Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. With a population of 26,717 at the 2010 census, it is the largest city in the county.

Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 69,916 as of the 2010 census.

Stevens Point is home to the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and a campus of Mid-State Technical College. The city was incorporated in 1858.

History
Historically part of the Menominee homelands, a three-mile strip along the Wisconsin River was ceded to the United States in a treaty of 1836, as part of concessions the people made. In 1854 the tribe made its last treaty with the U.S., gathering on a reservation on the Wolf River.

Stevens Point was named after George Stevens, who operated a grocery and supply business on the Wisconsin River during the extensive logging of interior Wisconsin, when the river was used by logging companies to float logs to market. Loggers on the river found this a convenient stopping point, as the river bends slightly and one could tell from far upstream whether Stevens' point was open for business. The town developed from Stevens' post and was named for him.

1845 was the first year the postal service came to Stevens Point. With the opening of the postal services in the area, more people were able to write back home to their places of origin and tell other family members to settle in the new town of Stevens Point. Within twenty years of the new postal service in Stevens Point, the population in Stevens Point tripled.

In 1847 the town square was established along with the City of Stevens Point. The town square originally was an area next to the Wisconsin River where professionals, craftsmen, businessmen, and loggers gathered before their journey north or south on the Wisconsin River. They stayed in motels and shopped, which brought revenue to the area. As years went by, the area around the town square grew as logging became more popular.

Materials were hard to come by during the late 19th century. Most buildings that were built in the town square were first built with wood that was readily available. The downside to having all the buildings downtown built with wood was the chance of fires spreading. Many cases of early fires were reported from 1850 - to 1890. Around 1880, buildings were starting to be built with other materials, such as brick and sandstone. Quarries in Ellis Wisconsin were opened and local materials were brought in to help the new buildings be built.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.20 sqmi, of which, 15.96 sqmi is land and 1.24 sqmi is water.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 26,717 people, 10,598 households, and 4,944 families residing in the city. The population density was 1674.0 PD/sqmi. There were 11,220 housing units at an average density of 703.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.7% White, 0.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 10,598 households out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.3% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the city was 26.5 years. 16% of residents were under the age of 18; 31.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 18.5% were from 45 to 64; and 12% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

Education
The Stevens Point Area School District serves the city, as does the Stevens Point Area Catholic Schools system. Public elementary schools include Bannach, Jefferson School for the Arts, Kennedy, Madison, McDill, McKinley, Roosevelt, Plover-Whiting, and Washington Service-Learning Center. There are two junior high schools, Ben Franklin and P. J. Jacobs, and two high schools, Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH) and Charles F. Fernandez Center for Alternative Learning. Parochial schools in Stevens Point include St. Paul Lutheran School (PreK-8), St. Joseph Early Childhood Center, St. Stanislaus (K-2) and St. Stephen Elementary (3-5) Schools, St. Peter Middle School, and Pacelli High School.

The city serves as the central hub of the Portage County Public Library which provides educational resources and programming for adults, young adults, and children.

Stevens Point is home to the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, which includes the College of Natural Resources. UWSP was established in 1894 as the Stevens Point Normal School. The university enrolls approximately 9500 students in both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and is consistently named one of the top Public Midwestern Universities-Master's in U.S. News & World Report’s College Rankings. Mid-State Technical College (MSTC), a technical college, is also located in the city.

Transportation
The city is served by two airports. Commercial service is available through Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA), located midway between Stevens Point and Wausau. CWA is served by three major airlines. General aviation, air cargo, and charter flights use the Stevens Point Municipal Airport (STE).

Stevens Point Transit system is a public transportation service serving the city.

Religion
The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis have their mother house in Stevens Point. Catholic parishes in the city include St. Stanislaus Kostka, the Newman University Parish, St. Stephen, St. Casimir, St. Peter, and St. Joseph. There are Lutheran and other Protestant churches in the area, and members of the Bahá'í Faith.

There is a wide variety of Catholic and Lutheran churches spread throughout Stevens Point. Many of those churches date back to the early 20th century. Within the past century, other religious groups have made their mark on Stevens Point.

Business and industry
Major employers in the area include NewPage Corporation paper mill, Associated Banc-Corp, Sentry Insurance, the Travel Guard (travel and insurance), Copps Corporation, the Donaldson Company, Skyward (software design), Joerns Medical, Lands' End, Canadian National Railway, Delta Dental of Wisconsin, Worzalla Publishing, Figis (telemarketing) and the Stevens Point Brewery.

Companies with corporate headquarters in the city include Travel Guard, Sentry Insurance, Delta Dental of Wisconsin, and Vetter Manufacturing. Associated Bank, Furniture and Appliance Mart, and the Donaldson Company operate regional headquarters in Stevens Point.

Business developments in the area include Crossroads Commons located along I-39 and County Road HH; Portage County Business Park, located north of Crossroads Commons; Venture Drive and Corporate Center, adjacent to both the Crossroads Commons and the Portage County Business park; Stevens Point Industrial Park, located along I-39; the Eastridge and Parkdale Plazas, and Stevens Points East Side, all on the city's east side; and CenterPoint Marketplace and downtown Stevens Point.

