Shullsburg, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shullsburg
City
Shullsburg Public School
Wordmark
Location of Shullsburg in Lafayette County, Wisconsin.
Shullsburg Location in Wisconsin
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Lafayette
First settled	1827
First platting	1846
Founded by	Jesse Shull
Area
• Total	1.33 sq mi (3.45 km2)
• Land	1.33 sq mi (3.45 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	980 ft (300 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,226
• Estimate  (2019)	1,193
• Density	894.30/sq mi (345.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	53586
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-73825
GNIS feature ID	1574081

The Shullsburg Community Townsend Center

Shullsburg is a city in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. In 2010, about 1,226 people lived there. The city is right next to the Town of Shullsburg.

Shullsburg was founded in 1827, making it one of the oldest towns in Wisconsin. Its historic Water Street Commercial District has 34 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city is located in the Driftless Area of the Midwest. It is well-known for its history of lead mining and its cheese industry.

Discovering Shullsburg's Past

Shullsburg was started in the 1820s by Jesse Shull and Henry Gratiot. They came here because of lead mining. After the Black Hawk War, smaller towns like Gratiot's Grove (Wisconsin) joined together to form Shullsburg.

In 1841, a missionary priest named Samuel Mazzuchelli planned out the northeast part of town. He named the streets after good qualities like "virtues." When the railroad arrived in the 1880s, many brick and limestone buildings were built on Water Street.

The Shullsburg High School was built in 1900. It was designed by the town's doctor, C.C. Gratiot. Badger Park, an 8-acre park, was finished in 1942 by the Works Progress Administration. Lights were added to its baseball park in 1948.

In 1974, the Emily Franz Scholarship Fund was created. This fund helps high school students pay for college. Today, it is worth 1.8 million dollars. The last working lead mine in the area closed in Shullsburg in 1979. This made times tough for the town.

During the 1990s and 2000s, people started working to restore old buildings. In 2001, a new library and community center was built using only private donations. In 2016, Shullsburg was named a Wisconsin Main Street Community.

St. Matthew's Catholic Church: A Historic Landmark

St. Matthew's Catholic Church

St. Matthew's Catholic Church was founded in 1835 by Samuel Mazzuchelli. It is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Wisconsin. Building the current church started in 1852 and was finished in 1861.

The church has a Greek Revival architecture style and stands on the highest point in town. It is built from limestone taken from the local Rennick Quarry. In the 1890s, an artist painted the Stations of the Cross inside the church. These paintings are known for their beauty.

In 1907, a storm knocked down the church's steeple. It was replaced the next year, and stained glass windows were also added. Today, the steeple is 135 feet tall and has a 12-foot cross. An adjoining school was built in 1918 and served students until 1969. In 2010, the church celebrated its 175th anniversary.

Shullsburg School: A Century of Learning

The Shullsburg K-12 School is a Romanesque style building built in 1900. It features arched windows and three arched door openings. These arches create a beautiful design on the front of the building.

The school was designed by C.C. Gratiot, who was a member of the school board. He also designed many homes and other buildings in Shullsburg. In 1949, a gymnasium was added to the school. It was built with matching limestone by crews from the Works Progress Administration. Another gym was added in 1996. Today, the K-12 school serves about 360 students from the Shullsburg community.

Shullsburg's Location

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers about 1.11 square miles (2.87 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.

Population Changes Over Time

Shullsburg's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,226 people living in Shullsburg. These people lived in 534 households, and 324 of those were families. The city had about 1,106 people per square mile.

Most of the people in Shullsburg (99.1%) were White. A small number were Asian (0.2%), and 0.2% were from two or more races.

Out of the 534 households, about 60.7% had children under 18 living with them. About 47.8% were married couples. The average household had 2.3 people, and the average family had 2.96 people.

The population was spread out by age:

• 24.4% were under 18 years old.
• 7.9% were from 18 to 24 years old.
• 21.5% were from 25 to 44 years old.
• 29.8% were from 45 to 64 years old.
• 17.9% were 65 years or older.

The average age in the city was 43.3 years.

Famous People from Shullsburg

Many interesting people have connections to Shullsburg:

• Lou Blonger, known as the "Bunco King" of Denver, lived in Shullsburg as a boy.
• George Safford Parker, who started the Parker Pen Company, was born here.
• U.S. Representative Henry S. Magoon practiced law in Shullsburg.
• William Warner, a U.S. Senator from Missouri, was born in Shullsburg.
• Minnesota State Representative Patrick Roger Vail was born in Shullsburg.
• Wisconsin State Representative Joseph E. Tregoning was born in Shullsburg.
• Actor Howard Kyle (whose real name was Vandergrift) was born in Shullsburg.
• Baseball player Johnny Gerlach was born in Shullsburg.
• Several Wisconsin State Senators and Representatives lived in Shullsburg, including James Earnest, James H. Knowlton, Philemon Simpson, Calvert Spensley, John K. Williams, James W. Freeman, and A. A. Townsend.
• William Law (Latter Day Saints), a figure from the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is buried in Shullsburg.

Images for kids

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  Buildings on Water Street

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  Marcasite from Shullsburg

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  Calcite from the Blackstone Mine, Shullsburg

See also

In Spanish: Shullsburg (Wisconsin) para niños