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West Bend is a city in Washington County, Wisconsin, United States. Located in Southeastern Wisconsin, the population stood 28,152 at the 2000 census. The city is near other small communities, including the Town of West Bend, the Town of Trenton, and the Town of Polk. The city consists of primarily German heritage, and is predominantly middle-class. West Bend combines small town living with the fast pace of the greater metropolitan area. It is close to numerous lakes, making West Bend favored by sportsmen.

Aerial view of downtown West Bend Wisconsin

History

Before the arrival of European settlers in Southeastern Wisconsin, the Potawatomi and Menominee Indians inhabited the land now occupied by the City of West Bend.

In 1845, the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature had authorized the building of a road that would connect Fond du Lac with Milwaukee. Byron Kilbourn, one of the highway commissioners at the time, and Jasper Vliet, a surveyor, were put in charge for determining the route this road would take. A second task they were assigned was to identify a good halfway point for travelers. The path they chose is now Hwy. 45 and the rest stop is present-day West Bend. Many people utilized the resting place and eventually it evolved into a popular area. The Milwaukee River running through the town would eventually play a major role in the city's history. It was because of the western bend in the river that West Bend got its name. Aside from the naming rights, it also produced enough energy to power the saw and gristmills located on it. The railroad arrived in the area in 1873 bringing with it more settlers and industrialization. At this time West Bend saw a growth spurt, and in 1885, the city officially became an incorporated Wisconsin Community.

The Village Of Barton

In 1845, early settler Barton Salisbury, while on a surveying trip up the Milwaukee River, found a rapids which he believed would be a good source of power for a sawmill. He built a log hut on the west side of the river and the village of Barton was born. On November 1, 1961, the city of West Bend annexed the Village of Barton, which eventually played a major role in the city's development.

Attractions

Activities include visiting historical downtown West Bend or going for a ride in Wisconsin's first indoor go-kart track. One movie theater, an ice skating rink, and a locally-owned 1950's styled custard stand round out some of the entertainment options in West Bend. Numerous coffee shops can be found throughout the city as well.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33.5 km²), of which, 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.86% water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 28,152 people, 11,375 households, and 7,518 families residing in the city[1]. The population density was 2,218.3 people per square mile (856.5/km²). There were 11,926 housing units at an average density of 939.7/sq mi (362.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.30% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,375 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,315, and the median income for a family was $56,299. Males had a median income of $39,904 versus $23,816 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,116. About 3.4% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

While many current residents of West Bend work in neighboring communities([2]), the history of the city's economy is predominantly manufacturing and financial services. The West Bend Mutual Insurance Company was founded in the city in 1894([3]). The West Bend Aluminum Company (later renamed West Bend Company) was founded in 1911 by Bernhardt C. Ziegler([4]), and remained in West Bend until 2003. Ziegler had previously founded the securities brokerage company B.C. Ziegler & Co. in 1902 ([5]). In 1915, Robert H. Rolf founded Amity Leather in downtown West Bend, which would go on to become the world's largest manufacturer of leather billfolds ([6]). Amity leather left West Bend in 1996. The strong economy in West Bend in the 1930's led Ripley's Believe it or Not to claim that West Bend was the only city in the United States not to enter the Great Depression. In 1949, the printing company Serigraph, Inc. was founded in a garage in West Bend and went on to employ people all over the world([7]).

Real Estate

Lake properties can be found on the following lakes in West Bend: Big Cedar, Little Cedar, Silver, Wallace, and Paradise Valley. West Bend has wooded lots, country land, city subdivisions, and new construction. Most of the new construction projects in the last decade have been on the south side of West Bend.

Recreation

West Bend is a city of trails. A paved riverwalk snakes through the city along the banks of the Milwaukee River. The recently completed Eisenbahn Trail[8], a Rails to Trails project, has added another trail that facilitates walking, running, biking and skating.

West Bend is home to numerous parks and play areas. The city's downtown area also has several specialty shops, an active night life and historic buildings. Maxwell Street Days and Germanfest are two popular summertime events held in West Bend's downtown. Seafood Fest is held every year at Regner Park on the first weekend in June. The Farmer's Market every Saturday in downtown West Bend is also a place to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Every year, Riverside Park is host to a recent tradition called JazzFest.

Just north of downtown is Regner Park. The park offers a wooded area for hiking, a baseball diamond, a community swimming pond with a beach, fishing pond, and several softball and soccer fields. On the southeast side of the city is Quaas Creek Park, which is home to the Roman "Doc" Gonring Athletic Complex and Quaas Creek Trail[[9]]. This facility includes scenic bike/pedestrian trails, a canoe launch, three softball fields with two concession stands, and a children's playland area. This park was a community effort, funded with various public and private donations, state and federal grants, through efforts of the West Bend Athletic Association and the West Bend Parks Department.

Sister Cities

• Pazardzhik, Bulgaria
• Heppenheim, Germany
• Aisho, Japan

See also

• West Bend high schools
• West Bend Municipal Airport