Port Washington (town), Wisconsin facts for kids

This page is about the town. For the adjacent city, see Port Washington, Wisconsin.

Quick facts for kids Town of Port Washington, Wisconsin
Town
Location of Town of Port Washington in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Ozaukee
Settled	1835; 190 years ago (1835)
Incorporated	January 1846; 179 years ago (January 1846)
Area
• Total	17.8 sq mi (46.1 km²)
• Land	17.8 sq mi (46.1 km²)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	758 ft (231 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,538
• Density	86.4/sq mi (33.4/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	262

Port Washington is a small town in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. It is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The town wraps around the northern and western sides of the separate City of Port Washington. In 2020, about 1,538 people lived here. The small communities of Druecker and Knellsville are also part of the town.

History of Port Washington

The land that became Port Washington was first home to Native American groups. These included the Menominee, Potawatomi, and Sauk peoples. In the 1830s, Native Americans were moved out of Wisconsin. Then, people started buying land to sell it later.

Early Settlement and Growth

General Wooster Harrison bought the land for the Town of Port Washington in 1835. His wife, Rhoda, passed away in 1837. She was the first white settler buried in the town. The settlement was left empty that same year.

In 1843, Harrison came back with more settlers. The Town of Port Washington officially started in January 1846. At first, it included areas that are now Fredonia, Saukville, and Belgium.

County Seat Decisions

Back then, the land was part of Washington County. In the late 1840s, Port Washington wanted to be the county seat. This is the main town where the county government is located. But Port Washington was far from other early settlements like Mequon and Germantown.

In 1850, Wisconsin lawmakers tried to split Washington County. Port Washington would be the seat for the northern part. However, the people living there did not agree. In 1853, the county was split into eastern and western parts instead. This created Ozaukee County. Port Washington became the seat of this new county. The old Washington County seat moved to West Bend.

This split caused some arguments. Officials from West Bend came to Port Washington to get county records. But they were told to leave. Ozaukee County officials did not hand over the records for several months.

Population Changes

The town's population grew to 2,500 people by 1853. More people kept moving in. Many immigrants from Germany and Luxembourg arrived between 1853 and 1865.

Knellsville Community Development

In the 1860s, William Knell started the Knellsville community. It was a stop for stagecoaches on the Green Bay Road. In the 1870s, dairy farming became popular. The Pauly Cheese Factory opened in Knellsville in 1878. Later, Pauly's Cheese became a well-known brand across the country. Knellsville grew to help the local farmers. It had a feed mill, a cannery, and a foundry.

The City of Port Washington became its own separate city in 1882. It was formed from some of the town's land.

Farming and Decline

Dairy farming was very important in the 20th century. It made up 80% of farming in the early 1940s. The Town of Port Washington also had successful fur farms. The Johannes Mink Ranch opened in 1926. It was north of Knellsville and produced 6,000 mink pelts each year.

Knellsville started to decline in the mid-1900s. The Knellsville Canning Co. closed in 1955. The Johannes Mink Ranch sold its last pelts in 1969. Also, the City of Port Washington grew. It needed better access to major highways. In the 1960s, part of Knellsville was taken down to build Interstate 43's Exit 100.

Geography and Natural Features

The Town of Port Washington covers about 17.8 square miles (46.1 km²) of land. The City of Port Washington is located where the southeastern part of the town used to be.

Neighboring Areas

The town is surrounded by other communities. To the north is the Town of Belgium. To the east is Lake Michigan. The Town of Grafton is to the south. To the west are the Town of Saukville and the Village of Saukville. The small communities of Druecker and Knellsville are part of the town.

Lake Michigan Shoreline

Port Washington is on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The coast has tall clay bluffs. These bluffs are 80 to 130 feet (24 to 40 meters) high. Deep ravines are found where streams flow into the lake. Clay bluffs are special rock formations. They are mostly found along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The beaches next to the bluffs have a mix of gravel and sand.

