Wauwatosa (; known informally as Tosa; originally Wau-wau-too-sa or Hart's Mill) is a city in Milwaukee County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States. The population was 48,387 at the 2020 census. Wauwatosa is located immediately west of

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

, and is a part of the

Milwaukee metropolitan area The Milwaukee metropolitan area (also known as Metro Milwaukee or Greater Milwaukee) is a major metropolitan area located in Southeastern Wisconsin, consisting of the city of Milwaukee and the surrounding area. There are several definitions of the ...

. It is named after the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

Chief Wauwataesie and the Potawatomi word for firefly.

History

The lush Menomonee Valley of the Wauwatosa area provided a key overland gateway between the rich glacial farmland of southeastern Wisconsin and the Port of Milwaukee. In 1835, Charles Hart became the first Euro-American to settle here, followed that year by 17 other families. The following year a United States Road was built from Milwaukee through Wauwatosa, eventually reaching

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

. Charles Hart built a mill in 1845 on the Menomonee River which gave the settlement its original name of "Hart's Mill." The mill was torn down in 1914. The

Town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

of Wau-wau-too-sa was created by act of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature on April 30, 1840. As of the 1840

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, the population of the Town of Wau-wau-too-sa or Wauwatosa was 342. The town government was organized in 1842. The town's borders originally extended from the present-day Greenfield Avenue in the south to Hampton Avenue in the north, and from 27th Street in the east to the Waukesha County line in the west, encompassing sections of present-day Milwaukee, West Milwaukee and West Allis, plus the southern part of former North Milwaukee, which was wholly annexed into the city of Milwaukee in 1927. Most of the town was farmland through the remainder of the 19th century. WI-Wauwatosa-1892

In 1849 the Watertown Plank Road was constructed through Wauwatosa, mainly following the old Madison territorial road. In 1851 Wisconsin's first railroad (later The Milwaukee Road) established Wauwatosa as its western terminus. The Village of Wauwatosa was incorporated from the central part of the Town of Wauwatosa in 1892, and was rechartered as the City of Wauwatosa on May 27, 1897. wauwatosavillage1

Expansion

On November 25, 1952, the City of Wauwatosa more than doubled its size by

annexing Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

of land west of the Menomonee River, the entire remaining portion of the Town of Wauwatosa, which became the home to several large cold storage and regional food distribution terminals. Industrial plants owned by firms including

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depre ...

and

Briggs & Stratton Briggs & Stratton Corporation is an American manufacturer of gasoline engines with headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Engine production averages 10 million units per year as of April 2015. The company reports that it has 13 large facili ...

were also constructed. In the past 40 years, western Wauwatosa has become an edge city with an important commercial and retail district built up along Milwaukee's beltline

Highway 100 Several highways are numbered 100: Australia * Great Ocean Road, Victoria * Surf Coast Highway, Victoria * Flinders Highway, South Australia * Lincoln Highway, South Australia Canada * Alberta Highway 100 (Sherwood Park Freeway) (unsigned) * ...

and anchored by the Mayfair Mall.

Removal of cross

Wauwatosa received some national attention in 1992 when the Wauwatosa Common Council, threatened with a lawsuit, decided to remove a Christian cross from the City's seal adopted in 1957. The cross was replaced with the text, "In God We Trust." The seal itself was designed by 9-year old Suzanne Vallier as an entry in a contest among Wauwatosa schoolchildren. The quadrants of the logo's shield represent, from top left going clockwise; an arrowhead representing the Indians who were the original inhabitants of the city, the mill representing Hart's Mill which was the original name of the city, the cross representing the "city of churches", and the symbol used on street signs representing the "city of homes."

2020 shootings

On February 2, 2020, Alvin Cole, a 17-year-old

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

male, was shot and killed at Mayfair Mall by a police officer responding to a reported disturbance. According to authorities, Cole had been fleeing from police while carrying a stolen handgun. No charges were filed against the officer who fired the fatal shots, sparking protests. On November 20,

shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles ...

occurred at the mall, leaving eight people injured. The shooter fled the scene afterwards and remained at large for a day, until the arrest of a 15-year-old suspect.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Eastern Wauwatosa is also known for its homes and residential streets, at one time just a short streetcar ride away from downtown Milwaukee. Prior to the arrival of

Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into America, Europe ...

