Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Soldiers Grove is a village located alongside the Kickapoo River
in Crawford County, Wisconsin
, in the United States
. As of the 2000 census
, the village population was 653.
in the vicinity. In 1867, the name of the village was changed to "Soldiers Grove" to commemorate the troops who had camped in the area during the Black Hawk War
.
and hydropower
for flour and lumber mills. The village's proximity to the river became a liability in the early twentieth century, however, when major flood
s began to afflict the settlement. Significant flooding occurred in 1907, 1912, 1917, and 1935. Following the last of these incidents, Soldiers Grove and other area communities petitioned the United States Congress
to provide funds for a flood control project.
Despite another major flood in 1951, Congress did not agree to a flood control plan until 1962, when it authorized a project that included levee
s and a flood control dam on the Kickapoo River upstream of Soldiers Grove near La Farge, Wisconsin
. Owing largely to environmental concerns, however, construction of the proposed dam was halted partway through construction in 1975 and never finished. In the meantime, a 1974 floodplain zoning ordinance had already taken effect in Soldiers Grove, prohibiting new construction and severely limiting maintenance options near the river and crippling the village's downtown area. Although a levee proposed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers in 1975 would have lessened the restrictions, the village rejected the plan because of costs. While the downtown property was worth approximately $1 million, a levee to protect it would have required $3.5 million to construct and an additional $10,000 a year afterward for annual maintenance.
Rather than building and maintaining a levee, village leaders proposed that the federal funds already appropriated for levee construction be used instead to relocate the business district away from the floodplain. Federal agencies repeatedly denied this request, however. Even so, in 1977 the village used its own funds to purchase land on nearby high ground onto which the business district could eventually be relocated.
In 1978, flooding again inundated the Soldiers Grove area. In the aftermath of the disaster, $900,000 in federal funds were finally provided to assist in relocating the village's business district to higher ground. Construction of the new business district began in 1979 and was completed by 1983. A park replaced the old downtown area along the river. Although major flooding occurred along the Kickapoo River again in 2007
and 2008
, the village escaped major damage by virtue of the relocation.
in six years. In response to high energy costs, an energy task force for the Soldiers Grove relocation recommended that the new business district make use of solar heating. Despite the village's location in the northern state of Wisconsin, studies demonstrated that it was feasible for new buildings to achieve a majority of their heat from solar energy. Consequently, the village enacted an unprecedented ordinance requiring that all new commercial buildings obtain at least 50% of their heat from the sun. Another law prohibited any new structure from blocking sunlight to another building.
To meet the solar energy requirements, buildings in the new business district were constructed with heavy insulation and earth-berm
ing to supply thermal mass
. South facing roof slopes and windows were built to capture maximum sunlight, and blowers and hydronic
systems were installed to circulate the collected heat. Over twenty solar heated businesses were eventually built in the small community. While federal funds had been allocated to help in relocating businesses from the floodplain, no additional federal monies were provided for the solar heating initiative.
In addition to solar heating, the Village of Soldiers Grove passed ordinances for the new business district that mandated handicap accessibility
, placed restrictions on advertising signs, and promoted the use of natural building materials.
According to a 2003 report in Solar Today magazine, poor upkeep and lax regulation has reduced the energy efficiency of some of the solar heated businesses, but "most of the buildings are still excellent examples of solar energy at work."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 653 people, 250 households, and 166 families residing in the village. The population density
was 183.4 people per square mile (70.8/km²). There were 284 housing units at an average density of 79.7 per square mile (30.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.93% White, 0.15% Native American, 0.15% from other races
, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 250 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 29.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,078, and the median income for a family was $34,531. Males had a median income of $22,708 versus $18,214 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $13,779. About 7.6% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Kickapoo River
The Kickapoo River is a tributary of the Wisconsin River in the state of Wisconsin, United States. It is named for the Kickapoo Indians who occupied Wisconsin before the influx of white settlers in the early 19th century.-Watershed:...
in Crawford 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the village population was 653.
Claim to fame
Billing itself as "America's First Solar Village," Soldiers Grove was the first community in the United States to mandate the use of solar heating in commercial structures.History
Soldiers Grove was first settled in 1856 by Joseph H. Brightman, who began a sawmill at the site to process logs rafted down the Kickapoo River. The village which sprang up near the sawmill was initially named "Pine Grove" because of the abundance of Eastern White PineEastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
in the vicinity. In 1867, the name of the village was changed to "Soldiers Grove" to commemorate the troops who had camped in the area during the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
.
Flooding and Relocation
In its early years Soldiers Grove depended upon the Kickapoo River for timber raftingTimber rafting
Timber rafting is a log transportation method in which logs are tied together into rafts and drifted or pulled across a water body or down a flatter river. It is arguably the second cheapest method of transportation of timber, next after log driving...
and hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
for flour and lumber mills. The village's proximity to the river became a liability in the early twentieth century, however, when major flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s began to afflict the settlement. Significant flooding occurred in 1907, 1912, 1917, and 1935. Following the last of these incidents, Soldiers Grove and other area communities petitioned the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to provide funds for a flood control project.
Despite another major flood in 1951, Congress did not agree to a flood control plan until 1962, when it authorized a project that included levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s and a flood control dam on the Kickapoo River upstream of Soldiers Grove near La Farge, Wisconsin
La Farge, Wisconsin
La Farge is a village along the Kickapoo River in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 775 at the 2000 census. The residential community of Dreamtime Village is located near LaFarge.-Transportation:...
