West Bend, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West Bend, Wisconsin
City
Aerial view of downtown
Seal
Location of West Bend in Washington County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Washington
Settled	1845
Incorporated	1885
Area
• Total	15.30 sq mi (39.62 km2)
• Land	15.14 sq mi (39.22 km2)
• Water	0.16 sq mi (0.40 km2)
Elevation	932 ft (284 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	31,752
• Density	2,133.7/sq mi (805.46/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	53090, 53095
Area code(s)	262
FIPS code	55-85350

West Bend is the county seat of Washington County, Wisconsin, United States, in southeastern Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,752.

History

Before the arrival of European settlers in southeastern Wisconsin, the Potawatomi and Menominee Indians inhabited the land now occupied by the city of West Bend.

In 1845, the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature authorized the building of a road to connect Fond du Lac and Milwaukee. Byron Kilbourn, one of the highway commissioners, and Jasper Vliet, a surveyor, were put in charge of determining the route the road would take and of identifying a good halfway point for travelers. The path they chose is now U.S. Route 45 and the rest stop is present-day West Bend. Because many people used the resting place, it evolved into a popular area. The Milwaukee River running through the town eventually played a major role in the city's history. It was because of the western bend in the river that West Bend got its name. The river also produced enough energy to power saw mills and gristmills. Early buildings included Holy Angels Catholic Church, built in 1852 at the corner of Hickory and 7th. In 1866 this building was converted into a school, and a new church was built at Elm and 7th under the direction of Reverend Johann Baptist Reindl (1827–1891); the building is now Trinity Lutheran Church. The railroad arrived in 1873, bringing with it more settlers and industrialization. At this time, West Bend saw a growth spurt, and in 1885 the city officially became an incorporated Wisconsin community.

The Village of Barton

In 1845 early settler Barton Salisbury, while on a surveying trip up the Milwaukee River, found a rapids that he believed would be a good source of power for a sawmill. He built a log hut on the west side of the river and the village of Barton was born. On November 1, 1961, the city of West Bend annexed the Village of Barton.

April 4, 1981 tornado

The West Bend tornado on April 4, 1981 struck the city killing three people, and injuring over 100 more. There is a monument at a park near Green Tree Elementary School.

Historic sites

The Washington County courthouse in West Bend.

The Washington County Historical Society operates four distinct museums located in West Bend. Buildings and sites that have been deemed historic by official bodies include:

• Old Courthouse Museum
• Old Sheriff’s Residence and Jail
• West Bend Company/Regal Ware Museum
• Father Rehrl’s Rectory at St. Agnes Historic Site
• St. Peter's Church

Downtown West Bend has a movie theater which originally opened in 1929. The theater was last renovated in 1992 to house a total of three movie screens. The theater was closed and listed for sale in January 2012, with a purchase occurring in May 2012. The theater has not been re-opened for any purpose.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.72 square miles (38.12 km²), of which, 14.57 square miles (37.74 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.39 km²) is water.

West Bend is in the Kettle Moraine region, and its topography is varied. The glacial activity has formed many kettles and hills throughout the region.

Climate

The average temperature in West Bend ranges from a high of 81 °F (July) to a low average temperature of 11 °F (January). Record high and low temperatures are 107 °F and -30 °F, respectively. The average annual rainfall is 31.4 inches. The average annual snow measures 45.6 inches.

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 31,630 people, 12,769 households, and 8,250 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,133.0 inhabitants per square mile (823.6/km²). There were 13,546 housing units at an average density of 929.7 per square mile (359.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.77% White, 1.61% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.83%Asian, 1.38% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population.

There were 12,769 households, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 37 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

Recreation and tourism

A paved riverwalk snakes through the city along the banks of the Milwaukee River. The Eisenbahn State Trail, a Rails to Trails project, has added another trail for walking, running, biking, and roller skating. The 1,000-mile National Ice Age Trail crosses through West Bend. West Bend also has over 1,200 acres of parks and green space.

Just north of downtown is Regner Park, which offers a wooded area for hiking, a baseball diamond, a community swimming pond with a beach, a fishing pond, and several softball and soccer fields. On the southeast side of the city is Quaas Creek Park, home to the Roman "Doc" Gonring Athletic Complex and Quaas Creek Trail. This facility includes scenic bike/pedestrian trails, a canoe launch, three softball fields with two concession stands, and a children's play area. Lac Lawrann Conservancy, offers a 137-acre nature preserve and 5 miles of trails.

