Baraboo, Wisconsin

Baraboo is the largest city in, and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. It is situated on the Baraboo River. Its 2010 population was 12,048 according to the US Census Bureau. Baraboo is also the principal city of the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Baraboo is home to the Circus World Museum, the former headquarters and winter home of the Ringling Brothers circus and now the largest library of circus information in the United States. This living museum has a collection of circus wagons, and occasionally hosts the Great Circus Parade of these artifacts through the streets of Baraboo.

The Al. Ringling Theatre is an active landmark in the city. This grand scale movie palace is larger and more elaborate than one would normally find in a town the size of Baraboo, owing to the financial assistance of the Ringling family. The Al Ringling home still exists and is maintained in good condition.

Baraboo is also home to the International Crane Foundation, an organization dedicated to the study and conservation of the world's 15 species of crane. Aldo Leopold's Shack and Farm, celebrated in his famous book A Sand County Almanac (1949) is near Baraboo.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²), all of it land.

Baraboo gives its name to the Baraboo Syncline, a doubly plunging, asymmetric syncline in Proterozoic-aged Baraboo Quartzite. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, most notably Charles R. Van Hise, used the syncline to demonstrate that small-scale deformational structures in isolated outcrops reflect larger regional structures and established top-facing to occur inside elaborately deformed strata. These two principles sparked a global revolution in structural geology during the 1920s. The nearby Baraboo Hills are designated one of the "Last Great Places" by the Nature Conservancy because of unique rocks, plants and animals. Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin's largest state park, contains large areas of the Baraboo Hills. The hills near Baraboo were created by glacial action, and in some points poke up from the flat terrain nearby to form a stark contrast. Apparently some of these features were created when a glacial pocket was formed eons ago, or where the advance of the glacier halted, creating some of the unique features of the Baraboo hills. Pewits Nest is located outside Baraboo.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 12,048 people, 4,467 occupied households and 2,403 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,030.2 people per square mile (783.2/km²). There were 4,718 housing units at an average density of 345.0 persons/km² (894.3 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 97.12% White, 0.51% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,467 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,375, and the median income for a family was $48,149. Males had a median income of $32,775 versus $22,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,304.

Together with surrounding communities (including West Baraboo and the Town of Baraboo), the Baraboo micropolitan area was, according to the 2000 census, home to about 15,000 people. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Sauk County (2000 population: 55,225). The Baraboo µSA is just northwest of the Madison metropolitan area, with which it forms the Census Bureau's Baraboo-Madison Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The area eventually known as Baraboo was first settled by Abe Wood in 1838, and was known as the village of Adams. In 1846 it became the county seat of Sauk County after a fierce fight with the nearby village of Reedsburg. In 1852, the village was renamed Baraboo and formally incorporated as such in 1882.

Baraboo was home to several sawmills early in its history because of its location near the Baraboo and Wisconsin Rivers. In the 19th century it was also headquarters of several circuses, including the Ringling Brothers Circus, and thus became known as Circus City.

Education
The School District of Baraboo has four elementary schools serving students in grades 1 through 5, one kindergarten center, one middle school and one high school. There are also two parochial schools: St. Joseph's Catholic School, which serves Pre-K through fifth grade, and St. John's Lutheran School, serving Pre-K through eighth grade.

A campus of the University of Wisconsin–Baraboo/Sauk County (known to local residents as "Boo-U") is located in Baraboo. It is one of 13 campuses in the University of Wisconsin Colleges.

Economy

 * Imperial Multimedia is based in Baraboo.

Historic sites

 * The Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm is located near Baraboo.

Notable people

 * Stan Barnes, Hall of Fame college football player, judge and assistant attorney general of the United States
 * Virgil H. Cady, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * Tiny Cahoon, NFL player
 * Randy Chestnut, comedian
 * John V. Diener, Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin
 * Evan Alfred Evans, Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
 * Henry C. Hansbrough, U.S. Senator from North Dakota
 * John J. Jenkins, U.S. Representative
 * Belle Case La Follette lived with her family near Baraboo.
 * Len Koenecke, MLB player
 * Aldo Leopold, naturalist
 * Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets
 * John Ringling North, circus
 * Beryl Newman, Medal of Honor recipient
 * Mike Reinfeldt, NFL player and executive
 * Ringling Brothers, circus
 * Bradbury Robinson, threw the first forward pass in football history, grew up in Baraboo
 * Algie Martin Simons, Socialist newspaper editor, attended high school in Baraboo
 * Terry Stieve, NFL player
 * Walter Terry, Wisconsin legislator
 * Edwin E. Woodman, Wisconsin State Senator

Fictional people

 * Carl Gerbschmidt, fictional radio personality