Editing Menasha (town), Wisconsin

{{About|the former town|the adjacent city|Menasha, Wisconsin}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Menasha, Wisconsin
|official_name            = 
|settlement_type          = [[Political subdivisions of Wisconsin#Town|Town]]
|image_skyline            = Menasha_town_Townhall.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Menasha Town Hall
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = Bridging the Fox Cities

<!-- Images -->
|image_map                = 
|map_caption              = Location within Winnebago County
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|pushpin_map              = Wisconsin
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_mapsize          =
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Wisconsin
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|12|36|N|88|25|27|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Wisconsin|County]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Wisconsin]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Winnebago County, Wisconsin|Winnebago]]
|established_title        =Established 
|established_date         =

April 3, 1855
| extinct_title = Fully annexed
| extinct_date = September 22, 2016
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 36.0
|area_land_km2            = 31.5
|area_water_km2           = 4.5

<!-- Population -->
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_ft             = 
|population_total         = 18498
|population_as_of         = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_density_km2   = 587.2

<!-- General information -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 54915, 54952, 54956
|area_code                = [[Area code 920|920]]  
|website                  = {{URL|www.town-menasha.com}}
|footnotes                = 
|
|pushpin_label            = Menasha
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (Americas)|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 55-50850
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              =
}}
'''Menasha''' was a [[Town (Wisconsin)|town]] in [[Winnebago County, Wisconsin|Winnebago County]], [[Wisconsin]], United States, west of the [[Fox River (Green Bay tributary)|Fox River]] across from the city of [[Menasha, Wisconsin]]. The population was 18,498 at the 2010 census,<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5513950850| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212164411/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5513950850| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Menasha town, Winnebago County, Wisconsin| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=January 30, 2013}}</ref> making it the second most populous town in the state of Wisconsin at the time of its dissolution.<ref name="LawsuitMayHike">{{cite news|url=http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/2015/03/30/town-menasha-incorporation-cuts/70579064/|title=Lawsuit could drive up town's cost to become a village|date=March 30, 2015|newspaper=Appleton Post Crescent|author=Duke Behnke|access-date=February 19, 2016}}</ref> The unincorporated community of [[Waverly Beach, Wisconsin|Waverly Beach]] was located partially in the town. In an April 2016 referendum, the portion of the town west of [[Little Lake Butte des Morts]] voted to become the village of [[Fox Crossing, Wisconsin|Fox Crossing]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Part of Town of Menasha to become Village of Fox Crossing|url=http://fox11online.com/news/election/part-of-town-of-menasha-to-become-village-of-fox-crossing|publisher=[[WLUK]]|access-date=April 21, 2016}}</ref> The remaining portions of the town were annexed to Fox Crossing on September 22, 2016, effectively ending the existence of the town.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/2016/09/22/s-official-town-menasha-no-more/90830022/|title=It's official! Town of Menasha is no more|last=Behr|first=Madeline|date=September 22, 2016|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>

==History==
The Town of Menasha was officially organized on April 3, 1855, in part from land formerly belonging to the neighboring town of Neenah.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/NeenahMenasha/MenashaSesq/reference/wi.menashasesq.i0006.pdf|title=A Brief History of the Town of Menasha|date=2005|editor-last=Weber|editor-first=Jason R.}}</ref>

=== Village incorporation ===
Discussion of the Town of Menasha being incorporated into a village began as early as 1979, when the name ''Bridgeview'' was proposed. A referendum on the matter was brought to residents in 2002 (again with the proposed village name of Bridgeview), which was defeated.<ref name=":1" />

In December 2014, a petition was circulated to incorporate the west side of the town as the Village of Fox Crossing.<ref>Duke Behnke. "[http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/2014/12/30/town-menasha-petitions-become-village/21060697/ Town of Menasha petitions to become a village]". ''Appleton Post Crescent'', December 30, 2014.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.town-menasha.com/incorporation-information|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141230225051/http://www.town-menasha.com/incorporation-information|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 30, 2014|title=Incorporation Information Newsletter - Town of Menasha|date=April 1, 2015|language=en-US|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref> It needed 50 signatures to file the petition in Winnebago County court; it had received over 200 by March 2015.<ref name="LawsuitMayHike" /> Town leaders estimate that it would cost $85000 to incorporate and possibly $75000 in legal fees to defend against challenges.<ref name="LawsuitMayHike" /> An incorporation committee suggested incorporating 10600 residents west of the Fox River followed later by annexing the 7900 residents east of the river.<ref name="LawsuitMayHike" />