There are lower valleys in some areas. One is in the City of Port Washington's downtown. Here, Sauk Creek flows into the lake. Another is in the Town of Port Washington, where Sucker Creek flows into the lake.

Land and Environment

The town is in the Southeastern Wisconsin glacial till plains. These plains were formed by the Wisconsin glaciation during the last ice age. The soil is mostly clay with a thin layer of fine sand on top. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the town is in the Central Lake Michigan Coastal area.

Before settlers arrived, the area was a forest. It had many American beech and sugar maple trees. White cedars grew in low areas near streams. Early explorers also saw swamps with birch, ash, elm, and oak trees. Much of the original forest was cut down for farming.

Wildlife and Nature

As more land is developed, wild animals live closer to towns like Port Washington. You might see large animals such as white-tailed deer, coyotes, and red foxes. Sometimes, black bears have been seen in Ozaukee County. For example, a bear was spotted in a Port Washington neighborhood in 2010.

The region also has problems with invasive species. These are plants or animals that are not native and can harm the environment. Some examples include the emerald ash borer (an insect), common carp (a fish), and plants like reed canary grass and purple loosestrife.

People and Population

In 2000, there were 1,631 people living in the town. There were 636 households, which are groups of people living together. About 447 of these were families. The town had about 87.7 people per square mile (33.9/km²).

Most people in the town were White (97.30%). A small number were Black (1.10%), Asian (0.43%), or Native American (0.25%). About 0.61% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

About 32.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (62.6%) were married couples. The average household had 2.56 people. The average family had 3.11 people.

The median age in the town was 40 years old. This means half the people were older than 40 and half were younger. About 26.3% of the population was under 18. About 15.8% were 65 or older.

The median income for a household was $56,875. For a family, it was $62,765. The per capita income for the town was $22,781. A small number of families (2.3%) and people (3.2%) lived below the poverty line.

Education in Port Washington

The Port Washington-Saukville School District serves students in Port Washington.

Schools in the District

The district has three elementary schools for students from kindergarten to fourth grade:

Students in the northern and eastern parts of the town go to Lincoln Elementary.
Saukville Elementary serves students in the western parts of the Town of Port Washington. It also serves the Town and Village of Saukville.
Students in the far southern parts of the town attend Dunwiddie Elementary.

All students in the district go to Thomas Jefferson Middle School for fifth through eighth grades. For high school, students attend Port Washington High School from ninth through twelfth grades.

School District Governance

A nine-member elected school board runs the district. They meet on Mondays at 6 p.m. in the District Office Board Room. The district also has a full-time superintendent, Michael R. Weber.

Transportation and Travel

Getting around Port Washington involves different ways to travel.

Roads and Highways

Interstate 43 runs through the town. You can get to Knellsville and the City of Port Washington from Exit 100. A small part of Wisconsin Highway 33 also goes through the southwestern part of the town. It connects the City of Port Washington and the Village of Saukville.

Public Transportation

Port Washington has limited public transportation compared to bigger cities.

The Route 143 commuter bus, also called the "Ozaukee County Express," goes to Milwaukee. It uses Interstate 43. The closest stop is at the Saukville Walmart parking lot. This bus runs Monday through Friday during busy commute times.
Ozaukee County Transit Services also has a Shared Ride Taxi. This is for places not directly on the interstate. The taxis run seven days a week. You need to call ahead to schedule your pick-up time. The service plans routes based on where people need to go.

Trails and Paths

Many areas in the town do not have sidewalks. However, the Ozaukee Interurban Trail is available for walking and biking. This trail runs north and south through the town. It connects Port Washington to Grafton in the south and Belgium in the north. The trail continues north into Sheboygan County and south to Brown Deer. There, it connects with the Oak Leaf Trail.

The trail used to be a passenger train line. It ran from Milwaukee to Sheboygan from 1907 to 1948. The City of Port Washington was a stop on this line. After World War II, the train line was no longer used. In the 1990s, the old rail line was turned into the recreational trail we see today.

Rail Service

The town does not have passenger train service. However, the Union Pacific Railroad operates freight trains in the community.