Brodhead, Wisconsin

Brodhead is a city in Green and Rock counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,293 at the 2010 census. Of this, 3,203 were in Green County, and only 90 were in Rock County. In February 2000, the city annexed a portion of land from the Town of Spring Valley in Rock County.

Brodhead, Wisconsin
City
Location of Brodhead in Rock County, Wisconsin.
Coordinates: 42°37′7″N 89°22′35″W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Green, Rock
Government
• Mayor	Douglas Pinnow
Area [1]
• Total	1.79 sq mi (4.65 km^2)
• Land	1.79 sq mi (4.65 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation [2]	794 ft (242 m)
Population  (2010)[3]
• Total	3,293
• Estimate  (2019)[4]	3,247
• Density	1,808.91/sq mi (698.49/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip Code	53520
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-09925[5]
GNIS feature ID	1562229[2]
Website	cityofbrodheadwi.us

History

Just south of town is a historic marker for the Half-Way Tree, a bur oak supposedly identified by Native Americans as the halfway point on a foot trail between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.[6] The railroad track that runs east and west thru town features a small museum with a train and army tank on display, adjacent to the park and bandstand pavilion. The museum curator said that the railroad was being wooed by two different towns and decided to split the difference and created Brodhead. A nearby branch of the Sugar River was diverted along a canal to a small hydroelectric generator supplied by a small holding pond. This supposedly gave Brodhead the distinction of having electrical service before other larger cities such as Chicago, and perhaps the first electrical service in Wisconsin.[7]

Geography

Brodhead is located at 42°37′7″N 89°22′35″W (42.618540, -89.376291).[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.84 square miles (4.77 km²), all of it land.[9]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	1,548		—
1880	1,254		−19.0%
1890	1,461		16.5%
1900	1,584		8.4%
1910	1,517		−4.2%
1920	1,600		5.5%
1930	1,533		−4.2%
1940	1,750		14.2%
1950	2,016		15.2%
1960	2,444		21.2%
1970	2,515		2.9%
1980	3,153		25.4%
1990	3,165		0.4%
2000	3,180		0.5%
2010	3,293		3.6%
Est. 2019	3,247	[4]	−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $36,506, and the median income for a family was $46,199. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $24,442 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,455. About 6.6% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 3,293 people, 1,346 households, and 851 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,789.7 inhabitants per square mile (691.0/km²). There were 1,452 housing units at an average density of 789.1 per square mile (304.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.4% White, 0.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.9% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population.

There were 1,346 households of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64, and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

Education

Brodhead is served by the Brodhead School District. Grades Pre-K through 5 attend Albrecht Elementary school. Grades 6 through 8 attend Brodhead Middle School. Brodhead High School is the local high school.[11]

Transportation

Wisconsin State Highways

• WIS 11 Run right through town as 1st Center Ave.
• WIS 81 Runs South of town.
• WIS 104 starts at the Northeast Corner of town.[12]

Railroads

The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad runs through town on the branch line to Monroe

Notable people

• Thax Douglas, poet, lives in Brodhead.[13]
• David Dunwiddie, Wisconsin state legislator, lived in Brodhead.[14]
• Milton S. Livingston, physicist, was born in Brodhead.[15]
• Harvey T. Moore, Vermont and Wisconsin state legislator, lived in Brodhead.[16]
• Henry Putnam, Wisconsin state legislator, was President of Brodhead.[17]
• Archibald N. Randall, Wisconsin state legislator[18]
• Burr Sprague, Wisconsin state legislator, lived in Brodhead.[19]
• Albert M. Ten Eyck, academic
• Fred Ties, Wisconsin state legislator, lived in Brodhead.[20]

Gallery

• 
• 
  The Half-Way tree in Brodhead
• 
  Covered bridge 1½ miles North of Brodhead on the Sugar River State Trail
• 
  Covered bridge historic plate
• 
  Francis West Smith House
• 
  The Laube Building, part of the Exchange Square Historic District

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. JS Online: Don't look too closely at Half-Way Tree's roots Archived March 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
7. Contact the Brodhead Museum and Historical Society for details and verification.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
9. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. http://www.brodhead.k12.wi.us/ = 201-03-06
12. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=brodhead+wi&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x88062b5d677763f9:0x9be1bff4acb9cd9b,Brodhead,+WI&gl=us&ei=JVIgTpyhCoXEgQeuj-3jBQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=2&ved=0CCMQ8gEwAQ
13. Thax Douglas on laying low in Wisconsin
14. HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY, WISCONSIN. Springfield, Ill.: Union Publishing Company. 1884. p. 292.
15. "M. Stanley Livingston". Archived from the original on 2014-08-02. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
16. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1875,' Biographical Sketch of Harvey Thomas Moore, pg. 312
17. Henry Clay Putnam
18. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1883,' Biographical Sketch of Archibald N. Randall, pg. 476-477
19. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1881,' Biographical Sketch of Birr Sprague, pg. 511
20. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1907, Biographical Sketch of Fred Ties, pg. 1151

External links

• City of Brodhead
• Sanborn fire insurance maps: 1908 1915