Incorporation of Fox Crossing as a village, comprising the land west of Little Lake Butte des Morts became final on April 20, 2016. This roughly reduced the area of the Town of Menasha by half.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/town-of-fox-crossing-now-official|title=Town of Fox Crossing now official|website=We Are Green Bay|publisher=Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.|access-date=April 21, 2016}}</ref> The long term plan after this was finalized was to fold the remaining portions of the Town of Menasha into the new village, assuming there were no objections from remaining town residents.

On August 17, 2016, an agreement was reached between the Village of Fox Crossing and the remaining Town of Menasha to annex all remaining Town of Menasha lands to Fox Crossing. When completed, this would effectively end the existence of the Town of Menasha, on a timeline "on or as soon after the (agreement) as practical".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.town-menasha.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Intergovernmental-Agreement-FINAL-8-17-2016.pdf|title=INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN VILLAGE OF FOX CROSSING AND TOWN OF MENASHA|date=August 17, 2016}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> There were no petitions filed by town residents objecting to this. On September 22, 2016, the Town of Menasha ceased when remaining parts of the town were annexed into Fox Crossing.<ref>'It's official! Town of Menasha is no more,' '''Appleton Post Crescent,''' Madeleine Bahr, September 22, 2016</ref>

==Geography==
The town was located in the northeast corner of Winnebago County and partially surrounds the city of Menasha. It was located at the north end of [[Lake Winnebago]], the outlet of which, the [[Fox River (Green Bay tributary)|Fox River]], flowed through the middle of the town as [[Little Lake Butte des Morts]].<ref name=LawsuitMayHike /> The city of [[Neenah, Wisconsin|Neenah]] bordered the town to the south, and the town of [[Clayton, Winnebago County, Wisconsin|Clayton]] lay to the west. To the north and east was [[Outagamie County, Wisconsin|Outagamie County]], with the city of [[Appleton, Wisconsin|Appleton]] to the northeast, and the towns of [[Grand Chute, Wisconsin|Grand Chute]] and [[Greenville, Wisconsin|Greenville]] to the north.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town had a total area of {{convert|36.0|sqkm|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|31.5|sqkm|disp=flip}} was land and {{convert|4.5|sqkm|disp=flip}}, or 12.50%, was water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 15,858 people, 6,298 households, and 4,320 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was 1,277.9 people per square mile (493.4/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 6,521 housing units at an average density of 525.5 per square mile (202.9/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 95.44% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.39% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.45% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.66% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.19% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.83% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.11% of the population.

There were 6,298 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% 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 2.98.

In the town the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,887, and the median income for a family was $60,097. Males had a median income of $41,093 versus $27,313 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $24,393. About 3.3% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[William P. Grimes]], businessman, farmer, and politician, lived in the town; Grimes served as chairman of the town board.<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 1935, Biographical Sketch of William P. Grimes, pg. 235</ref>
*[[Helen F. Thompson]], businesswoman, teacher, and politician, was born in the town.<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 1927,' Biographical Sketch of Helen F. Thompson, pg. 718</ref>
*[[Esther K. Walling]], businesswoman and politician. lived in the town; Walling served as chair of the town board.<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 1987.' Biographical Sketch of Esther K. Walling, pg. 59</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>

File:TownOfMenashaWisconsinWaterTower.jpg|Watertower
File:TownOfMenashaWisconsinSign.jpg|Road sign
File:TownOfMenashaWisconsinWatertower.jpg|Watertower near [[University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19980701172837/http://www.town-menasha.com/ Town of Menasha official website]}}

{{Winnebago County, Wisconsin}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Former populated places in Wisconsin]]