Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Whitefish Bay is a village
in Milwaukee County in the U.S. state
of Wisconsin
. The population was 13,508 as of the 2005 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), all of it land.
and later by fishermen and farmers. In 1889, Captain Frederick Pabst
, one of Milwaukee's beer barons, spent $30,000 to take advantage of Whitefish Bay's unique location by developing a popular lakeshore resort, which he called the Pabst Whitefish Bay Resort
. Across the street from the original Resort, now resides Jack Pandl's Whitefish Bay Inn.
As many as 10,000 visitors would come to the resort on a summer day by horse and buggy, railroad, trolley or excursion steamer. They came to enjoy the scenic view, to ride the Ferris wheel, attend daily concerts (double concerts on Sunday), rent row boats, watch outdoor movies, drink beer and dine on fine fare, including five types of whitefish netted daily in the adjoing bay. The resort's popularity faded in 1914, and the park was closed. In 1915 the land was subdivided into 17 residential lots, and today 13 homes are located on the former resort shoreline property.
Whitefish Bay's emphasis on education began when farmers in the area demanded local schooling for children living in the area. In 1892, the 392 residents incorporated a village and built a school of their own on a triangle of land now known as Old Schoolhouse Park, across from today's public library. Unfortunately this school burned down due to a passing train which caused sparks to land on the wooden schoolhouse.
Whitefish Bay had a surge of home building in the 1920s and a bigger boom in the late 1940s and early 1950s. At its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, the village's population was over 18,000, but it is currently just over 14,000.
of 2000, there were 14,163 people, 5,457 households, and 4,016 families residing in the village. The population density
was 6,610.8 people per square mile (2,555.3/km²). There were 5,553 housing units at an average density of 2,592.0 per square mile (1,001.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.09% White, 0.98% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races
, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 5,457 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $80,755, and the median income for a family was $95,744. Males had a median income of $63,011 versus $43,893 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $39,609. About 2.4% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
The Whitefish Bay School District perennially boasts the highest test scores in the state. Whitefish Bay High School has the highest average ACT score out of all the public schools in the state of Wisconsin every year. Average ACT scores for Whitefish Bay Students have remained above 25 (on a 36 point scale) since 1998. In addition, students scored in the advanced range on both the math and reading portions of the 2007-08 Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam at a rate higher than any other K-12 district in all of Southeastern Wisconsin.
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee maintains two Catholic school
s in Whitefish Bay: Holy Family School and St. Monica School, each serving kindergarten through grade 8. In addition, the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
sponsor Dominican High School
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Milwaukee County in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The population was 13,508 as of the 2005 census.
Geography
Whitefish Bay is located at 43°6′42"N 87°54′3"W (43.111711, -87.900762).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 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), all of it land.
History
Whitefish Bay was first settled by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and later by fishermen and farmers. In 1889, Captain Frederick Pabst
Frederick Pabst
Frederick Pabst was a German-American brewer who founded the Pabst Brewing Company.-Early life:Johann Gottlieb Friedrich Pabst was born on March 28, 1836, in the village of Nikolausrieth, then in the Province of Saxony, in the Kingdom of Prussia...
, one of Milwaukee's beer barons, spent $30,000 to take advantage of Whitefish Bay's unique location by developing a popular lakeshore resort, which he called the Pabst Whitefish Bay Resort
Pabst Whitefish Bay Resort
The Pabst Whitefish Bay Resort, which was developed in one of Milwaukee's first residential suburbs, was once a thriving Sunday getaway. Opened in 1889, Capt. Fredrick Pabst opened the resort that would attract as many as 15,000 people...
. Across the street from the original Resort, now resides Jack Pandl's Whitefish Bay Inn.
As many as 10,000 visitors would come to the resort on a summer day by horse and buggy, railroad, trolley or excursion steamer. They came to enjoy the scenic view, to ride the Ferris wheel, attend daily concerts (double concerts on Sunday), rent row boats, watch outdoor movies, drink beer and dine on fine fare, including five types of whitefish netted daily in the adjoing bay. The resort's popularity faded in 1914, and the park was closed. In 1915 the land was subdivided into 17 residential lots, and today 13 homes are located on the former resort shoreline property.
Whitefish Bay's emphasis on education began when farmers in the area demanded local schooling for children living in the area. In 1892, the 392 residents incorporated a village and built a school of their own on a triangle of land now known as Old Schoolhouse Park, across from today's public library. Unfortunately this school burned down due to a passing train which caused sparks to land on the wooden schoolhouse.
Whitefish Bay had a surge of home building in the 1920s and a bigger boom in the late 1940s and early 1950s. At its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, the village's population was over 18,000, but it is currently just over 14,000.