A farmers' market is held in Downtown West Bend on Saturday mornings from May through October each year. The market is one of the largest in Southeastern Wisconsin. It includes entertainment from various sources and boasts over 65 vendors, selling produce, fruits, meats, eggs, maple syrup, bakery items, spices, soaps, herbal products, prepared foods and more. It was listed as a favorite farmers' market in Vogue magazine.

Entertainment on Thursday nights in the summer is provided by Music on Main. The street in Downtown West Bend is closed to traffic and a different band takes the stage at Old Settler's Park each week. One local restaurant is designated each week to provide food and beverages for purchase.

Maxwell Street Days and German Fest are two summer events held in the downtown. Riverfest (formerly Seafood Fest) is held every year at Regner Park on the first weekend in June. A more recent annual event in Riverside Park is JazzFest.

West Bend has been branded the “Geocaching Capital of the Midwest™,“ boasting over 1,200 caches within a 10-mile radius of the city. An annual "Cache Ba$h" has been sponsored by the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce since 2008.

A holiday light show, Enchantment in the Park, was moved to Regner Park in West Bend in 2012 (previously it was hosted at the Washington County Fair Park). The event accepts donations to support local food pantries. The event also includes an opportunity to visit Santa and ice skating on the pond at Regner Park.

West Bend is also home of the Museum of Wisconsin Art, an art museum dedicated to showing the works of Wisconsin artists.

The Washington County Fair Park and Conference Center is located five miles south of the city. Numerous events are held throughout the year, including the Washington County Fair. The facility was built in 1999 and has a 24,000 sq. ft. pavilion, Agricultural and Equestrian Complexes and theater entertainment areas.

Transportation

The West Bend Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of West Bend.

The options for public transportation within West Bend include the city and county taxi programs. The Washington County Commuter Express provides bus service to and from the city of Milwaukee.

The city of West Bend is served by US 45 as a freeway bypass west of Downtown, Wis 33, and Wis 144.

Sister cities

• Aisho (Japan)
• Heppenheim (Germany)
• Pazardzhik (Bulgaria)

• Sanborn fire insurance maps: 1884 1892 1900 1910 1919

Economy

Although many current residents of West Bend work in neighboring communities, the city's economy has been historically based in manufacturing and financial services. West Bend Mutual Insurance Company was founded in the city in 1894 and West Bend Savings Bank (now Westbury Bank) in 1926. The West Bend Aluminum Company (later the West Bend Company) was founded in 1911 by Bernhardt C. Ziegler, and remained in West Bend until 2003. Ziegler had previously founded the securities brokerage company B.C. Ziegler & Co. in 1902.

In 1915, Robert H. Rolfs founded Amity Leather in downtown West Bend, which eventually became the world's largest manufacturer of leather billfolds. Amity leather left the city in 1996. The strong economy in West Bend in the 1930s led Ripley's Believe it or Not to claim that West Bend was the only city in the United States that did not enter the Great Depression. In 1949, the printing company Serigraph, Inc. was founded in a garage in West Bend and went on to employ people all over the world. The Gehl Company is also located in West Bend.

Military

The Army National Guard operates an armory near the airport, at 125 Chopper Drive, West Bend.

Education

The city is served by the West Bend School District. The public schools in the district include six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools that share the same building.

A public charter school, Pathways, was created in the 2014–2015 school year, serving grades 7–10. The school began serving grades 7-12 during the 2016–2017 school year. Pathways Charter School closed permanently on June 30, 2019.

The two high schools, West Bend East and West Bend West, are housed in a single building. The schools share facilities, but are operated as independent schools. Each school has its own sports teams and mascot.

Rolf's Educational Center provides Head Start, Title I, and Early childhood education programs.

The district also operates an alternative school, the West Bend Online Learning Academy.

Post-secondary schools in West Bend include University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Washington County (UWM-WC) and Moraine Park Technical College.

There are also a number of Pre-K and K-8 private schools in West Bend.

Lutheran schools include Good Shepherd Lutheran School, of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Trinity Lutheran School, of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and St. John's Lutheran School, of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

Roman Catholic schools include St. Frances Cabrini School and Holy Angels School.

Notable people

Images for kids

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  Amity Leather Products manufactured leather billfolds in West Bend between 1915 and 1996. The company constructed an Art Deco factory in the city in 1925, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

See also

In Spanish: West Bend (Wisconsin) para niños