Blair, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Blair is a city in Trempealeau County
, Wisconsin
, along the Trempealeau River
. The population was 1,273 at the 2000 census.
Blair is on the former Green Bay and Western Railroad
, which ran down the Trempealeau River valley to Winona, Minnesota
.
settlers. The city's Norwegian heritage is represented by annual lefse
and lutefisk
suppers at the churches and a love of polka music
. A lefse company is located in Blair.
The city's name was changed from Porterville in 1873 when the Green Bay and Western Railroad
was routed through the city. The new name of Blair came from one of the railroad's chief investors, John Insley Blair
. At one time, during the heyday of railroads, a branch line
connected the GB&W with the nearby city of Ettrick
(although it was later abandoned). The railroad continues to operate, although under a different name.
The city has avoided the fate of some small towns in the Midwest
which slowly lost population due to young people leaving for jobs elsewhere. The population of Blair nearly doubled in the years between 1950 and 2000. During the 1950s and earlier annual floods during the snow melt were often experienced, but better farming techniques now make flooding rare. More recently, a number of Amish farming families have settled in the area and their horse-drawn carriages are sometimes seen on the roads.
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (3.0 km²), of which, 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (5.26%) is water.
Two highways connect to the city: Highway 53, a north-south route, and Highway 95, an east-west route. The closest large cities are Eau Claire
to the north and La Crosse
to the south. Whitehall
, the county seat, is seven miles away. The rural area surrounding Blair is in the Town of Preston. Nearby communities include Taylor
, Arcadia
, Independence
, Hixton
, and Galesville
.
The Trempealeau River
near Blair was dammed to create Lake Henry, named after one of the first settlers.
Blair is in the Driftless Area, which was undisturbed by the last great glacial flow over North America. The area is also known as the Coulee Region, characterized by rolling hills. The forested hills are favored by deer hunters. Pheasants and grouse are also hunted. Local streams are fished for trout
, which are stocked.
of 2000, there were 1,273 people, 533 households, and 305 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,175.2 people per square mile (455.1/km²). There were 564 housing units at an average density of 520.7 per square mile (201.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.51% White, 0.24% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.55% from other races
, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 533 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 28.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,769, and the median income for a family was $41,292. Males had a median income of $27,297 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,253. About 3.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
Blair has the highest proportion of Norwegian
speakers (8.54% of its population) of any settlement anywhere in the world outside of Norway
.
store. The local post office provides box service only. The local newspaper is The Blair Press. The city's creamery, operated by the Associated Milk Producers, processes milk
and produces cheese
. In the past, Colby cheese
was a staple, distributed by the Kraft
company. The city's largest employers are the public schools and a creamery. Blair is also home to the Rainbow Restaurant and Countryside Lefse Company.
church.
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin
Trempealeau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 27,754. Its county seat is Whitehall.-History:Patches of woodland are all that remain of the brush and light forest that once covered the county...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, along the Trempealeau River
Trempealeau River
The Trempealeau River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, 55 mi long, in the Driftless Area of western Wisconsin in the United States.-Course:...
. The population was 1,273 at the 2000 census.
Blair is on the former Green Bay and Western Railroad
Green Bay and Western Railroad
The Green Bay and Western Railroad served the transportation and freight haulage needs of northern Wisconsin for almost 100 years before it was absorbed into the Wisconsin Central in 1993...
, which ran down the Trempealeau River valley to Winona, Minnesota
Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf....
.
History
The city was first settled during the 1850s. The majority of the city's population are descended from Norwegian settlers, with a smaller group descended from GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
settlers. The city's Norwegian heritage is represented by annual lefse
Lefse
Lefse is a traditional soft, Norwegian flatbread. Lefse is made out of potato, milk or cream and flour, and cooked on a griddle. Special tools are available for lefse baking, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep grooves.-Flavoring:There are many ways of...
and lutefisk
Lutefisk
Lutefisk or Lutfisk is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries and parts of the Midwest United States. It is made from aged stockfish or dried/salted whitefish and lye . It is gelatinous in texture, and has an extremely strong, pungent odor...
suppers at the churches and a love of polka music
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
. A lefse company is located in Blair.
