Montfort, Wisconsin

Montfort, Wisconsin
Village
Looking west at Montfort
Location of Montfort in Grant County, Wisconsin.
Coordinates: 42°58′17″N90°25′59″W / 42.97139°N 90.43306°W / 42.97139; -90.43306
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Grant, Iowa
Incorporated	1893
Area [1]
• Total	0.54 sq mi (1.39 km2)
• Land	0.54 sq mi (1.39 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,109 ft (338 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	707
• Estimate  (2023) [4]	715
• Density	1,309.26/sq mi (508.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	608
FIPS code	55-53950 [5]
GNIS feature ID	1569677 [2]

Montfort is a village in Grant and Iowa Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 707 at the 2020 census.

The Iowa County portion of Montfort is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Grant County portion is part of the Platteville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Award-winning Montforteblue cheese made in Montfort, USDA 2013

Montfort was named from an old fort situated on a nearby hill. ^[6] The site of the village was first platted and laid out on April 3, 1848, by Ben C. Eastman and Francis J. Dunn, who owned much of the land in this area of the town of Wingville, Wisconsin. There were about 125 residents at the time of the plat. ^[7] It was operated as an unincorporated settlement until it was formally incorporated as a village in 1893. The population remained quite small until the first railroad reached Montfort in 1879. It was hit by a tornado on July 28, 1885, but only one home was destroyed. ^[7]

The Wisconsin Farmers Union Specialty Cheese Company in Montfort produces the award-winning Montforte Blue Cheese. ^[8]

Geography

Montfort is located at 42°58′17″N90°25′59″W / 42.97139°N 90.43306°W / 42.97139; -90.43306 (42.971399, -90.432937). ^[9] It is bounded on the west, north, and south, by the town of Wingville, Wisconsin, and is bounded on the east by the town of Highland, Iowa County, Wisconsin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.54 square miles (1.40 km²), all of it land. ^[10]

Adjacent municipalities

• Town of Wingville, Grant County, Wisconsin (west, north, and south)
• Town of Highland, Iowa County, Wisconsin (east)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	64		—
1890	407		535.9%
1900	627		54.1%
1910	558		−11.0%
1920	598		7.2%
1930	554		−7.4%
1940	615		11.0%
1950	576		−6.3%
1960	538		−6.6%
1970	518		−3.7%
1980	616		18.9%
1990	676		9.7%
2000	663		−1.9%
2010	718		8.3%
2020	707		−1.5%
2023 (est.)	715	[4]	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]

2010 census

As of the census ^[3] of 2010, there were 718 people, 279 households, and 192 families living in the village. The population density was 1,329.6 inhabitants per square mile (513.4/km²). There were 298 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.6% White, 0.8% African American, and 0.6% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 279 households, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.2% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the village was 35.9 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, ^[5] there were 663 people, 252 households and 179 families living in the village. The population density was 1,252.1 per square mile (483.0/km²). There were 273 housing units at an average density of 515.6 per square mile (198.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.25% White, 0.15% African American, and 0.60% from two or more races.

There were 252 households, of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.12.

In terms of age distribution, 30.3% were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $43,295. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $21,442 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,126. About 1.7% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 18, 2012.
4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 104.
7. Holford, Castello N., ed. (1900). History of Grant County, Wisconsin. The Teller Print. pp.  723–725 . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
8. Herzog, Karen (August 19, 2008). "Wisconsin puts its faith in blue cheese". Arizona Daily Star. (Originally published in The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). Retrieved August 1, 2021.
9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
10. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

• Information about Montfort, Wisconsin
• Sanborn fire insurance maps: 1899 1905 1914