Menasha, Wisconsin

This article is about the city. For the adjacent former town, see Menasha (town), Wisconsin.

Menasha, Wisconsin
City
Downtown Menasha
Motto:  "Your Place on the Water"
Location of Menasha in Calumet County, Wisconsin.
Coordinates: 44°13′N 88°26′W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Winnebago, Calumet
First settled	1835
Incorporated as a town	1848
Incorporated as a city	1874
Named for	Winnebago word for "Island"
Government
• Type	Mayor-council government
• Mayor	Austin Hammond
Area
• Total	7.78 sq mi (20.16 km2)
• Land	6.05 sq mi (15.66 km2)
• Water	1.74 sq mi (4.50 km2)
Elevation	755 ft (230 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,268
• Estimate  (2019)	17,873
• Density	3,021.5/sq mi (7,825.64/km2)
Demonym	Menashan
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	54952
Area code	920
FIPS code	55-50825
GNIS feature ID	1569330
Website	menashawi.gov

Menasha (/məˈnæʃə/) is a city in Calumet and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 18,268 at the 2020 census. Of this, 15,144 were in Winnebago County, and 2,209 were in Calumet County. The city's name comes from the Winnebago word meaning "thorn" or "island". In the Menominee language, it is known as Menāēhsaeh, meaning "little island". It is part of the Fox Cities region of Wisconsin. Doty Island is located partially in Menasha, which it shares with Neenah.

Menasha's location on the Fox River and Lake Winnebago led to its rich history, dating back to the inhabitation by Native American tribes for centuries. European settlement in the 1800s led to the development of Menasha as a transportation hub and later a center for paper production and wooden ware products. Today, Menasha is home to the Barlow Planetarium and the Weis Earth Science Museum on the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Fox Cities Campus.

History

Former Menasha Hub Spoke and Bending Factory

Ancestors of the Ho-Chunk occupied what is currently Menasha. In the 1600s, the Meskwaki established a village just north of Menasha. A sneak attack by the French soldiers and traders resulted in the death of nearly all of the Fox Native Americans in the area. They are said to have piled the bodies in a large mound that became known as Butte des Morts, or "Hill of the Dead." The mound was a prominent landmark until it was destroyed by the construction of the railroad in 1863.

In 1836, the land was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of the Cedars. This opened up land for public sale, and territorial governor James Duane Doty was one of the first investors in the land. In 1848, Doty and his associates, including Curtis Reed, formed the town of Menasha on the channel north of Doty Island. In 1849, Reed and Doty were successful in convincing the United States government to place the navigational channel of the Fox-Wisconsin waterway through the north channel in Menasha. In 1854 Menasha approved $150,000 in bonding to bring the Manitowoc & Mississippi Railroad in with the intent of establishing Menasha as the principal transportation axis in Wisconsin. Menasha was incorporated as a city in 1874, and at that point was considered to be a transportation hub.

The early 1900s saw a shift to industrial production of general and specialized papers. Menasha was home to many paper mills including the George A. Whiting Paper Company Mill, the John Strange Paper Mill, Island Paper Company, and Gilbert Paper Company, to name a few. Menasha was also home to the George Banta Publishing Company which published textbooks, military manuals, yearbooks, and magazines.

Menasha Corporation also called Menasha home. It was established in 1849 by Elisha D. Smith as Menasha Wooden Ware. It produced wooden containers like butter tubs and barrels and eventually became the world's largest wooden ware products manufacturer. After wooden ware products fell out of use in the early 1900s, Menasha Wooden Ware shifted to the corrugated packaging business, changing its name to Menasha Corporation.

Geography

Menasha Dam

Menasha is located at 44°13′N 88°26′W (44.2129, −88.4362). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.52 square miles (19.48 km²), of which, 6.03 square miles (15.62 km²) is land and 1.49 square miles (3.86 km²) is water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	1,436		—
1870	2,484		73.0%
1880	3,144		26.6%
1890	4,581		45.7%
1900	5,589		22.0%
1910	6,081		8.8%
1920	7,214		18.6%
1930	9,062		25.6%
1940	10,481		15.7%
1950	12,385		18.2%
1960	14,647		18.3%
1970	14,836		1.3%
1980	14,728		−0.7%
1990	14,711		−0.1%
2000	16,331		11.0%
2010	17,353		6.3%
2020	18,268		5.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Menasha is a city in the Appleton–Oshkosh–Neenah CSA, a Combined Statistical Area which includes the Appleton (Calumet and Outagamie counties) and Oshkosh–Neenah (Winnebago County) metropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 392,660 at the 2010 census and an estimated population of 409,881 as of 2019.

2020 census

At the 2020 census there were 18,268 people residing in the city. The population density was 3,021.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,166.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.9% White, 1.8% African American, 1.3% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2%.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 17,353 people, 7,405 households, and 4,415 families living in the city. The population density was 2,877.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,111.1/km²). There were 7,973 housing units at an average density of 1,322.2 units per square mile (510.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.8% White, 1.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9%.

Of the 7,405 households 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 32.2% of households were one person and 9.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age was 36 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 16,331 people, 6,951 households, and 4,233 families living in the city. The population density was 3,106.9 people per square mile (1,199.6 people/km²). There were 7,271 housing units at an average density of 1,383.3 units per square mile (534.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.80% White, 0.54% African American, 0.61% Native American, 1.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.38% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.61%.