. Owing largely to environmental concerns, however, construction of the proposed dam was halted partway through construction in 1975 and never finished. In the meantime, a 1974 floodplain zoning ordinance had already taken effect in Soldiers Grove, prohibiting new construction and severely limiting maintenance options near the river and crippling the village's downtown area. Although a levee proposed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers in 1975 would have lessened the restrictions, the village rejected the plan because of costs. While the downtown property was worth approximately $1 million, a levee to protect it would have required $3.5 million to construct and an additional $10,000 a year afterward for annual maintenance.
Rather than building and maintaining a levee, village leaders proposed that the federal funds already appropriated for levee construction be used instead to relocate the business district away from the floodplain. Federal agencies repeatedly denied this request, however. Even so, in 1977 the village used its own funds to purchase land on nearby high ground onto which the business district could eventually be relocated.
In 1978, flooding again inundated the Soldiers Grove area. In the aftermath of the disaster, $900,000 in federal funds were finally provided to assist in relocating the village's business district to higher ground. Construction of the new business district began in 1979 and was completed by 1983. A park replaced the old downtown area along the river. Although major flooding occurred along the Kickapoo River again in 2007
2007 Midwest flooding
The 2007 Midwest flooding was a major flooding event that occurred in the Midwestern United States in the third week of August 2007. While Hurricane Dean was affecting the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Storm Erin was affecting Oklahoma and Texas, a persistent storm system...
and 2008
June 2008 Midwest floods
The June 2008 Midwestern United States floods were flooding events which affected portions of the Midwest United States. After months of heavy precipitation, a number of rivers overflowed their banks for several weeks at a time and broke through levees at numerous locations. Flooding continued...
, the village escaped major damage by virtue of the relocation.
Solar Village
When Soldiers Grove began its relocation project in 1979, the United States was suffering from its second oil crisis1979 energy crisis
The 1979 oil crisis in the United States occurred in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Amid massive protests, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled his country in early 1979 and the Ayatollah Khomeini soon became the new leader of Iran. Protests severely disrupted the Iranian oil...
in six years. In response to high energy costs, an energy task force for the Soldiers Grove relocation recommended that the new business district make use of solar heating. Despite the village's location in the northern state of Wisconsin, studies demonstrated that it was feasible for new buildings to achieve a majority of their heat from solar energy. Consequently, the village enacted an unprecedented ordinance requiring that all new commercial buildings obtain at least 50% of their heat from the sun. Another law prohibited any new structure from blocking sunlight to another building.
To meet the solar energy requirements, buildings in the new business district were constructed with heavy insulation and earth-berm
Berm
A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
ing to supply thermal mass
Thermal mass
Thermal mass is a concept in building design which describes how the mass of the building provides "inertia" against temperature fluctuations, sometimes known as the thermal flywheel effect...
. South facing roof slopes and windows were built to capture maximum sunlight, and blowers and hydronic
Hydronics
Hydronics is the use of water as the heat-transfer medium in heating and cooling systems.Some of the oldest and most common examples are steam and hot-water radiators. Historically, in large-scale commercial buildings such as high-rise and campus facilities, a hydronic system may include both a...
systems were installed to circulate the collected heat. Over twenty solar heated businesses were eventually built in the small community. While federal funds had been allocated to help in relocating businesses from the floodplain, no additional federal monies were provided for the solar heating initiative.
In addition to solar heating, the Village of Soldiers Grove passed ordinances for the new business district that mandated handicap accessibility
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
, placed restrictions on advertising signs, and promoted the use of natural building materials.
According to a 2003 report in Solar Today magazine, poor upkeep and lax regulation has reduced the energy efficiency of some of the solar heated businesses, but "most of the buildings are still excellent examples of solar energy at work."
Notable residents
- Beauford T. AndersonBeauford T. AndersonBeauford Theodore "Andy" Anderson was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II.-Early life:...
, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - James O. DavidsonJames O. DavidsonJames Ole Davidson was the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.-Background:Jens Ole Davidson was born in Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway. He immigrated in 1872 to the United States when he was 18 years old...
, Governor of WisconsinGovernor of WisconsinThe Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state... - Agnes MooreheadAgnes MooreheadAgnes Robertson Moorehead was an American actress. Although she began with the Mercury Theatre, appeared in more than seventy films beginning with Citizen Kane and on dozens of television shows during a career that spanned more than thirty years, Moorehead is most widely known to modern audiences...
, actress on BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, taught school in Soldier's Grove - Atley PetersonAtley PetersonAtley Peterson was a Wisconsin pioneer who served as a state legislator, and state railroad commissioner.-Background:...
, member of the Wisconsin State AssemblyWisconsin State AssemblyThe Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
Geography
Soldiers Grove is located at 43°23′45"N 90°46′20"W (43.395891, -90.772342).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 village has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²), all of it land.
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 653 people, 250 households, and 166 families residing in the village. 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 183.4 people per square mile (70.8/km²). There were 284 housing units at an average density of 79.7 per square mile (30.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.93% White, 0.15% Native American, 0.15% 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 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 250 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 29.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,078, and the median income for a family was $34,531. Males had a median income of $22,708 versus $18,214 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 village was $13,779. About 7.6% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.