Editing Pensaukee, Wisconsin

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Pensaukee, Wisconsin
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Pensaukee Wisconsin Town Sign.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Sign for the town of Pensaukee
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = WIMap-doton-Pensaukee.png
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Pensaukee, Wisconsin
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- 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|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Oconto County, Wisconsin|Oconto]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  =  Imperial
|area_footnotes           =

|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 92.3
|area_land_km2            = 92.0
|area_water_km2           = 0.33
|area_total_sq_mi         = 35.6
|area_land_sq_mi          = 35.5
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.1

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[United States Census, 2010|2010]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1381
|population_density_km2   = 13.2
|population_density_sq_mi = 34.2

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|elevation_m              = 184
|elevation_ft             = 604
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|47|37|N|87|56|51|W|region:US-WI|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = 
|postal_code              = 
|area_code                = 
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 55-61900<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>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1583907<ref name="GR3" />
|website                  = http://www.townofpensaukee.org
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Pensaukee''' is a town in [[Oconto County, Wisconsin|Oconto County]], [[Wisconsin]], United States, on the coast of [[Green Bay (Lake Michigan)|Green Bay]]. The population was 1,214 at the 2000 census.

== Communities ==

* '''Brookside''' is an unincorporated located County Road J and Brookside Road north of [[US Highway 41 in Wisconsin|US Highway 41]]. The namesake comes from a nearby brook.
* '''Oak Orchard''' is an unincorporated community located along County Road S south of Pensaukee.
* '''Pensaukee''' is an unincorporated community located at the intersection of County Road S and SS east of US 41. The community is located at the mouth of the related [[Pensaukee River]].

==History==

===Name origin===
The name ''Pensaukee'' is of [[Menominee language|Menominee]] origin, reflecting the town's origin as a [[Menominee]] settlement. It is derived from ''pindj-sau-gee'' 'inside the mouth of a river'.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indian Names Abound in State, Charlie Gives Meaning of Some |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/846444/wisconsin_toponyms_of_native_american/|newspaper=The Post-Crescent|date=March 24, 1960|page=10|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = August 11, 2014 }} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Terrible 90 Seconds Lay Waste Peaceful 19th Century Village: Devastating Tornado Stunted Pensaukee |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/846175/pensaukee_tornado/|newspaper=The Post-Crescent|date=February 25, 1962|page=40|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = August 11, 2014 }} {{Open access}}</ref> An alternative derivation is from the Menominee word ''Apǣhsahkyah'' '[[Brant (goose)|brant goose]]'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www4.uwsp.edu/museum/menomineeClans/places/chart.aspx|title=Menominee Place Names in Wisconsin|last=Hoffman|first=Mike|website=The Menominee Clans Story|access-date=October 5, 2018}}</ref>
The town established a post office in 1855. It remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1957. <ref> https://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=WI&county=Oconto&searchtext=&pagenum=2 </ref>
===The Pensaukee Tornado===
[[File:Emma Chesley gravestone 1877.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Gravestone of a victim of the Pensaukee Tornado (Evergreen Cemetery, Oconto, WI)]]
The lumbering community of Pensaukee was largely destroyed on July 7, 1877, by a tornado, estimated at F3 intensity on the [[Fujita scale]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grazulis |first1=Thomas P. |title=Significant tornadoes, 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events |date=1993 |publisher=Environmental Films |location=St. Johnsbury, Vermont |isbn=1-879362-03-1 |page=591}}</ref> The death toll included four children and two adults, as well as 32 injuries, many horses and cattle killed, and 50 buildings destroyed, including the town's hotel (the Gardner House), sawmill, flour mill, boarding house, school, depot, and many houses and barns.<ref>Hall, George E. 2009. ''A History of Oconto.'' 2nd ed., edited by Duane Ebert and Pamela Ann Loberger. Oconto, WI: Oconto County Historical Society, pp. 118–121.</ref> The names of those killed in the two-minute disaster were reported in a telegram as "L. Zanto [Louis Zanto, 35 years old], H. Baumgardner [Herman Baumgartner, 9 years], Jr., Albert Blackbird [7 years], Mrs. E. R. Chesley [Emma Chesley, née Golather, 27 years], an infent {{sic}} of Farley [George Farley, 2 years], and an infant of L. Zanto [Lizzie Zanto, 6 months]."<ref>Hintz, Martin. 2010. ''Forgotten Tales of Wisconsin''. Charleston, SC: The History Press, pp. 40–41.</ref>
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==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 35.6&nbsp;square miles (92.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which, 35.5&nbsp;square miles (92.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it is land and 0.1&nbsp;square miles (0.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it (0.34%) is water.

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,214 people, 471 households, and 351 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was 34.2 people per square mile (13.2/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 562 housing units at an average density of 15.8 per square mile (6.1/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 98.35% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.25% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.41% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.99% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 471 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $48,098, and the median income for a family was $51,875. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $22,148 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $22,600. About 2.7% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==

* [[John Verkuilen]], Wisconsin State Representative and farmer, was born in the town<ref>''Wisconsin Blue Book'', 1921, Biographical Sketch of John Verkuilen, p. 263.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.townofpensaukee.org/ Town of Pensaukee]
{{Oconto County, Wisconsin}}

{{coord|44|49|23|N|87|54|47|W|type:city_region:US-WI|display=title}}

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[[Category:Towns in Oconto County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Green Bay metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in Wisconsin]]