Two Rivers, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Two Rivers, Wisconsin
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City
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| Nickname(s):
"The Coolest Spot in Wisconsin" "The Cool City" "TR" or "Trivers" "Carp Town"
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| Motto(s):
"Catch our friendly waves"
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Location of Two Rivers in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
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 Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Manitowoc |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.49 sq mi (16.82 km2) |
| • Land | 6.04 sq mi (15.66 km2) |
| • Water | 0.45 sq mi (1.17 km2) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 11,712 |
| • Estimate
(2020)
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11,271 |
| • Density | 1,826.77/sq mi (705.26/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
54241
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| Area code | 920 |
| FIPS code | 55-81325 |
| Website | www.two-rivers.org |
Two Rivers is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. About 11,271 people lived there in 2020. The city is famous for claiming to be the place where the ice cream sundae was invented. Its slogan is "Catch our friendly waves" because it's located right on Lake Michigan.
Contents
History of Two Rivers
A post office opened in Two Rivers in 1848. The city got its name because it's where two rivers meet. These rivers are the East Twin River and the West Twin River.
Geography and Climate
Two Rivers is named after the East Twin River and the West Twin River. These two rivers meet in the city, very close to where they flow into Lake Michigan. The city covers about 6.49 square miles (16.82 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Main Roads in Two Rivers
WIS 42 goes north to Kewaunee and Sturgeon Bay. South, it leads to Manitowoc.
WIS 147 connects to Mishicot and Green Bay.
WIS 310 connects to US 10 and I-43, heading west towards Appleton.
Weather in Two Rivers
Two Rivers has a climate that is affected by its closeness to Lake Michigan. This means the city usually has more balanced temperatures. It doesn't get as extremely hot or cold as places farther inland. The lake also makes the seasons shift a bit later. For example, September is warmer and March is cooler than in other parts of Wisconsin.
| Climate data for Two Rivers, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
60 (16) |
77 (25) |
84 (29) |
91 (33) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
97 (36) |
96 (36) |
86 (30) |
76 (24) |
62 (17) |
99 (37) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.3 (−2.6) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
38.2 (3.4) |
48.5 (9.2) |
58.8 (14.9) |
69.1 (20.6) |
75.6 (24.2) |
75.8 (24.3) |
68.4 (20.2) |
55.8 (13.2) |
43.3 (6.3) |
32.9 (0.5) |
52.0 (11.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 19.6 (−6.9) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
41.3 (5.2) |
51.2 (10.7) |
61.2 (16.2) |
67.5 (19.7) |
67.8 (19.9) |
60.4 (15.8) |
48.4 (9.1) |
36.3 (2.4) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
44.3 (6.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.0 (−11.1) |
13.8 (−10.1) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
34.0 (1.1) |
43.5 (6.4) |
53.3 (11.8) |
59.4 (15.2) |
59.9 (15.5) |
52.3 (11.3) |
40.9 (4.9) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
19.0 (−7.2) |
36.7 (2.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) |
−26 (−32) |
−17 (−27) |
9 (−13) |
24 (−4) |
35 (2) |
39 (4) |
42 (6) |
29 (−2) |
19 (−7) |
−8 (−22) |
−21 (−29) |
−28 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.78 (45) |
1.45 (37) |
2.04 (52) |
3.40 (86) |
3.43 (87) |
4.15 (105) |
3.34 (85) |
3.23 (82) |
2.52 (64) |
2.77 (70) |
2.12 (54) |
1.80 (46) |
32.03 (814) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 14.8 (38) |
11.3 (29) |
5.7 (14) |
1.9 (4.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
2.2 (5.6) |
10.0 (25) |
46.1 (117) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.5 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 11.0 | 11.6 | 11.1 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 118.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.9 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 19.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Two Rivers
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,337 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,365 | 2.1% | |
| 1880 | 2,052 | 50.3% | |
| 1890 | 2,870 | 39.9% | |
| 1900 | 3,784 | 31.8% | |
| 1910 | 4,850 | 28.2% | |
| 1920 | 7,305 | 50.6% | |
| 1930 | 10,083 | 38.0% | |
| 1940 | 10,302 | 2.2% | |
| 1950 | 10,243 | −0.6% | |
| 1960 | 12,393 | 21.0% | |
| 1970 | 13,732 | 10.8% | |
| 1980 | 13,354 | −2.8% | |
| 1990 | 13,030 | −2.4% | |
| 2000 | 12,639 | −3.0% | |
| 2010 | 11,712 | −7.3% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 11,041 | −5.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 11,712 people living in Two Rivers. Most residents (79.5%) were White. About 8.5% were African American, and 5.4% were Asian. Around 7.9% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino. The average age in the city was 43.4 years old.
Schools in Two Rivers
Two Rivers has public elementary schools called Koenig and Magee. There is also a private school, St. John's Lutheran. The city's middle school, L. B. Clarke, teaches students from fifth to eighth grade. It was named after Charlton Heston's father-in-law, who helped pay for the school.
