Richland Center, Wisconsin

Richland Center is a city in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Richland County. As of the 2020 census, 5,114 people lived there.[3]

Richland Center August 2015.jpg
Location of Richland Center in Richland County, Wisconsin
Location of Richland Center in Richland County, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 43°20′16″N 90°23′5″W / 43.33778°N 90.38472°W / 43.33778; -90.38472Coordinates: 43°20′16″N 90°23′5″W / 43.33778°N 90.38472°W / 43.33778; -90.38472
Country United States
State Wisconsin
CountyRichland
Area
 • Total4.77 sq mi (12.41 km2)
 • Land4.69 sq mi (12.14 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.22 km2)
Elevation728 ft (222 m)
Population
 • Total5,114
 • Density1,091/sq mi (421.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
53581
FIPS code55-67625[4]
GNIS feature ID1578616[2]
Websiteci.richland-center.wi.us

History

Richland Center was founded in 1851 by Ira Sherwin Hazeltine. Haseltine offered to give land to the county if Richland Center was voted the county seat.[5] In 1852, the Wisconsin Legislature named Richland Center as the seat for Richland County.[6] The Richland County courthouse was built in 1889.

In 1876, a railroad branch opened to connect Richland Center with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad at Lone Rock, Wisconsin. This gave an outlet for the town's commerce. On October 8, 1882, the town's railway depot was destroyed when a fire lit two kegs of gunpowder inside it. This caused an explosion that tore the roof from the building.[7] Another depot was built in 1909. Today, it is a visitor center for the community.[8]

Frank Lloyd Wright was born at Richland Center in 1867.

Geography

The city has a total area of 4.77 square miles (12.35 km2). Of this, 4.69 square miles (12.15 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[1]

Notable people

Richland Center, Wisconsin Media

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Richland Center city, Wisconsin". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. Butterfield, C. W. (1884). History of Crawford and Richland Counties, Wisconsin. Springfield, Illinois: Union Publishing Company. pp. 1150-1151.
  6. "An Act to Declare the County Seat of Richland County," Wisconsin Statutes 1852, c. 37.
  7. Butterfield (1884). p. 1164
  8. "Richland Center Visitor Center Archived 2011-11-03 at the Wayback Machine." Richland Chamber & Development Alliance. Retrieved 2011-11-03.

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