The city's name was changed from Porterville in 1873 when the Green Bay and Western Railroad
Green Bay and Western Railroad
The Green Bay and Western Railroad served the transportation and freight haulage needs of northern Wisconsin for almost 100 years before it was absorbed into the Wisconsin Central in 1993...
was routed through the city. The new name of Blair came from one of the railroad's chief investors, John Insley Blair
John Insley Blair
John Insley Blair was an American entrepreneur, railroad magnate, philanthropist and one of the 19th century's wealthiest men.-Biography:...
. At one time, during the heyday of railroads, a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
connected the GB&W with the nearby city of Ettrick
Ettrick, Wisconsin
Ettrick is a village in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 521 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Ettrick.-Geography:Ettrick is located at ....
(although it was later abandoned). The railroad continues to operate, although under a different name.
The city has avoided the fate of some small towns in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
which slowly lost population due to young people leaving for jobs elsewhere. The population of Blair nearly doubled in the years between 1950 and 2000. During the 1950s and earlier annual floods during the snow melt were often experienced, but better farming techniques now make flooding rare. More recently, a number of Amish farming families have settled in the area and their horse-drawn carriages are sometimes seen on the roads.
Geography
Blair is located at 44°17′42"N 91°13′48"W (44.294967, -91.230080). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (3.0 km²), of which, 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (5.26%) is water.
Two highways connect to the city: Highway 53, a north-south route, and Highway 95, an east-west route. The closest large cities are Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
to the north and La Crosse
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
to the south. Whitehall
Whitehall, Wisconsin
Whitehall is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Trempealeau River. The population was 1,651 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Trempealeau County....
, the county seat, is seven miles away. The rural area surrounding Blair is in the Town of Preston. Nearby communities include Taylor
Taylor, Wisconsin
Taylor is a village in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Trempealeau River. The population was 513 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Taylor is located at ....
, Arcadia
Arcadia, Wisconsin
Arcadia is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, along the Trempealeau River. The population was 2,925 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city in Trempealeau county.-History:...
, Independence
Independence, Wisconsin
Independence is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,336 at the 2010 census. It is located at the confluence of Elk Creek and the Trempealeau River.-History:...
, Hixton
Hixton, Wisconsin
Hixton is a village in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Trempealeau River. The population was 446 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Hixton.-Geography:Hixton is located at ....
, and Galesville
Galesville, Wisconsin
Galesville is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,481 at the 2010 census.Galesville is located where Beaver Creek flows into a wide area of the Mississippi River valley...
.
The Trempealeau River
Trempealeau River
The Trempealeau River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, 55 mi long, in the Driftless Area of western Wisconsin in the United States.-Course:...
near Blair was dammed to create Lake Henry, named after one of the first settlers.
Blair is in the Driftless Area, which was undisturbed by the last great glacial flow over North America. The area is also known as the Coulee Region, characterized by rolling hills. The forested hills are favored by deer hunters. Pheasants and grouse are also hunted. Local streams are fished for trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, which are stocked.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,273 people, 533 households, and 305 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,175.2 people per square mile (455.1/km²). There were 564 housing units at an average density of 520.7 per square mile (201.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.51% White, 0.24% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.55% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 533 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 28.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,769, and the median income for a family was $41,292. Males had a median income of $27,297 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,253. About 3.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
Blair has the highest proportion of Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
speakers (8.54% of its population) of any settlement anywhere in the world outside of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Economy
Blair has a bank and a Dollar GeneralDollar General
Dollar General Corp. is a U.S. chain of variety stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 2011, Dollar General operated over 9,300 stores in 35 U.S. states....
store. The local post office provides box service only. The local newspaper is The Blair Press. The city's creamery, operated by the Associated Milk Producers, processes milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and produces cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
. In the past, Colby cheese
Colby cheese
-History:Joseph F. Steinwand in 1874 developed a new type of cheese at his father's cheese factory near Colby, Wisconsin. The cheese was named after the village, which had been founded three years earlier....
was a staple, distributed by the Kraft
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
company. The city's largest employers are the public schools and a creamery. Blair is also home to the Rainbow Restaurant and Countryside Lefse Company.
Culture
The local festival is the Cheese Fest, which takes place annually in mid-September. A city park and municipal swimming pool are located along the Lake Henry. Blair has two Lutheran churches and one CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church.