At one time, Midstate Airlines had its headquarters in Stevens Point.

Culture
Stevens Point is home to a community theater group (cwACT), a children's museum, and a group of museums run by the Portage County Historical Society, including the Beth Israel Congregation Museum, located in the former synagogue. (The synagogue has been defunct since 1985.)

Religion has always played a big role in the community. In 1847 the first record of religious services was held near the town square with the pastor from Norway. As time went by, more religions joined the town square, and by 1900, catholic, Lutheran, Jewish and Methodist churches were established within one mile of the downtown area.

The Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra (CWSO) presents four concerts each season.

Most events held within the city happen near the downtown area, many at the newly transformed town square that was rebuilt in 2011. These include the annual riverfront rendezvous, corn on the curb, sculpture park summer celebration, Fourth of July parade, Krazy Days, and Gather at the River.

The downtown area was designated a "Wisconsin Main Street Community" and offers specialty shops, restaurants, an enclosed shopping mall, and offices. Buildings in downtown Stevens Point are made from a variety of materials, including Lake Superior limestone, brick. and red granite. The city and county administrative offices are located downtown, as well as a major bank regional headquarters and two major insurance companies. The downtown also offers a night life on "the Square" that is popular with college students, and a farmers' market that has been selling fresh produce for over one hundred years. The farmers' market is open early summer through early fall.

Stevens Point hosts the world's largest trivia contest, run by UWSP's radio station, WWSP-FM. The contest, which typically involves over 12,000 contestants in more than 400 teams, is held every year in April and lasts for 54 hours, from Friday to Sunday.

Recreation
The area has 20 developed parks, a 26 mi bicycle and jogging trail (the Green Circle Trail) that surrounds and winds through the city, and the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, which runs through the city. The city also has an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course at the Sentry Home Office (SentryWorld Golf Course) and a country club. The Schmeeckle Reserve, a nature reserve, is located on the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point campus.

The area also has Goerke Park, which is a football stadium where middle school, high school and college athletes compete. There is an outdoor track which is used by the same educational groups.

The Backwaters Paddle Quest canoe adventure challenge has been held in Stevens Point on the Wisconsin River since 2002, usually during the second week of August. Players paddle their crafts over two days to checkpoints along the river encountering a cast of characters acting out a storyline that continues year to year.

Rankings
Stevens Point was listed in Relocate-America's Top 10 Best Places to Live in 2007 and 2008 for the United States and listed in the Top 100 for 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. It was also listed in the Top Ten Recreation cities in America in 2010. In 2009 CNNMoney.com ranked Stevens Point the 18th best place to retire. The magazine stated that there was "plenty for retirees to do in the summertime" as well as the winter, including hiking, biking, and skiing the Green Circle Trail. Stevens point was also rated the 6th best place to raise a family by Forbes.com in 2010.

Notable people associated with Stevens Point

 * Martha Bablitch, judge
 * William A. Bablitch, politician, judge
 * Kirk Baumgartner, football player
 * Tim Bedore, comedian
 * Dick Bennett, basketball coach
 * Kathi Bennett, basketball coach
 * Tony Bennett, basketball coach
 * Webster E. Brown, politician
 * Thomas Cale, U.S. Congressional Delegate from Alaska Territory
 * Fred J. Carpenter, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * George W. Cate, politician
 * Curt Clausen, American race walker
 * Michael Dombeck, former Chief of the U.S. Forest Service
 * Lawrence Eagleburger, U.S. Secretary of State
 * Albert Gallatin Ellis, politician
 * John E. Erickson, NBA executive
 * Shirlee Emmons, operatic soprano and celebrated voice teacher
 * Jim Hall, professional boxer
 * Suzy Favor-Hamilton, runner
 * Albert W. Grant, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral
 * Don Hanaway, politician/judge
 * David Helbach, politician
 * Ryan Hansen, actor
 * Joel Hodgson, writer, comedian and actor on Mystery Science Theater 3000
 * Kathy Kinney, actress on the Drew Carey Show
 * Ross Kolodziej, American football player
 * John Kostuck, politician/salesman/piano tuner
 * Janel McCarville, basketball player
 * Harry McCurdy, MLB player
 * Edward McGlachlin, Jr., U.S. Army Major General
 * James Miller, educator
 * Norman Myhra, politician
 * George B. Nelson, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
 * Jim Newman (actor), actor, writer, producer, and director
 * Joe Pavelski, NHL center for the San Jose Sharks
 * Brandon Peterson, Cartoonist - X-Men, Marvel Comics
 * Terry Porter, basketball coach and player
 * Rick Reichardt, professional baseball player
 * Patrick Rothfuss, author, UW–Stevens Point professor
 * Albert W. Sanborn, politician
 * Elmer T. Shannon, race car driver
 * Brad Soderberg, basketball coach
 * Chris Solinsky, professional runner
 * Garrett Weber-Gale, Olympic Gold medalist
 * Peter Weller, actor

Sister cities

 * 🇫🇷 Caen, France
 * 🇳🇮 Estel&iacute;, Nicaragua
 * 🇵🇱 Gulcz. Poland
 * 🇷🇺 Rostov Veliky, Russia