Shullsburg, Wisconsin

Shullsburg is a city in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,226 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to the Town of Shullsburg. Founded in 1827 it is one of the oldest settlements in Wisconsin. There are 34 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places[4] on its historic Water Street Commercial District. It is located within the Midwestern Driftless Area and is known for its history of lead mining and its cheese industry.

Buildings on Water Street

Shullsburg
City
Location of Shullsburg in Lafayette County, Wisconsin.
Shullsburg Location within the state of Wisconsin
Coordinates: 42°34′26″N 90°13′55″W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Lafayette
First settled	1827
First platting	1846
Founded by	Jesse Shull
Area [1]
• Total	1.33 sq mi (3.45 km^2)
• Land	1.33 sq mi (3.45 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	980 ft (300 m)
Population  (2010)[2]
• Total	1,226
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	1,193
• Density	894.30/sq mi (345.37/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	53586
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-73825
GNIS feature ID	1574081
Website	City of Shullsburg

The Shullsburg Community Townsend Center

History

Shullsburg was founded during the 1820s in parts by Jason Shull and Henry Gratiot and due to their ventures into lead mining. Following the Black Hawk War conflict Gratiot's Grove (Wisconsin) and other small settlements consolidated into Shullsburg. In 1841 Missionary Priest Samuel Mazzuchelli platted the Northeast section of town and named the streets after the virtues of life.[5] After arrival of railroad in the 1880s the Water Street Commercial District saw the construction of its many brick and limestone buildings. The Shullsburg High School was built in 1900 designed by the town physician Dr. C.C. Gratiot. The 8-Acre Badger Park, designed by Phelps Wyman, was completed in 1942[5] by the Works Progress Administration and lights were installed at its baseball park in 1948.[5] In 1974 the Emily Franz Scholarship Fund was formed to help high school students pay for college and is today worth 1.8 million dollars.[6] The last working lead mine in the Upper Midwest Lead District closed at Shullsburg in 1979[7] and the town fell on hard times. During the 1990s and 2000s the restoration of buildings became important to building preservationists. In 2001 a new library and community center was built with private funds only. In 2016 it was named a Wisconsin Main Street Community.[8]

St. Matthews Church and Parish

Founded in 1835 by Samuel Mazzuchelli, St. Matthews is one of the oldest catholic parishes in Wisconsin. In 1852 construction of the current church began and was completed and dedicated on Saint Patrick's Day 1861. The Greek Revival architecture of the church stands on the towns highest point. It is built of limestone quarried from the local Rennick Quarry. During the 1890s an "impoverished artist" was hired to paint the Stations of the Cross and are known today for the beautiful depictions. In 1907 the steeple was felled in a storm and was replaced the following year along with the placement of the stained glass windows. Today the sextagonal steeple stands at 135 feet tall with a 12 foot cross. In 1918 an adjoining parochial school was built and staffed by Sisters of Mercy and it served students until 1969. In 2010 the parish celebrated its 175th anniversary with a mass led by Bishop Robert C. Morlino.[9]

Shullsburg School

The Shullsburg K-12 School is a Romanesque structure built in 1900. It is highlighted by arched windows and three arched door openings that form arcades across the buildings facade. The building was designed by school board member C.C. Gratiot. Gratiot designed many homes and commercial buildings in Shullsburg.[10] In 1949 a gymnasium was built of matching limestone with crews provided by the Motherland Works Progress Administration. Another gym addition occurred in 1996. Today (2019) the K-12 school serves the community of Shullsburg and 360 students.[11]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.11 square miles (2.87 km²), all of it land.[12]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	1,168		—
1890	1,393		19.3%
1900	1,250		−10.3%
1910	1,068		−14.6%
1920	1,158		8.4%
1930	1,041		−10.1%
1940	1,197		15.0%
1950	1,306		9.1%
1960	1,324		1.4%
1970	1,376		3.9%
1980	1,484		7.8%
1990	1,236		−16.7%
2000	1,246		0.8%
2010	1,226		−1.6%
2019 (est.)	1,193	[3]	−2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]

2010 census

As of the census[14] of 2010, there were 1,226 people, 534 households, and 324 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,106 people per square mile. There were 549 housing units at an average density of 499 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 99.1% White, 0.2% Asian, and 0.2% from two or more races.[15][16][17]

