Editing Hartford, Wisconsin

{{short description|City in Washington County, Wisconsin}}
{{About|the city|the adjacent town|Hartford (town), Wisconsin}}
{{Update|demographics|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Hartford, Wisconsin
| settlement_type                 = [[Administrative divisions of Wisconsin#City|City]]
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = 
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline                   = Hartford Wisconsin Downtown looking north WIS83.jpg
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = Downtown Hartford on [[Wisconsin Highway 83|WIS 83]]
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = 
<!-- Maps -->
| image_map                       = File:Dodge County Wisconsin Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Hartford Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                         = 250px
| map_caption                     = Location of Hartford in Washington (east) and Dodge (west) counties, Wisconsin
| pushpin_map                     = Wisconsin#USA
| pushpin_label                   = Hartford
| pushpin_relief                  = yes
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = {{flag|Wisconsin}}
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Wisconsin|Counties]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Washington County, Wisconsin|Washington]], [[Dodge County, Wisconsin|Dodge]]

<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = 
| leader_name                     = 
| leader_title1                   = 
| leader_name1                    = 
| established_title               = 
| established_date                = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_55.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2020-08-07}}</ref>
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_km2                  = 22.04
| area_land_km2                   = 21.83
| area_water_km2                  = 0.21
| area_total_sq_mi                = 8.51
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 8.43
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.08

<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of                = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
| population_est                  = 15445
| pop_est_as_of                   = 2019
| population_footnotes            = <ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>
| population_total                = 14223
| population_density_km2          = 707.57
| population_density_sq_mi        = 1832.58

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                        = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset                      = -6
| timezone_DST                    = CDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -5
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m                     = 
| elevation_ft                    = 981
| coordinates                     = {{coord|43|19|6|N|88|22|44|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code                     = 53027, 53078, 53086
| area_code                       = [[Area code 262|262]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 55-33000<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 1566104<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1566104}}</ref>
| website                         = {{URL|www.ci.hartford.wi.us}}
| footnotes                       = 
| pop_est_footnotes               = <ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse"/>
| name                            = 
}}

'''Hartford''' is a city in [[Washington County, Wisconsin|Washington]] and [[Dodge County, Wisconsin|Dodge]] counties in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Wisconsin]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city had a population of 16,000. All of this population resided in Washington County; the portion of the city in Dodge County consists of only industrial and commercial parcels. Located approximately {{convert|38|mi|km}} northwest of downtown [[Milwaukee]] and {{convert|22|mi|km}} from city limits, Hartford is located on the outer edge of the [[Milwaukee metropolitan area]].

==History==
===Early history and settlement===
[[File:1911 Hartford, Wisconsin High School.jpg|thumb|1911 Hartford, Wisconsin High School]]

In the early 19th century, Hartford was inhabited by the [[Potawatomi]] and [[Menominee]] people, who had a trading post on the Rubicon River and a village on the eastern shore of [[Pike Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest|Pike Lake]]. In 1831, the Menominee surrendered their claims to the land to the United States Federal Government through the [[Treaty of Washington, with Menominee (1831)|Treaty of Washington]], and the Potawatomi surrendered their land claims in 1833 through the [[1833 Treaty of Chicago]], which (after being ratified in 1835) required them to leave the area by 1838.{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=17-18}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Gerwing |first1 = Anselm J. |title = The Chicago Indian Treaty of 1833 |journal = Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society |date = Summer 1964 |volume = 57 |issue = 2 |pages = 117–142 |jstor = 40190019 |issn = 0019-2287 }}</ref> However, when the first White settlers arrived in 1843, they found that the Potawatomi were still living at the Pike Lake village.{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=30}} Some Native Americans remained in the area and were referred to as "strolling Potawatomi" in contemporary documents because many of them were migrants who subsisted by [[squatting]] on their ancestral lands, which were now owned by White settlers. Eventually the Potawatomi who evaded forced removal gathered in northern Wisconsin, where they formed the [[Forest County Potawatomi Community]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Potawatomi History|url=https://www.mpm.edu/content/wirp/ICW-152|publisher=Milwaukee Public Museum|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>