Students attend Two Rivers High School. This school was built in 2002. It has special rooms for photography and TV broadcasting. Students broadcast the daily announcements on the city's public TV channel. The high school offers many sports like swimming, football, and soccer. Some students also go to high schools in nearby Manitowoc.
Media and News
Two Rivers is part of the Green Bay area for TV and radio.
Newspapers
- Herald Times Reporter – This is a daily newspaper.
- Seehafer News – This provides free local and state news.
Television and Radio
The city has its own radio stations, WCUB-AM and WEMP-FM. Charter Communications provides cable TV service for the city.
The Ice Cream Sundae Story
There's a friendly argument between Two Rivers and Ithaca, New York about which city invented the ice cream sundae. When Ithaca's mayor said her city was the birthplace, Two Rivers citizens sent postcards to say their town was first! Ithaca even put an ad in the Two Rivers newspaper asking for proof.
Two Rivers' story says that in 1881, a man named George Hallauer asked Edward C. Berners, who owned a soda fountain, to put chocolate syrup on his ice cream. Berners did, and he sold the new treat for a nickel. At first, he only sold it on Sundays. Later, he sold it every day. The story says the spelling changed to "sundae" when a salesman ordered special canoe-shaped dishes. When Berners passed away in 1939, a newspaper headline called him "Man Who Made First Ice Cream Sundae Is Dead."
Professional Football History
In the 1930s and 1940s, many professional football teams came to Two Rivers for their training camps. The city's cool weather, good sports facilities, and friendly people made it a great place for teams to train. Teams used Washington High School, The J.E. Hamilton Community House, and Walsh Field for practices. They stayed at the Hamilton Hotel.
Teams that trained here included:
- The Columbus Bullies in 1940.
- The Chicago Rockets in 1947.
- The National Football League's Pittsburgh Pirates (now the Pittsburgh Steelers) in 1939.
- The Philadelphia Eagles in 1941 and 1942.
Fun Places to Visit
- Lester Public Library is a place where you can find books, join programs, and use the internet.
- The Bernard Schwartz House was designed by a famous architect named Frank Lloyd Wright. You can rent it for overnight stays or take public tours.
- The Historic Washington House is an old inn and saloon that is now an ice cream parlor and museum. Volunteers run it, and it shares information about the area's history. The top floor has a ballroom with a painted ceiling and a stage.
- The Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum is the only museum dedicated to old-fashioned wood type. It's in the factory that used to make the most wood type in the country.
- Point Beach State Forest and Park is open all year. It has trails for hiking, biking, and skiing. You can also camp there and enjoy the natural environment. You can reach parts of Lake Michigan's beach from the park. The park is also home to the Rawley Point Light, which is the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes.
- Woodland Dunes Nature Center is a great place to learn about nature.
- The Rogers Street Fishing Village is a museum about the sea. It includes the old Two Rivers Light, which was moved there from the harbor.
- The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary was created in 2021. It's in Lake Michigan off Two Rivers and has many important shipwrecks.
Beaches in Two Rivers
Two Rivers has two popular beaches.
- Neshotah Beach is a sandy beach on Lake Michigan. You can swim, play volleyball, and launch jet skis or kayaks there. It also has a softball field, basketball courts, playgrounds, and picnic areas. The Beach House has changing rooms, restrooms, and a snack bar. Neshotah Beach hosts a big kite festival called Kites Over Lake Michigan every Labor Day weekend.
- North Pier Beach is a new beach created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They pumped a lot of sand from Lake Michigan to form it.
Famous People from Two Rivers
- Edward P. Allis, who helped start Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company.
- Lester W. Bentley, an artist and painter.
- Lydia Clarke, an actress and wife of Charlton Heston.
- J.E. Hamilton, who started Hamilton Manufacturing Company.
- Matt Konop, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army during World War II.
- Bryan Lee, a blues guitarist.
- Andrew Miller, who received the Medal of Honor.
- Herman Schlundt, a chemist.
- Schmitt Brothers, a famous barbershop quartet.
Athletes
Politicians
- J. Frank Aldrich, a United States Representative.
- William Aldrich, a United States Representative.
- Henry Baetz, a State Treasurer of Wisconsin.
- John Bohn, a Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Everett E. Bolle, a Wisconsin State Assembly member.
- Jonas Gagnon, a Wisconsin State Assembly member.
- Charles Hartung, a Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
- Everett F. LaFond, a Wisconsin State Senator.
- Frank J. LeClair, a Wisconsin State Assembly member.
- Alexander E. Martin, a Wisconsin State Senator.
- John J. Mertens, a South Dakota State Senator.
- William F. Nash, a Wisconsin State Senator.
- Frank E. Riley, a Wisconsin State Assembly member.
- Ewald J. Schmeichel, a Wisconsin State Assembly member.
- Jim Schmitt, a Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
- Thomas James Walsh, a United States Senator from Montana.
Images for kids
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Two Rivers City Hall and Police Station
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City of Two Rivers sign along Memorial Drive
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Two Rivers sign on WIS 42
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Welcome sign
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A portion of the Central Park Historic District
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Beacon
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Two Rivers harbor frozen over
See also
In Spanish: Two Rivers (Wisconsin) para niños