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 14,163 people, 5,457 households, and 4,016 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 6,610.8 people per square mile (2,555.3/km²). There were 5,553 housing units at an average density of 2,592.0 per square mile (1,001.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.09% White, 0.98% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.26% 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 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 5,457 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $80,755, and the median income for a family was $95,744. Males had a median income of $63,011 versus $43,893 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 $39,609. About 2.4% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Whitefish Bay School District maintains four public schools and one recreational facility. These facilities include:- Whitefish Bay High SchoolWhitefish Bay High SchoolWhitefish Bay High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in the village of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, United States. Approximately 950 students attend the school from September through June, in grades 9 through 12...
– a high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
teaching grades 9-12. - Whitefish Bay Middle SchoolWhitefish Bay Middle SchoolWhitefish Bay Middle School is a public school in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. It serves as a bridge between the two elementary schools, Cumberland and Richards, and the high school. The current principal is Lisa Gies. The athletic team is known as the Lions....
– a middle schoolMiddle schoolMiddle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
/junior high school teaching grades 6-8 - Cumberland Elementary School – an elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
teaching age-4 kindergartenKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through grade 5 - Richards Elementary School – an elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
teaching age-4 kindergartenKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through grade 5 - Lydell School – a community recreation facility
The Whitefish Bay School District perennially boasts the highest test scores in the state. Whitefish Bay High School has the highest average ACT score out of all the public schools in the state of Wisconsin every year. Average ACT scores for Whitefish Bay Students have remained above 25 (on a 36 point scale) since 1998. In addition, students scored in the advanced range on both the math and reading portions of the 2007-08 Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam at a rate higher than any other K-12 district in all of Southeastern Wisconsin.
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee maintains two Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
s in Whitefish Bay: Holy Family School and St. Monica School, each serving kindergarten through grade 8. In addition, the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary of the Order of Preachers is a Catholic religious order for women. The mother house is located in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin in the Diocese of Madison.-Overview:...
sponsor Dominican High School
Dominican High School (Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin)
Dominican High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. It is in, but not funded by, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee as a college preparatory high school.-Background:...
.
Notable people
- Art BuesArt BuesArthur Frederick Bues is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He was born on March 3, 1888 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He batted and threw right handed, weighed 184 pounds, and was 5 foot 11. Art was the nephew of George Stallings. Bues made his Major League debut on April 17, 1913 for the...
- MLB player - Craig CounsellCraig CounsellCraig John Counsell is a Major League Baseball infielder.Counsell grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and attended Whitefish Bay High School, where he played baseball. His father worked for the Milwaukee Brewers...
- MLB - Bernadine Dohrn - Political Activist/Lawyer
- Jay GuidingerJay GuidingerJay Patrick Guidinger is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.-Playing career:...
- NBA player - Julius P. HeilJulius P. HeilJulius Peter Heil was the 30th Governor of Wisconsin from 1939 to 1943. A Republican, he was born in Düssmund an der Mosel, Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1881. In 1901, he founded the Heil Company in Milwaukee, which fabricated steel tank cars. He served two two-year terms as...
- Governor of WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin 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... - Kristen JohnstonKristen JohnstonKristen Johnston is an American stage, film, and television actress. She may be most famous for her role as Sally Solomon in the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun...
- Actress - Jack LarscheidJack LarscheidJack Larscheid was a player in the American Football League for the Oakland Raiders in 1960 and 1961 as a halfback. He played at the collegiate level at University of the Pacific.-Biography:...
- professional football player - Niels MuellerNiels MuellerNiels Mueller is a filmmaker currently resident in Los Angeles. He was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended Tufts University where he earned a BA. While an undergraduate, he collaborated with fellow-student Gary Winick on a number of independent film projects. Mueller subsequently...
- Director/Writer (Film) - Barbara NotesteinBarbara Notestein-Biography:Notestein was born on April 14, 1949 in Madison, Wisconsin. She is a graduate of Whitefish Bay High School in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, as well as Beloit College and the University of Michigan. Notestein would become a social worker. She is Jewish...
- Wisconsin State Assemblywoman - Caitlin O'HeaneyCaitlin O'HeaneyCaitlin O'Heaney is an American TV, film and stage actress. O'Heaney has worked extensively in live theater, but is best known for playing Sarah Stickney White, the female lead on the ABC series Tales of the Gold Monkey in the early 1980s...
- actress - Samuel PageSamuel PageSamuel Page is an American actor. He is credited under the name Sam Page.-Early life:...
- actor - Mike SchneckMike SchneckMichael Louis Schneck is a retired American football long snapper who most recently played for the Atlanta Falcons. He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1999...
- NFL player - Paul Michael ValleyPaul Michael ValleyPaul Michael Valley is a television actor.Among his numerous soap credits, his most memorable and long-lasting role was his portrayal of Ryan Harrison on the soap opera Another World from 1990 to 1995...
- actor - Dan VebberDan VebberDan Vebber is a writer best known for his television work on animated shows such as Futurama, Daria, and American Dad!. He was also a writer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer....
- Writer/Producer (TV) - Chip ZienChip ZienChip Zien is an American actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of the Baker in the original Broadway production of Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim...
- actor - Nick BelloreNick BelloreNick Bellore is an American football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Central Michigan University.-Early years:...
- NFL