In July 1843, Timothy Hall became the first White person to purchase and settle land in the Hartford area, although when he arrived he found a Canadian named Jehial Case squatting near his land. Later that year, German immigrant settlers John Thiel and Nicolaus Simon surveyed the Hartford area and determined that the Rubicon River would be a suitable location for a hydropowered mill. The following year, James and George Rossman joined Simon and Thiel's venture. The men purchased forty acres abutting the rapids of the Rubicon River<ref name="hartford">{{cite web|last=Hartford Centennial Committee|title=Hartford, County & State History|url=http://ci.hartford.wi.us/Hartford_History/Hartford_History.pdf|access-date=2012-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301212004/http://ci.hartford.wi.us/Hartford_History/Hartford_History.pdf|archive-date=2012-03-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> and constructed a dam and a sawmill that harnessed the river's power to make lumber from the [[old-growth forest]]s covering the area.{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=29-30}} In 1846, a third Rossman brother, Charles, arrived in Hartford and constructed a [[gristmill]] to process grain grown by the settlers.{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=40}} On January 31, 1846, the land was incorporated as the Town of Wright, before the name was changed to the [[Hartford (town), Wisconsin|Town of Hartford]] in February 1847,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://townofhartfordwi.com/town-history/ |title=Town of Hartford: Town History |access-date=2021-01-03 }}</ref> after [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. Many of the original settlers were [[Yankee]]s from [[New England]] and were part of a wave of farmers who headed west in the early 1800s, though some other settlers—including Theil and Simon—were German immigrants. The early settlers cleared land for farming; constructed roads; created a post office;<ref name="inspirock">{{cite web|url=https://www.inspirock.com/united-states/hartford-wisconsin-trip-planner|title=Hartford Trip Planner • See & Do more in your Hartford holiday|website=inspirock.com|access-date=2021-04-23}}</ref><ref>The New England Connecting Barn, Wilbur Zelinsky, Geographical Review Vol. 48, No. 4 (Oct., 1958), pp. 540-553</ref> erected churches, starting with the [[Congregational church|First Congregational Church of Hartford]] which formed in 1847 and followed by Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and Catholic churches in the 1850s;<ref name="early">{{cite book |date=1881 |title=History of Washington and Ozaukee Counties, Wisconsin |url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/12029 |location=Chicago |publisher=Western Historical Company |pages=412–422 }}</ref> and established businesses to serve the town's agricultural economy, including equipment wholesalers, general stores, and dry goods dealers.<ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite web|title=Encyclopedia of Milwaukee: Hartford |url=https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/hartford/ |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee|access-date=2021-01-03}}</ref>

The [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad|La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad]] was constructed through the community in 1855, with Louis Thiel, son of surveyor John Thiel, being a gatekeeper at the St. Paul railroad.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> And while rail connections were important to Hartford's growth into the early 1900s,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ci.hartford.wi.us/Hartford_History/Hartford_History.pdf |title=Hartford Website Historic Page |access-date=2010-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301212004/http://ci.hartford.wi.us/Hartford_History/Hartford_History.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the company failed in 1861. Many local landowners had taken out mortgages on land for the railroad in exchange for company shares. The company's failure left the landowners with mortgages to pay off, creating a local crisis in which some families were forced to sell their farms. The ''Hartford Home League'' newspaper started during the crisis to advocate for the farmers.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=91-92}}