There were 534 households, of which 60.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.96.[17]

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.[18]

Notable people

• Shullsburg was the boyhood home of Lou Blonger, the "Bunco King" of Denver, Colorado. Blonger lived in Shullsburg from 1853, when he was four, until 1864, when he enlisted in the Union Army as a fifer.[19]
• Shullsburg was the birthplace of George Safford Parker, founder of Parker Pen Company.[20]
• U.S. Representative Henry S. Magoon practiced law in Shullsburg.[21]
• U.S. Senator from Missouri William Warner was born in Shullsburg.[22]
• Wisconsin State Representative Joseph E. Tregoning was born in Shullsburg.[23]
• Actor Howard Kyle (née Vandergrift) was born in Shullsburg. Father was the first commander of the Shullsburg Light Guard[24]
• Baseball player Johnny Gerlach was born in Shullsburg.
• Wisconsin State Senator James Earnest lived in Shullsburg.[25]
• Wisconsin State Representative James H. Knowlton lived in Shullsburg.[26]
• Wisconsin State Senator Philemon Simpson lived in Shullsburg.[27]
• Wisconsin State Representative Calvert Spensley lived in Shullsburg.[28]
• Wisconsin State Representative John K. Williams lived in Shullsburg.[29]
• Wisconsin State Representative James W. Freeman lived in Shullsburg.[30]
• Wisconsin State Representative A. A. Townsend lived in Shullsburg and was also the founder of Rough and Ready, California during the California Gold Rush in 1849.[28]
• Wisconsin State Representative E. C. Townsend lived in Shullsburg.[28]
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Nauvoo Dissenter William Law (Latter Day Saints) is buried in Shullsburg

• 
  Marcasite from Shullsburg
• 
  Calcite from the Blackstone Mine,[31] Shullsburg

See also

• Henry Gratiot

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "Roughly Water St. from Judgement to Kennedy Sts. and Gratiot St. from Water to Church Sts. | National or State Registers Record". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
5. The Sesquicentennial history of Shullsburg, 1827-1977. Badger Historical Society of Shullsburg. 1983. OCLC 12895658.
6. "Decades after death, teacher still aids students". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
7. "Calumet Mine (Calumet and Hecla Mine; C&H Mine; Shullsburg Mine; Eagle Picher), Shullsburg area, Upper Mississippi Valley District, Lafayette Co., Wisconsin, USA". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
8. http://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_7ee56fe4-4330-5306-9d54-3b9eaaa2036c.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
9. "Celebrating 175 years of faith in Shullsburg". madisoncatholicherald.org. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
10. "444 N JUDGEMENT ST | Property Record". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
11. apps2.dpi.wi.gov https://apps2.dpi.wi.gov/sdpr/home. Retrieved 2019-02-27. Missing or empty |title= (help)
12. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
15. "Shullsburg, Wisconsin". City-Data.com. City-Data. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
16. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
17. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
18. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
19. Lou Blonger's military pension file, filed 1887-11-05, retrieved 2009-07-10.
20. "Dictionary of Wisconsin History - Wisconsin Historical Society".
21. Henry S. Magoon's page on the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved 2009-09-10
22. "WARNER, William - Biographical Information".
23. "404 Error: File Not Found - Wisconsin Historical Society".
24. Howard Kyle Dies, Veteran of the Stage. The New York Times, December 2, 1950, p. 13
25. "404 Error: File Not Found - Wisconsin Historical Society".
26. "404 Error: File Not Found - Wisconsin Historical Society".
27. 'Report of the Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin,' vol. 3, Wisconsin State Bar Association: 1901, Biographical Sketch of Philemon B. Simpson, pg. 538-361
28. "The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin for ..." 1 January 1893 – via Google Books.
29. 'Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin' volume 9, Lyman Copeland Draper, Wisconsin historical Society: 1909, Wisconsin Necrology-1880, pg. 447
30. 'Wisconsin blue Book 1895,' Biographical Sketch of James W. Frreman, pg. 683
31. http://www.mindat.org/loc-8727.html

External links

• City of Shullsburg, Wisconsin
• Sanborn fire insurance maps: 1894 1900 1908 1915