Of the 6,951 households 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 31.8% of households were one person and 10.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.

The age distribution was 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median household income was $39,936 and the median family income was $47,401. Males had a median income of $36,705 versus $25,176 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,743. About 5.4% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Menasha's St. Thomas Episcopal Church was designed by Harry Weese

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) has two churches in Menasha: Bethel Lutheran Church and Mount Calvary Lutheran Church.

Architect Harry Weese designed Menasha's St Thomas' Episcopal Church.

Parks and recreation

Barlow Planetarium

The Loop the Little Lake Trail

The 91-acre Heckrodt Wetland Reserve is an urban nature reserve with habitats including forested wetland, cattail marsh, open water, created prairie, open field, and upland forest. The University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Fox Cities Campus houses the Weis Earth Science Museum and the Barlow Planetarium.

Menasha contains numerous parks. It has a public pool located in Jefferson Park. Smith Park is the oldest park in the Menasha Park system, founded in 1897.

A railroad caboose in Smith Park commemorates the original Wisconsin Central Railroad. At the southern end of the park are several Native American burial mounds and a natural amphitheater used for summer concerts. The north end of the park features semi-formal gardens planted each year with approximately 6,000 annuals, a setting that is a favorite for summer weddings. A gazebo funded with corporate donations was built in this area in 1997.

Government

Menasha Post Office

The city of Menasha has a mayor–council government. There are eight districts in the city, each represented by an aldermen. The council meets weekly with the mayor, Austin Hammond.

List of Menasha's mayors:

Mayors of Menasha, Wisconsin, since incorporation as a city in 1874

Order	Term start	Term end	Mayor	Notes
1	1874	1875	O.J. Hall
2	1875	1879	P.V. Lawson, Sr.
3	1879	1882	A.J. Webster
4	1882	1883	Silas Bullard
5	1883	1885	A.J. Webster
6	1885	1886	L.G. Noble
7	1886	1890	P.V. Lawson, Jr.
8	1890	1892	Curtis Reed
9	1892	1893	George Banta
10	1893	1894	P.V. Lawson, Jr.
11	1894	1895	John Rosch
12	1895	1896	George Banta
13	1896	1897	P.V. Lawson, Jr.
14	1897	1898	J.M. Pleasants
15	1898	1900	M.M. Schoetz
16	1900	1901	J.M. Pleasants
17	1901	1902	Henry Fitzgibbon
18	1902	1904	George Banta
19	1904	1908	August J. Henning
20	1908	1910	N.G. Remmel
21	1910	1912	Joesph Hill
22	1912	1919	N.G. Remmel
23	1919	1922	T.E. McGillan	"Elected mayor of Menasha to fill out an unexpired term" and then re-elected without opposition.
24	1922	1924	M.M. Schoetz
25	1924	1928	N.G. Remmel
26	1928	1930	W.E. Held
27	1930	1934	N.G. Remmel
28	1934	1936	F.O. Heckrodt
29	1936	1938	W.E. Held
30	1938	1946	W.H. Jensen
31	1946	1956	John R. Scanlon
32	1956	1960	R.G. DuCharme
33	1960	1966	John L. Klein
34	1966	1968	Kenneth E. Holmes
35	1968	1970	John L. Klein
36	1970	1974	James Adams
37	1974	1982	Victor V. Wiecki
38	1982	1988	Thom A. Ciske
39	1988	2008	Joseph F. Laux
40	2008	2024	Donald Merkes
41	2024	Present	Austin R. Hammond

Education

Menasha High School

Menasha's Public School system, called the Menasha Joint School District has one high school (Menasha High School), one middle school, and five elementary schools.

Menasha is home to the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Fox Cities Campus, a two-year campus part of the UW System.

Friendly cities

• Maebashi, Japan

Notable people

Elisha D. Smith Public Library in Menasha

• Joseph H. Anderson, legislator
• John A. Bryan, U.S. diplomat
• Silas Bullard, jurist and legislator
• Elmer J. Burr, Medal of Honor recipient
• Arnold J. Cane, jurist and legislator
• Connie Clausen, television and Broadway actress, literary agent, and author of "I Love You Honey but The Season's Over", a memoir about Menasha
• Jean Pond Miner Coburn, sculptor
• Samuel A. Cook, U.S. Representative
• John Dollard, psychologist
• William Duchman, legislator and sawmill operator
• A. D. Eldridge, legislator and businessman
• William P. Grimes, legislator and businessman
• Eric Hinske, hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks and former American League Rookie of the Year
• Joan Jaykoski, baseball player
• James C. Kerwin, Wisconsin Supreme Court
• Dave Koslo, MLB player for the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and the Milwaukee Braves
• Jean Kraft, opera singer
• Publius Virgilius Lawson, six-term mayor, historian, manufacturer, lawyer
• George Liberace, musician and television performer, older brother of Liberace
• Jeff Loomis, heavy metal guitarist
• Thomas J. O'Malley, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
• Curtis Reed, mayor of Menasha, businessman
• Richard J. Steffens, legislator
• Leslie J. Westberg, U.S. Air Force brigadier general

External links

• City of Menasha
• "Menasha" . Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.