The community's early years saw increasing tension between the settlers and Native Americans. For example, on August 25, 1861, a group of approximately a dozen Native Americans was living near [[Horicon Marsh]], northwest of Hartford. They owned a horse, which got loose and wandered into a neighboring settler's cornfield. The settler shot and killed the horse, and the Native Americans vowed to take revenge. The story traveled quickly, becoming increasingly exaggerated as it spread. By the time the story reached Hartford on August 26, the dozen peaceful Native Americans had been transfigured into an army of 5,000 warriors preparing to massacre the settlers in the area. Many able-bodied men in Hartford armed themselves, formed a war party, and set out to fight the Native Americans. But when they arrived at Horicon Marsh they found that the threat was entirely fictional. The incident caused widespread fear among the local Native American community as well as in the surrounding settler communities.{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=93}}<ref>{{Citation | last = Quaife | first = M. M. | title = The Panic of 1862 in Wisconsin | jstor = 4630295 | journal = The Wisconsin Magazine of History | volume = 4 | issue = 2 | year = 1920 | pages = 166–195 }}</ref>

===Growth and industrialization===
[[File:Kissel car factory Hartford Wisconsin 1921.JPG|thumb|The Kissel Motor Car Company factory in 1921]]
[[File:1929 Kissel 8-95 White Eagle WI Auto Museum.jpg|thumb|A 1929 Kissel 8-95 White Eagle made in Hartford, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford owns a large collection of Kissels and other automobiles manufactured in the state.]]

Hartford incorporated as a city in 1883. While Hartford had a large German-American population in the 19th century and was home to several German cultural associations, including the Hartford [[Turners]], the Hartford [[Schützenverein]], and a chapter of the [[Sons of Hermann]],<ref name="early"/> the Germans in Hartford tended to be more assimilated than Germans in other Washington County communities. In 1912, one historian observed that in Washington County "there have always been places where the American [culture] predominated. Take the example of the two cities in the county. Hartford always was more of an American community than West Bend."{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=80}}

In the final decades of the 1800s and first years of the 1900s, Hartford's economy shifted from being a small market town serving the local farmers to being a larger industrial community. In 1906, the [[Kissel Motor Car Company]] opened and quickly became the community's largest employer, creating hundreds of jobs and bringing European immigrant laborers into the community. Hartford was also home to the International Stamping Company, which manufactured automobile parts; the Hartford Canning Company,<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> which processed local farmers' crops such as peas, which were a [[cash crop]] in the area;{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=136}} the knitting mills of the Paramount Knitting Company; a glove factory; three tanneries, and a brewery.{{sfn|Quickert|1912|pp=131}}

During [[World War II]], Hartford's factories contributed to the war effort. The Kissel car factory, which was sold to the West Bend Aluminum Company in 1944, was retooled to make [[Cartridge (firearms)|shell casings]], rocket containers, affordable kitchenware and canisters for gas masks. The Hartford Canning Company produced military rations.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> In the summer of 1944, the U.S. military tried to fill labor shortages in the Hartford area by contracting German [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] to work on pea farms. Initially, the prisoners were transported from a requisitioned hotel on Lake Keesus in [[Waukesha County, Wisconsin|Waukesha County]]. In October 1944, the military requisitioned the Schwartz Ballroom on Jefferson Street (operating as the "Chandelier Ballroom" as of 2020)<ref>{{cite web|title=Chandelier Ballroom: History|url=https://www.chandelierballroom.com/history.html|publisher=Chandelier Ballroom|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> to serve as a [[List of POW camps in the United States|prisoner of war camp]] for 600 Germans. The prisoners were contracted to work on farms as well as in canneries, hemp mills, dairy facilities and tanneries. The camp closed in January 1946 and the prisoners were repatriated to Germany.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zD-kby0LiuEC&pg=PA123|title=Stalag Wisconsin: Inside WW II Prisoner-of-war Camps|last=Cowley|first=Betty|date=2002-01-01|publisher=Badger Books Inc.|isbn=9781878569837|pages=146–57|language=en}}</ref>

