Gordon is a town in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 645 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place of Gordon is located in the town. It was historically known as "Amick" (Amik), meaning beaver, indicating the town's significant fur-trading post alongside the Eau Claire River. The area was then called "Gordon" after half-French, half-Ojibwe pioneer and founder Antoine Gordon, who set up his convenience store and eventual commune next to the canoe stop and served as a landmark and rest stop for those traveling by.[3]
Gordon, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 Town hall | |
 Location of Gordon, Wisconsin | |
| Coordinates: 46°16′47″N 91°46′49″W / 46.27972°N 91.78028°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Douglas |
| Area | |
• Total | 157.4 sq mi (407.7 km2) |
| • Land | 151.8 sq mi (393.0 km2) |
| • Water | 5.6 sq mi (14.6 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,083 ft (330 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
• Total | 645 |
| • Density | 4.3/sq mi (1.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Zip code | 54838 |
| Area code(s) | 715 and 534 |
| FIPS code | 55-29925[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1583292[1] |
| Website | http://www.gordonwi.us.com/index2.html |
Transportation
editU.S. Highway 53 serves as a main route in the town.
Geography
editAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 157.4 square miles (407.7 km2), of which, 151.8 square miles (393.1 km2) of it is land and 5.6 square miles (14.6 km2) of it (3.58%) is water.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Gordon, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 51 (11) |
58 (14) |
79 (26) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
87 (31) |
74 (23) |
59 (15) |
102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 19.9 (−6.7) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
38.2 (3.4) |
51.6 (10.9) |
66.0 (18.9) |
75.1 (23.9) |
79.4 (26.3) |
77.2 (25.1) |
68.8 (20.4) |
54.2 (12.3) |
37.8 (3.2) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
51.6 (10.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.7 (−12.4) |
14.2 (−9.9) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
40.2 (4.6) |
53.6 (12.0) |
63.1 (17.3) |
67.8 (19.9) |
65.5 (18.6) |
57.1 (13.9) |
43.9 (6.6) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
40.7 (4.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −0.5 (−18.1) |
2.9 (−16.2) |
15.7 (−9.1) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
41.2 (5.1) |
51.1 (10.6) |
56.2 (13.4) |
53.8 (12.1) |
45.4 (7.4) |
33.6 (0.9) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
8.4 (−13.1) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −48 (−44) |
−46 (−43) |
−42 (−41) |
−8 (−22) |
7 (−14) |
26 (−3) |
31 (−1) |
26 (−3) |
18 (−8) |
4 (−16) |
−33 (−36) |
−44 (−42) |
−48 (−44) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.96 (24) |
0.97 (25) |
1.56 (40) |
2.88 (73) |
3.78 (96) |
4.25 (108) |
4.80 (122) |
4.18 (106) |
3.76 (96) |
3.20 (81) |
1.70 (43) |
1.33 (34) |
33.37 (848) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.3 (26) |
10.3 (26) |
10.4 (26) |
5.8 (15) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
8.9 (23) |
12.8 (33) |
59.7 (152) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.6 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 10.5 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 11.4 | 10.3 | 10.7 | 11.5 | 8.3 | 9.5 | 122.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 9.4 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 5.1 | 8.8 | 40.0 |
| Source: NOAA[4][5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
editAs of the census[2] of 2000, there were 645 people, 298 households, and 188 families residing in the town. The population density was 4.3 people per square mile (1.6/km2). There were 471 housing units at an average density of 3.1 per square mile (1.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.35% White, 0.31% African American, 1.55% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.62% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 298 households, out of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.68.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,412, and the median income for a family was $35,972. Males had a median income of $31,827 versus $19,844 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,065. About 7.1% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
edit- Philip B. Gordon, Roman Catholic priest, was born in the town[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b History of Gordon[dead link]
- ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 1, 2024.