Shields, Dodge County, Wisconsin

Shields, Wisconsin
Town
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
Location of Shields, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 43°14′3″N88°49′2″W / 43.23417°N 88.81722°W / 43.23417; -88.81722
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Dodge
Area
• Total	27.0 sq mi (69.8 km2)
• Land	26.5 sq mi (68.7 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1.2 km2)
Elevation [1]	814 ft (248 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	554
• Density	20.9/sq mi (8.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code	55-73575 [2]
GNIS feature ID	1584152 [1]
Website	http://townofshields.com/

Shields is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 554 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Richwood is located in the town.

History

The town was named after James Shields, a general during the Mexican War and a United States senator who represented the states of Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri. ^[3]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0 square miles (69.8 km²), of which, 26.5 square miles (68.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (1.67%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census ^[2] of 2000, there were 554 people, 198 households, and 158 families living in the town. The population density was 20.9 people per square mile (8.1/km²). There were 203 housing units at an average density of 7.7 per square mile (3.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.46% White, 0.18% African American, 0.18% Native American, and 0.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.90% of the population.

There were 198 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,000, and the median income for a family was $55,375. Males had a median income of $37,109 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,218. About 1.2% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen or sixty-five or over.

Notable people

• Patrick Griffin, Irish-born Wisconsin legislator, lived in the town
• James Higgins, Irish-born farmer and Wisconsin Reform Party legislator, lived in the town
• George G. King, farmer and state legislator, lived in the town
• John Solon, Irish-born Wisconsin farmer and legislator, lived in the town
• Thomas F. Solon, businessman and Wisconsin legislator, was born in the town
• Herman A. Ziemer, farmer and politician, lived in the town

References

1. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. Callary, Edward. Place Names of Wisconsin. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 252. ISBN   978-0-299-30964-0.

External links

• Town of Shields website