Hartford's population grew during the [[post–World War II economic expansion]]. The population more than doubled between 1950 and 1960, and the community has continued to grow in subsequent decades. While many of the early 20th century manufacturers, including the Kissel Motor Car Company, have closed, Hartford is home to several large manufacturers, including [[NuTone|Broan-NuTone]], which manufactures ventilation systems. In 1990, the city annexed land from the neighboring [[Rubicon, Wisconsin|Town of Rubicon]] in [[Dodge County, Wisconsin|Dodge County]] to expand its industrial zone.<ref>{{cite web|title=City of Hartford, County of Washington and Dodge: Annexation and Plat Map |url=ftp://doaftp1380.wi.gov/doadocs/MunicipalData/SOS/00013593.pdf | date=December 20, 1990 |publisher=Wisconsin Secretary of State|access-date=2021-01-03}}</ref>

===Historic landmarks===
[[File:George A. Kissel House.JPG|200px|thumb|George A. Kissel House]]
[[File:William L. Kissel House.JPG|200px|thumb|William L. Kissel House]]
Several buildings are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and among them are some of the Kissel houses as well as houses they built for others.

The Hartford post office contains an oil on canvas mural, ''Autumn Wisconsin Landscape'', painted in 1940 by [[Ethel Spears]]. It was produced for the [[Section of Painting and Sculpture]] (later the [[Section of Fine Arts]]) of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury Department]] as part of the [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] [[Great Depression|Depression]]-era employment projects.<ref>{{cite book |last=Arnesen |first=Eric |date=2007 |title=Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-Class History |volume=1 |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |page=1540 |isbn=9780415968263}}</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|8.02|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|7.94|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.08|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name ="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-11-18}}</ref>

Hartford is located within the [[Kettle Moraine]], a large [[moraine]] formed when the Green Bay and Lake Michigan Lobes collided. These glacial movements created varied land formations such as [[Kettle (landform)|kettles]], lakes, hills, and [[kame]]s that distinguish the region.<ref name="hartford"/>

