Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Oconomowoc (oʊˈkɑːnəməwɑːk^ⓘ) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Pottawatomie term for "waterfall". The population was 12,382 at the 2000 census. The city is partially adjacent to the Town of Oconomowoc and near the Village of Oconomowoc Lake.

History

The pioneering and developing of Oconomowoc began in 1837 when the first white man, Charles Sheldon, came to the area that the Potowatomi Indians called Coo-No-Mo-Wauk ("where the waters meet", or "river of lakes"), which in time would become Oconomowoc.

Soon afterwards, tradesmen began to arrive. One such early settler was a young man, John S. Rockwell. He built a gristmill, owned the first store and hotel, and donated land to all the churches. He also started the fire department, the library, the elementary school, and a young ladies' seminary called Bord du Lac. Such works earned him the title "Father of Oconomowoc".

Oconomowoc entered a new era in the 1870s, which continued into the 1930s, during which it was known by the title "Newport of the West". Lured by Oconomowoc's lakes, families of wealth from Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee crowded the shores with palatial, colonnaded country mansions and lavish landscapes. At one time, Lake Road was referred to as Presidents' Avenue since William Howard Taft, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt had visited and enjoyed famous Draper Hall and the hospitality of its wealthy residents.

Today the summer mansions have become year-round homes and light industry helps support what was once primarily a vacation destination. The largely intact, late 19th century downtown and many historic houses are reminders of those years. Historic walking tours around Fowler Lake, either guided or self-guided, provide a snapshot of the grandeur of a century ago.

Oconomowoc is home to Olympia Resort and Spa, so named because there are five O's in Oconomowoc, the same number as rings in the Olympic Games logo.

On April 2, 2008, a gas line exploded just west of downtown, destroying the First Baptist Church on West Wisconsin Avenue. The church, which was built in 1910, was completely destroyed, except for its bell tower frame. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but utility work was being done on Wisconsin Avenue in preparation for reconstruction of the street.

Geography

Location of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Oconomowoc is located at 43°6′31″N 88°29′49″W (43.108814, -88.497019)Template:GR. It is located in the Lake Country area of Waukesha County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), where 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (6.81%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 12,382 people, 4,968 households, and 3,293 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,845.5 people per square mile (712.5/km²). There were 5,239 housing units at an average density of 780.9/sq mi (301.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.71% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. About 1.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Approximately 30.7% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. Some 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,250, and the median income for a family was $62,950. Males had a median income of $42,683 versus $29,057 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,716. About 0.8% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Oconomowoc is home to Oconomowoc High School, which is a member of the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference. The school sits on 53 acres (210,000 m²) and includes a sports complex. Over 1,400 students attended the school in the 2005-2006 school year. Elementary schools in Oconomowoc are Greenland Elementary, Summit Elementary, Park Lawn Elementary, Meadow View Elementary, and Ixonia Elementary. Oconomowoc middle schools include Silver Lake and Nature Hill Intermediate schools, which opened for the 2008-2009 year. They are all part of the Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD).

Culture

• The Wizard of Oz premiered at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc on August 12, 1939.
• Oconomowoc is mentioned in episodes of Law & Order, The Cosby Show and Married... with Children.
• Bobby Shaftoe, fictional U.S. Marine Corps hero of Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon, hailed from Oconomowoc.
• The protagonist in Dave Eggers' novel You Shall Know Our Velocity is beaten up by a townie in Oconomowoc.
• Oconomowoc is mentioned in Chapter XXXI of Theodore Dreiser's The Titan.

Notable people

• Stuart and Jill Briscoe - Evangelical Christian international speakers and authors; Stuart was the former senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, the largest church in Wisconsin; the couple currently resides in Oconomowoc.
• John Candy - Had a lake house on Lac La Belle before passing away.
• Jane Wiedlin - Guitarist for The Go-Go's, born in Oconomowoc.

External links

• City of Oconomowoc
• Oconomowoc Area School District
• Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce