Onalaska, Wisconsin

Onalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 18,097. It is part of the La Crosse Metropolitan Area.

Onalaska is built on a slightly elevated ridge above the Black River. Natural areas include river bottomland as well as high, heavily wooded, scenic bluffs. A manmade reservoir at the city's western edge is known as Lake Onalaska. Onalaska is known as "The Sunfish Capital of the World."

History
The original village (now city) was platted by Thomas G. Rowe (New York) and John C. Laird (Pennsylvania) in 1851. In its early days, lumbering and related industries served as a basis for its economy.

The name Onalaska
The name for the city comes from the poem, "The Pleasures of Hope," by Scottish poet Thomas Campbell. The original spelling of the name in Campbell's poem was "Oonalaska" (an Aleutian island and fishing village).

Onalaska, Wisconsin, Onalaska, Arkansas (now defunct), Onalaska, Texas, and Onalaska, Washington are all historically linked to one another through the lumber industry. The modern day city of Unalaska, Alaska and Unalaska Island are linked to the Onalaskas in the lower 48 states through Thomas Campbell's poem. Unalaska, Alaska is the original Oonalaska or Onalaska or "Ounalashka" (Russian spelling) immortalized by Campbell.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.5 square miles (25.1 km²), of which, 9.1 square miles (23.5 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (5.99%) is water.

Onalaska lies immediately north of La Crosse, Wisconsin on the Black River and is the second largest city in La Crosse County.

Named streams within the current corporate limits of the city include the Black River, the La Crosse River, and Sand Lake Coulee Creek. In the 1930s, construction of Lake Onalaska resulted in the flooding and eventual disappearance of a shallow, natural body of water, Rice Lake, as well as several smaller ponds in the Black River bottoms area.





Brice Prairie is an urban reserve area within the City of Onalaska, located below the ridge on which most of the city is situated. It lies to the northwest of the city's current northern border, and is directly on Lake Onalaska.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,839 people, 5,893 households, and 4,036 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile (630.3/km²). There were 6,070 housing units at an average density of 667.4 per square mile (257.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.17% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 2.80% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,893 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,800, and the median income for a family was $57,264. Males had a median income of $41,335 versus $25,316 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,066. About 4.5% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Onalaska is served by two school districts, Onalaska and Holmen. Onalaska School District schools include Onalaska High School, Onalaska Middle School (OMS), Eagle Bluff Elementary School, Northern Hills Elementary School, and Irving Pertzsch Elementary School. Parochial schools in the city include Luther High School, a Lutheran school, and St. Patrick Elementary School, part of La Crosse Aquinas Catholic Schools.

The mission of Onalaska School District is to ensure that all students of the district acquire the skills, abilities and attitudes needed to be respectful, responsible and productive citizens in a global society.

Economy

 * Onalaska Omni Center is Onalaska's convention center and indoor arena. The Omni Center is the second largest convention center in southwest Wisconsin, after the La Crosse Center.

Notable people

 * Biddy Dolan, MLB player
 * Tim Gullikson, tennis player
 * Tom Gullikson, tennis player
 * Tom Newberry, football player
 * Frank Pooler, choral director and songwriter ("Merry Christmas Darling")
 * William H. Stevenson, U.S. Representative