===Tornado of 2006===
The city was the site of an [[Fujita scale|F1]] [[tornado]] on June 18, 2006, which caused minor damage to homes in the area, and major damage on the city's south side. Lincoln Elementary School and the Silver Bell Motel both suffered roof and structural damage.<ref name="jsonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=437810|website=jsonline.com|title=JS Online: Tornado rips through Hartford|access-date=2021-04-23}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box
| width       = auto
| collapsed   = yes
| single line = yes
| location    = Hartford, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–1901, 1953–present)
| Jan record high F = 55
| Feb record high F = 69
| Mar record high F = 83
| Apr record high F = 88
| May record high F = 94
| Jun record high F = 100
| Jul record high F = 105
| Aug record high F = 101
| Sep record high F = 97
| Oct record high F = 89
| Nov record high F = 75
| Dec record high F = 65
| year record high F = 105
| Jan avg record high F  = 45.6
| Feb avg record high F  = 50.3
| Mar avg record high F  = 65.0
| Apr avg record high F  = 77.1
| May avg record high F  = 85.1
| Jun avg record high F  = 90.4
| Jul avg record high F  = 91.1
| Aug avg record high F  = 89.2
| Sep avg record high F  = 86.9
| Oct avg record high F  = 79.1
| Nov avg record high F  = 63.9
| Dec avg record high F  = 50.2
| year avg record high F = 93.2
| Jan high F = 25.9
| Feb high F = 29.9
| Mar high F = 41.3
| Apr high F = 54.3
| May high F = 66.7
| Jun high F = 76.6
| Jul high F = 80.2
| Aug high F = 78.6
| Sep high F = 71.8
| Oct high F = 58.7
| Nov high F = 43.8
| Dec high F = 31.3
| year high F = 54.9
| Jan mean F = 17.2
| Feb mean F = 20.7
| Mar mean F = 31.5
| Apr mean F = 43.7
| May mean F = 55.5
| Jun mean F = 65.5
| Jul mean F = 69.2
| Aug mean F = 67.4
| Sep mean F = 60.1
| Oct mean F = 47.9
| Nov mean F = 34.8
| Dec mean F = 23.3
| year mean F = 44.7
| Jan low F = 8.5
| Feb low F = 11.4
| Mar low F = 21.7
| Apr low F = 33.2
| May low F = 44.3
| Jun low F = 54.4
| Jul low F = 58.2
| Aug low F = 56.2
| Sep low F = 48.4
| Oct low F = 37.1
| Nov low F = 25.9
| Dec low F = 15.4
| year low F = 34.6
| Jan avg record low F  = -13.9
| Feb avg record low F  = -9.2
| Mar avg record low F  = 1.5
| Apr avg record low F  = 20.5
| May avg record low F  = 31.1
| Jun avg record low F  = 41.5
| Jul avg record low F  = 48.1
| Aug avg record low F  = 45.3
| Sep avg record low F  = 34.2
| Oct avg record low F  = 23.7
| Nov avg record low F  = 10.9
| Dec avg record low F  = -4.5
| year avg record low F = -18.3
| Jan record low F = -35
| Feb record low F = -34
| Mar record low F = -23
| Apr record low F = 1
| May record low F = 20
| Jun record low F = 31
| Jul record low F = 39
| Aug record low F = 36
| Sep record low F = 23
| Oct record low F = 9
| Nov record low F = -11
| Dec record low F = -29
| year record low F = -35
| precipitation colour   = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 1.52
| Feb precipitation inch = 1.26
| Mar precipitation inch = 1.78
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.43
| May precipitation inch = 3.82
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.77
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.89
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.74
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.23
| Oct precipitation inch = 2.91
| Nov precipitation inch = 2.06
| Dec precipitation inch = 1.68
| year precipitation inch = 34.09
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days  = 9.7
| Feb precipitation days  = 8.4
| Mar precipitation days  = 8.2
| Apr precipitation days  = 10.7
| May precipitation days  = 12.0
| Jun precipitation days  = 10.9
| Jul precipitation days  = 9.0
| Aug precipitation days  = 9.2
| Sep precipitation days  = 8.7
| Oct precipitation days  = 10.0
| Nov precipitation days  = 8.5
| Dec precipitation days  = 9.2
| year precipitation days = 114.5
| Jan snow inch = 10.0
| Feb snow inch = 9.1
| Mar snow inch = 4.0
| Apr snow inch = 1.4
| May snow inch = 0.3
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.3
| Nov snow inch = 1.1
| Dec snow inch = 10.1
| year snow inch = 36.3
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days  = 6.2
| Feb snow days  = 5.4
| Mar snow days  = 2.7
| Apr snow days  = 0.6
| May snow days  = 0.0
| Jun snow days  = 0.0
| Jul snow days  = 0.0
| Aug snow days  = 0.0
| Sep snow days  = 0.0
| Oct snow days  = 0.1
| Nov snow days  = 1.0
| Dec snow days  = 4.8
| year snow days = 20.8
| source = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="NOWData">{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=mkx
|title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = March 29, 2024}}</ref><ref name="NCEI">{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00473453&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = March 29, 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Transportation==
[[Hartford Municipal Airport]] serves the city and surrounding communities. An air ambulance service has operated at the airport since 2021.

The former Milwaukee Road line between Milwaukee and Oshkosh runs through Hartford.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 1343
|1890= 1296
|1900= 1632
|1910= 2982
|1920= 4515
|1930= 3754
|1940= 3910
|1950= 2549
|1960= 5627
|1970= 6499
|1980= 7159
|1990= 8188
|2000= 10978
|2010= 14223
|estyear=2019
|estimate=15445
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=2015-06-04}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-11-18}}</ref> of 2010, there were 14,223 people, 5,685 households, and 3,721 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1791.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 6,032 housing units at an average density of {{convert|759.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.9% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.8% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.8% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.2% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 4.8% of the population.

There were 5,685 households, of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.

The median age in the city was 35.6 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.4% were from 25 to 44; 23.1% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 10,978 people, 1,397 households, and 1,152 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|133.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 1,438 housing units at an average density of {{convert|47.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.88% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.20% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.10% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.37% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.15% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.30% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 1,397 households, out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.19.

