Coloma is a village in Waushara County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, United States. The population was 448 at the 2020 census. The village is located within the Town of Coloma. Coloma is home of the annual Coloma Chicken Chew, held at the end of June.

History

The Coloma area was first settled in 1849 by John Drake and a man named Stowe. Stowe stole lumber Drake left in the area when Drake had to leave due to a family illness. Stowe built a tavern with the timber, leaving Drake to build his tavern out of rough hewn logs.Floyd King & Sue Semrow,
Coloma History
", Coloma Historical Society. By 1875, the area was known as Ross Corners, after the local postmaster. A railroad between Stevens Point and

Portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...

was soon built, coming through four miles to the east at a spot called Coloma Station. The post office was moved from Ross Corners to Coloma Station, and Ross Corners soon became known as Coloma Corners.

Geography

Coloma is located at (44.033421, -89.521077). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , all of it land. Glover Bluff crater, a

meteor crater Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, is an impact crater about east of Flagstaff and west of Winslow in the desert of northern Arizona, United States. The site had several earlier names, and fragments of the meteorite are officially called ...

, is located about 4 miles south of Coloma.

Demographics

Coloma Wisconsin Sign Looking West WIS 21

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 450 people, 184 households, and 120 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 214 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 100.0%

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

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 184 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were

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

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the village was 39.6 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 461 people, 185 households, and 128 families residing in the village. The

was 433.7 people per square mile (167.9/km²). There were 197 housing units at an average density of 185.3 per square mile (71.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.35%

, 0.22%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.22% from other races, and 0.22% from two or more races. 3.04% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 185 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.95. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males. The median income for a household in the village was $33,295, and the median income for a family was $38,542. Males had a median income of $30,350 versus $18,214 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $14,766. About 11.9% of families and 16.7% 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 24.5% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Hellen M. Brooks, educator and Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Coloma. * Thomas Fearne, farmer and Wisconsin State Senator, lived in Coloma. * Frank Ploetz, farmer, businessman, and Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Coloma. * Hiram W. Roblier, Wisconsin State Representative, lived in Coloma.Hiram W. Roblier-death,' Stevens Point Daily Journal, October 30, 1897, pg. 7

Images

File:Coloma Wisconsin Welcome Sign.jpg, Welcome sign File:Coloma Wisconsin sign looking east on WIS21.jpg, Looking east at the sign for Coloma

References

External links

Visit Coloma

Coloma Public Library website

Coloma Area Historical Society
{{authority control Villages in Wisconsin Villages in Waushara County, Wisconsin