, many of Wauwatosa's older residential streets had large gothic colonnades of American Elm trees. In Wauwatosa, the Menomonee Valley made it easier to quarry portions of the Niagara Escarpment, which provided the necessary materials for cream-colored bricks and limestone foundations used in many homes and public buildings throughout the region.

Climate

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $54,519, and the median income for a family was $68,030. Males had a median income of $46,721 versus $35,289 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $28,834. About 2.3% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 46,396 people, 20,435 households, and 11,969 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 21,520 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 4.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.6% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population. There were 20,435 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.4% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 39.8 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

Government

Wauwatosa has a

mayor–council government The mayor–council government system is a system of local government that has a mayor who is directly elected by the voters serve as chief executive, and a separately elected legislative city council. It is one of the two most common forms of l ...

. The mayor is elected to a four-year term. The Common Council is composed of 16 aldermen, two from each of eight districts. They serve four-year terms, with one member from each district up for election every other year. The aldermen set policy and have extensive financial control, but are not engaged in daily operational management.

Politics

Wauwatosa is mostly in the 5th Wisconsin congressional district for the United States House of Representatives, with small parts of northern Wauwatosa in the 4th house district. Wauwatosa voters have supported Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian candidates.

Education

Wauwatosa is served by the Wauwatosa School District: *

High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

s: Wauwatosa West, Wauwatosa East *

Middle School A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s: Whitman, Longfellow *

Elementary School A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

s: Eisenhower, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, McKinley, Roosevelt, Underwood, Washington, Wilson * Additional school-district services are provided to juvenile residents of the Milwaukee County Grounds—at

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Children's Wisconsin (formerly Children's Hospital of Wisconsin) is a nationally ranked, freestanding, 298-bed, pediatric acute care children's hospital located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin and ...

and the Milwaukee County's Children and Adolescent Services Center—through the River Hills School on the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex grounds. County juveniles in secure detention receive educational services through the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center School within the Milwaukee County Children's Court building Catholic elementary schools in the city include Wauwatosa Catholic, St. Bernard, St. Joseph, St. Jude and Christ King. Lutheran Schools include Our Redeemer and St. John's.

Points of interest

Wauwatosa contains Milwaukee County's Regional Medical Center, which includes the Medical College of Wisconsin, the

, and Froedtert Hospital, one of two level-one

trauma center A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emerge ...

s in the state. Other points of interest are the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church designed by

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

; and the Memorial Center, built in 1957, which contains the public library, an auditorium, and the city hall. The Washington Highlands Historic District, a residential neighborhood designed in 1916 by renowned city planner

Werner Hegemann Werner Hegemann (June 15, 1881, Mannheim – April 12, 1936, New York City) was an internationally known city planner, architecture critic, and author. A leading German intellectual during the Weimar Republic, his criticism of Hitler and the Na ...

, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1989, as was the Kneeland-Walker House. The Milwaukee County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy Historic District, located on a former high school campus, was added in 1998. Other buildings on the list include Wauwatosa's oldest house, the Lowell Damon House; the Thomas B. Hart House; and the Wauwatosa Woman's Club Clubhouse. In July 2019, the Tourism Commission of Wauwatosa sponsored the installation of several new murals by professional artists. The murals are curated by Milwaukee-based public arts agency Wallpapered City, and the artworks appear on buildings from 64th Street to 70th Street along North Avenue.'

In popular culture

Wauwatosa is the home town of the narrator of an unrecorded song by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, "On, Wisconsin" (not to be confused with the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

fight song of the same name). The lyrics were written by Dylan in 1961 and finished in 2018 by local musician Trapper Schoepp. Schoepp wrote music to accompany Dylan's lyrics and recorded the song at Wauwatosa's Wire & Vice studio for his album ''Primetime Illusion''. "In Name and Blood", Episode 2 of Season 3 of the television show ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis (writer), Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was r ...

'' is set in Wauwatosa.

Notable people

Matt Adamczyk Matt Adamczyk (June 9, 1978) is an American businessman and politician, who served as the 35th Wisconsin State Treasurer. Early life Adamczyk grew up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin on June 9, 1978. He went to Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, Wiscons ...

, American businessman and politician *

Antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally found only on ...

, poet *

Carole Barrowman Carole Emily Barrowman (born 20 April 1959) is a Scottish-American Professor of English and Director of Creative Studies in Writing at Alverno College, Milwaukee, and a reviewer and crime fiction columnist for the '' Milwaukee Sentinel'', als ...

