

The M is lit once a year during the University of Wisconsin – Platteville college homecoming. It is an attraction Platteville citizens generally appreciate.

Gallery

Economy

Platteville is a college town, with a population and economy strongly influenced by the university. It has had some development in the white-collar sector. That growth is a result of the increasing number of engineering firms locating in Platteville to take advantage of being associated with UW-P's engineering program. More recently there has been development in the blue-collar sector as well due to the increased construction activity throughout the community.

Education

The Platteville School District serves the Platteville area. Platteville High School is the area's public high school. Platteville High School's mascot is "Henry Hillmen". The University of Wisconsin–Platteville is located in Platteville.

Notable people

Politicians

  • William Carter, Wisconsin State Representative
  • S. Wesley Clark, Attorney General of South Dakota
  • Kearton Coates, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Thomas Cruson, Wisconsin Territorial legislator
  • James Dolan, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Ensign Dickinson, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Charles E. Estabrook, Wisconsin Attorney General
  • Neely Gray, Wisconsin territorial legislator and businessman
  • John L. Grindell, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Jon R. Guiles, Wisconsin State Representative
  • James V. Holland, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Thomas Jenkins, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Arthur W. Kopp, U.S. Representative
  • James B. McCoy, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Duncan McGregor, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Ray Meiklejohn, Canadian politician
  • Jonathan Baker Moore, Wisconsin State Representative and Union Army general
  • James William Murphy, U.S. Representative
  • Hanmer Robbins, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Gordon Roseleip, Wisconsin State Senator
  • John H. Rountree, Wisconsin State Senator
  • A. C. Schultz, Wisconsin State Representative
  • George Slack, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Harry E. Stephens, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Robert S. Travis, Wisconsin State Senator
  • Adelbert L. Utt, Wisconsin State Representative
  • James Russell Vineyard, Wisconsin and California politician
  • Noah Virgin, Wisconsin State Senator
  • Benjamin Webster, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Conrad J. Weittenhiller, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Christopher C. Miller, Acting United States Secretary of Defense

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Platteville (ciudad, condado de Grant, Wisconsin) para niños

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