Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

Trempealeau County
U.S. county
Carnegie library in Arcadia, Wisconsin.
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°18′N 91°21′W / 44.3°N 91.35°W / 44.3; -91.35
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1855
Named for	Trempealeau River
Seat	Whitehall
Largest city	Arcadia
Area
• Total	742 sq mi (1,920 km2)
• Land	733 sq mi (1,900 km2)
• Water	9.0 sq mi (23 km2)  1.2%%
Population  (2010)
• Total	28,816
• Estimate  (2020)	29,681
• Density	39/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.tremplocounty.com

Trempealeau County (/ˈtrɛm.pə.loʊ/, TREM-pə-loh) is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,816.^[1] Its county seat is Whitehall.^[2] Many people of Polish, Norwegian and German descent live in this area.

History[]

Patches of woodland are all that remain of the brush and light forest that once covered the county. In ancient times, the woodlands contained a great deal of timber, but Native Americans burned them periodically to encourage the growth of berries. They did little cultivation and had been almost completely removed from the area by 1837.^[3]

French fur traders were the first Europeans to enter this land, traveling by river across the county. At the mouth of the Trempealeau River at its confluence with the Mississippi River, they found a bluff surrounded by water and called it La Montagne qui trempe à l’eau ("mountain steeped in water"). It is now known as Trempealeau Mountain.^[4][5] The name was later shortened to Trempealeau.^[6] Created in 1854 and organized in 1855,^[7] the county is named after the river.^[8]

During the 19th and 20th century large numbers of Norwegian immigrants settled in the area in pursuit of cheap land, a better life and more opportunities. Much of the population is still of Norwegian descent and celebrate their ancestry by making foods native to Norway and participating in Norwegian Constitution Day events.^{[citation needed]}

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 742 square miles (1,920 km²), of which 733 square miles (1,900 km²) is land and 9.0 square miles (23 km²) (1.2%) is water.^[9] It is part of the Driftless Zone.

Adjacent counties[]

• Buffalo County - west
• Eau Claire County - north
• Jackson County - east
• La Crosse County - southeast
• Winona County, Minnesota - southwest

Major highways[]

Interstate 94 U.S. Highway 10 U.S. Highway 53 Highway 35 (Wisconsin)

Highway 54 (Wisconsin) Highway 93 (Wisconsin) Highway 95 (Wisconsin) Highway 121 (Wisconsin)

National protected areas[]

• Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (part)

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	2,560		—
1870	10,732		319.2%
1880	17,189		60.2%
1890	18,920		10.1%
1900	23,114		22.2%
1910	22,928		−0.8%
1920	24,506		6.9%
1930	23,910		−2.4%
1940	24,381		2.0%
1950	23,730		−2.7%
1960	23,377		−1.5%
1970	23,344		−0.1%
1980	26,158		12.1%
1990	25,263		−3.4%
2000	27,010		6.9%
2010	28,816		6.7%
2020 (est.)	29,681	[10]	3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010–2020[1]

As of the census^[15] of 2000, there were 27,010 people, 10,747 households, and 7,243 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 inhabitants per square mile (14/km²). There were 11,482 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.81% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 43.5% were of Norwegian, 24.6% German and 17.0% Polish ancestry. 94.9% spoke English, 1.6% Norwegian and 1.6% Spanish as their first language.

There were 10,747 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males.

In 2017, there were 450 births, giving a general fertility rate of 93.1 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the third highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.^[16]

Gallery[]

• 

  Fairgrounds in Galesville

• 

  Entrance sign to Trempealeau County in the Town of Ettrick

• 

  The Cow Farm, Trempealeau County

Communities[]

Cities[]

• Arcadia
• Blair
• Galesville
• Independence
• Osseo
• Whitehall (county seat)

Villages[]

• Eleva
• Ettrick
• Pigeon Falls
• Strum
• Trempealeau

Towns[]

Census-designated place[]

• Dodge

Unincorporated communities[]

Ghost towns/neighborhoods[]

• Cortland
• New City
• Williamsburg

Politics[]

See also[]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

References[]

Further reading[]

• Biographical History of La Crosse, Trempealeau and Buffalo Counties, Wisconsin.. Chicago: Lewis Publishing, 1892.
• Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn (comp.). History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. Chicago: H. C. Cooper, Jr. 1917.
• Elkins, Winston (1985). Trempealeau and the Mississippi River Dam. Trempealeau County, Wis.: Trempealeau County Historical Society.
• Gamroth, Clarence J. (Ed.) (1976). Historical Album, 100 Years, Independence, Wisc. Independence, Wis.: City of Independence.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)

External links[]

• Trempealeau County
• Trempealeau County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Trempealeau County Health and Demographic Data

Coordinates: 44°18′N 91°21′W / 44.30°N 91.35°W / 44.30; -91.35