[[Image:Hartfordkisselfiretruck.jpg|thumb|1920s Kissel fire truck in 2008]]
[[File:Hartford WI Fire and Rescue.jpg|thumb|Fire and rescue building]]

In the city, the age of the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was estimated at $53,357<ref name="city-data">{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/city/Hartford-Wisconsin.html|website=city-data.com|title=Hartford, Wisconsin (WI) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders|access-date=2021-04-23}}</ref> and the median income for a family was $73,576. Males had a median income of $42,301 versus $29,727 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $26,928. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 0.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==

Hartford has a mayor-council form of government. Tim Michalak is the mayor of Hartford. The Common Council is made up of nine aldermen, three elected from each of three aldermanic districts.

==Economy==
[[File:Mainstreethartford.jpg|thumb|right|Downtown Hartford on Maxwell Street Day 2006]]
Hartford was an early [[car manufacturing]] center, home to the [[Kissel Motor Car Company]] before 1926.<ref>Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.2 & 153.</ref> The city was the home of a [[Chrysler]] Marine engine plant, a [[Libby's]] beet processing plant, and now many smaller industries, including the headquarters and a manufacturing site for [[NuTone|Broan-NuTone]].

===Kissel===
[[File:Otto P. Kissel House.JPG|thumb|Otto P. Kissel House]]
[[File:Louis Kissel House.JPG|thumb|Louis Kissel House]]

In 1883 Ludwig "Louis" Kissel moved to Hartford and by 1890 he formed a partnership with his sons, Adolph P., Otto P., William L. and George A. that included many businesses beginning with the L. Kissel & Sons Hardware store. Other enterprises ultimately included the Hartford Plow Works (1892) manufacturing and distribution of farm machinery,<ref name="Hartford Plow Works">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ESL33IrEzAC&q=Hartford,+Wisconsin+Plow+works | title=Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques | publisher=Krause Publications | work=Listings of Implements & Antiques | date=May 20, 2004 | access-date=2015-03-29 | author=Wendel, C H | pages=346| isbn=9780873495684 }}</ref> In addition to distributing engines through Kissel Manufacturing Company for other manufacturers, the Kissels developed their own gasoline engines, both two and four stroke, that even included a boat motor for [[Sears and Roebuck]]. Other businesses included the Hartford Electric Company, a stone quarry, and a sand pit.

In 1906, Louis, his four sons, and US District Attorney H. K. Butterfield incorporated the [[Kissel Motor Car Company]]. The new auto company started full-scale production in 1907 and continued until 1930. In 1906 Otto, along with John Liver, H. K. Butterfield, and 18 other members formed the First National Bank of Hartford, with capital of $50,000. John was elected president, H. K. Butterfield was elected vice-president and Otto Kissel was elected second vice president. Henry H. Esser was appointed cashier. Liver died in 1925 and Otto was appointed president.<ref>[https://www.fnb-hartford.com/files/FNB_100thAnniv_Book-sprds-web.pdf First National Bank of Hartford]- Retrieved 2015-03-29.</ref> In 1923 the Hartford Chamber of Commerce was organized with Otto Kissel, Henry Esser and John Liver as charter members. In 1936 Kissel Industries was formed, the old factory regained, and the company manufactured the Kissel outboard motor, sold as the ''Waterwitch'' from 1936 to 1944 exclusively by [[Sears and Roebuck]].<ref>[https://discount-marine-parts.com/ob_kissel_motor.html Kissel outboard]- Retrieved 2015-03-29.</ref>

==Education==
The School District of Hartford provides [[public education]] to elementary students in Hartford. Lincoln and Rossman Elementary Schools each serve roughly half of the city's kindergarten through fifth grade student population. Both schools are feeders to Central Middle School, which serves all Hartford students in grades 6 through 8.