, Author and Professor * William Bast, screenwriter *

Henry S. Berninger Henry S. Berninger (February 1, 1864 – May 18, 1934) was an American businessman and politician. Born in the town of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Berninger went to the Milwaukee parochial and public schools. He was a businessman. In 1889, Berninger ...

, Wisconsin politician and businessman *

Bill Berry William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...

, musician *

Fabian Bruskewitz Fabian Wendelin Bruskewitz (born September 6, 1935) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln in Nebraska, from 1992 to 2012. He is known for often taking conservative stands on social i ...

, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln * Milton F. Burmaster, Wisconsin politician and lawyer * Matthew Busche, cyclist * Glenn R. Davis, U.S. Representative * Fisk Holbrook Day, physician and geologist *

Nancy Dickerson Nancy Dickerson (January 19, 1927 – October 18, 1997) was an American radio and television journalist and researcher for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. As famous as a celebrity and socialite as she was for her journalism, she later b ...

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

-winning journalist * Sarah E. Dickson, was elected first woman Presbyterian elder here * Anton Falch, professional baseball player * Charles Fingado, Wisconsin politician * Charles Thompson Fisher, Wisconsin politician and farmer * James L. Foley, Jr., Wisconsin politician and farmer * Albert Fowler, mayor of Rockford, Illinois * Eric E. Hagedorn, Wisconsin politician and electrical engineer * Devin Harris, professional basketball player of the NBA * Judson G. Hart, Wisconsin farmer and politician *

Stephen F. Hayes Stephen Forester Hayes is an American journalist and author. In October 2019 Hayes co-founded the online opinion and news publication '' The Dispatch.'' Previously, he was a senior writer for ''National Journal and'' Editor-in-chief of ''The Weekly ...

, author and political commentator * Julius P. Heil, Wisconsin governor * Michael W. Hoover, presiding judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals * Mike Huwiler,

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

athlete, MLS player * Michael G. Kirby, Wisconsin politician * Greg Koch, guitarist * Christian A. Koenitzer, Wisconsin politician * Mike Krol, musician * Joseph H. Loveland,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

politician *

William Martz William Edward Martz (March 21, 1945 – January 17, 1983) was an American chess International Master, who was active from 1963 until his death. Chess career Martz won the U.S. Junior Chess Championship in 1965. He played in the U.S. Chess Cham ...

, chess

International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

* Joseph McBride, author, film historian * Ed McCully, Christian missionary killed during

Operation Auca Operation Auca was an attempt by five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States to bring Christianity to the Waodani or Huaorani people of the rain forest of Ecuador. The Huaorani, also known pejoratively as Aucas (a modifica ...

* John Morgridge, former CEO and Chairman of the Board of

Cisco Systems Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...

* Walter Nortman, Wisconsin politician * Charles B. Perry, Wisconsin politician *

Roger Ream Roger R. Ream (born November 12, 1954 in Neenah, Wisconsin, United States) is the president of The Fund for American Studies (TFAS). The mission of TFAS is "to change the world by developing leaders for a free society." Education Ream receiv ...

, educator * John E. Reilly, Jr., Wisconsin politician and judge * Peggy Rosenzweig, Wisconsin politician * Brad Rowe, actor * Jeremy Scahill. investigative journalist, author, and director * Richard Schickel, film critic and author * William A. Schroeder, Wisconsin politician and lawyer * Steve Sisolak, Governor of Nevada * Tony Smith, retired NBA player * Jerry Smith, professional basketball player * Andrew Stadler, professional soccer player * Thomas A. Steitz,

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

-winning chemist * Michael Torke, Composer and musician, New York, NY *

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

, Hollywood actor *

Frederick D. Underwood Frederick Douglas Underwood (February 1, 1849 – February 18, 1942) was president of the Erie Railroad from 1901 to 1926 and a director of Wells Fargo & Company. Early life Underwood was born in 1849 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, the son of Enoch ...

, president of the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake ...

* Scott Walker, 45th Governor of Wisconsin * Grace Weber, singer and songwriter * David J. Wineland,

-winning physicist * George Wylie, Wisconsin farmer and politician

References

External links

City of Wauwatosa
{{Authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin 1840 establishments in Wisconsin Territory