Secondary education is provided by Hartford Union High School (HUHS), which is independent of the School District of Hartford.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hartford Union High School District|url=http://www.huhs.org/}}</ref> It has an enrollment of about 1500 students. The high school serves the city of Hartford, the [[Hartford (town), Wisconsin|Town of Hartford]], and most of the surrounding communities including [[Richfield, Washington County, Wisconsin|Richfield]], [[Erin, Wisconsin|Erin]], Friess Lake, and [[Neosho, Wisconsin|Neosho]].

Several parochial schools are in the community, including St. Kilian Roman Catholic School and Peace Lutheran.<ref name="peacehartford">{{cite web|url=http://peacehartford.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=1361&nc=1358434972275.27|website=peacehartford.org|title=peacehartford.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=1361&nc=1358434972275.27|access-date=2021-04-23|archive-date=July 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722203627/http://peacehartford.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=1361&nc=1358434972275.27|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The city's library is the Jack Russell Memorial Library.

==Area information==
*The city has annexed parts of the town of Hartford and other areas, including Pike Lake. The [[Pike Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest|Pike Lake Unit]] of the [[Kettle Moraine State Forest]] is situated on the lake.
*The city has a major industrial park on the outskirts of the city, including a [[Quad Graphics]] factory that employs many city residents.
*Hartford is home to the Schauer Arts Center, a regional arts center that stages professional touring performances, offers arts classes for all ages, and hosts social and business functions.
*Hartford is also the nearest incorporated municipality to [[Erin Hills]], a public golf course that hosted the 2017 [[U.S. Open (golf)|United States Open]].

==Notable people==

{{colbegin|colwidth=32em}}
*[[The Amagi]], YouTuber
*[[Samuel S. Barney]], Justice of the U.S. Court of Claims and Congressman
*[[Alfred G. Becker]], Wisconsin State Representative
*[[Jessie Blodgett]] (1995–2013), American college student and murder victim
*[[John R. Bohan]], Wisconsin State Senator
*[[Hopewell Coxe]], Wisconsin State Representative
*[[Steve Feak]], game designer at [[Riot Games]]
*[[Edward J. Gehl]], Wisconsin Supreme Court justice
*[[Dennis Hall]], Olympic wrestler
*[[Curt Hansen (actor)|Curt Hansen]], actor, singer
*[[Polly Koch]], professional football player
*[[Michael A. Lehman]], Wisconsin State Representative
*[[Quinn Meinerz]], NFL football player
*[[John A. Norman]], Wisconsin State Representative
*[[Jesse Peters]], Wisconsin State Senator
*[[Jacob C. Place]], Wisconsin State Representative<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 1880,' Biographical Sketch of Jacob C. Place, pg. 526</ref>
*[[Adam F. Poltl]], Wisconsin State Representative and Mayor of Hartford<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 1935,' Biographical Sketch of Adam F. Poltl, pg. 234</ref>
*[[Don Pridemore]], legislator<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 2011–2012,' Biographical Sketch of Don Pridemore, pg. 85</ref>
*[[John Reiser]], former general manager of [[Roush Fenway Racing|Roush Racing]] [[NASCAR]] [[Nationwide Series|Busch Series]] and [[NASCAR Truck Series|Truck Series]] race shops
*[[Adam Schantz]], Wisconsin State Senator
*[[Ronald A. Sell]], Wisconsin State Representative
*[[John Shinners]], [[NFL]] player
*[[Jeremy Unertl]], professional football player
*[[Ericka Walker]], artist
*[[George Weissleder]], Wisconsin State Senator
{{colend}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
*{{Cite book | last = Quickert| first=Carl |title=Washington County, Wisconsin: Past and Present |url=https://archive.org/details/washingtoncounty01quic |date=1912 |publisher=S. J. Clarke Publishing Company |location=Chicago, IL}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Hartford, Wisconsin}}
*[https://www.ci.hartford.wi.us/ City of Hartford]
*[https://www.hartfordchamber.org/ Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce]

{{Dodge County, Wisconsin}}
{{Washington County, Wisconsin}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Dodge County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Cities in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1844]]