Pepin County ( )MissPronouncer.com: A HALFWAY DECENT AUDIO PRONUNCIATION GUIDE FOR WISCONSIN is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,318, making it the fourth-least populous county in Wisconsin; it is also the smallest county in Wisconsin by area. Its county seat is Durand.

Pepin County is the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the Little House on the Prairie children's books.

History

Pepin County was formed in the year 1858 from portions of neighboring Dunn County. Both the town of Pepin (originally named North Pepin in 1856), and the village of Pepin were named after Lake Pepin, a broadening of the Mississippi River between Pepin County and the Counties of Goodhue and Wabasha in the state of Minnesota. The lake itself is likely named for one or more of the Pepin families from the French Canadian city of Trois-Rivières in Quebec, Canada. Several Pepins appear in the early records, including the senior figure Guillaume dit Tranchemontagne and his descendants Pierre and Jean Pepin du Chardonnets. One or both of the latter may have accompanied Daniel Greysolon, the Sieur du Lhut, from Montreal to what is now Duluth, Minnesota, in 1679. Exactly when the body of water was first named Pepin is not known, but the name has been used as early as 1700, making it by far one of the oldest recorded place names in Wisconsin. The name was well accepted by the mid-1760s when Jonathan Carver wrote in his journal, "Arrived at Lake Pepin called by some Lake St. Anthony."

The North Pepin Independent The North Pepin Independent 1856-1857 was the first newspaper in Pepin County.History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties, Wisconsin. H.C. Cooper, Jr. Pepin county is located on the Western border of Wisconsin. Also known as The Pepin Independent, it was founded December 24, 1856, by U.B. Shaver until June 20, 1857.chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85041304 It was distributed weekly in North Pepin County and Dunn County in Wisconsin. Volume 1 consisted of 23 issues and volume 2 included. The North Pepin Independent was suspended within a year, but was revived in April 1858, by E.W. Gurley and E.B. Newcomb. In the following year of October 1859, it was again suspended. The North Pepin Independent had a brief existence but is available on microfilm from The State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

The 4 page North Pepin Independent was a reporter of the time, the people, and the county. The opening page covered advertisements, business cards, news updates, and election results. The second page started filling up with articles, mostly written by local community members. The third page was continued articles and the location of advertisements, many of which were for local stores. One could also find help wanted and things for sale on the third page. The final page had more advertisements and the newspaper contributors had their own sections to talk about their opinions.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (6.7%) is water. It is the smallest county in Wisconsin by land area.

Adjacent counties Pierce County – northwest Dunn County – north Eau Claire County – east Buffalo County – south Wabasha County, Minnesota – southwest Goodhue County, Minnesota – west

Major highways U.S. Highway 10 Highway 25 (Wisconsin) Highway 35 (Wisconsin) Highway 85 (Wisconsin)

Railroads BNSF

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Pepin County, Wisconsin – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)7,4417,0577,1227,3056,86699.52%99.30%98.74%97.80%93.82%Black or African American alone (NH)12618200.01%0.03%0.08%0.24%0.27%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)8181317330.11%0.25%0.18%0.23%0.45%Asian alone (NH)691513220.08%0.13%0.21%0.17%0.30%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census310xx0.04%0.01%0.00%Other race alone (NH)110470.01%0.01%0.00%0.05%0.10%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census2939213xx0.40%0.52%2.91%Hispanic or Latino (any race)202025721570.27%0.28%0.35%0.96%2.15%Total7,4777,1077,2137,4697,318 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,318. The population density was . There were 3,573 housing units at an average density of .

The median age was 46.2 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 106.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.2 males age 18 and over.

There were 3,085 households in the county, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.6% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,573 housing units, of which 13.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.6% were owner-occupied and 20.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.3% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.0% from some other race, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 7,213 people, 2,759 households, and 1,934 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 3,036 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.90% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 0.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 41.6% were of German, 13.5% Norwegian, 9.9% Austrian and 6.8% Swedish ancestry. 95.2% spoke English and 3.4% German as their first language.

There were 2,759 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.50% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.20 males.

Vital statistics In 2017, there were 41 births, giving a general fertility rate of 79.6 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the fifth highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Pepin County residence in 2017.Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin, Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18

Government and politics

County Board of Supervisors Pepin County has a 12-member board of supervisors.Pepin County Board of Supervisors Retrieved April 15, 2011.

Presidential elections

Prior to the election of Donald Trump in 2016, the last time Pepin County voted for the Republican candidate was in 1972, when voters backed President Richard Nixon (R) over George McGovern (D).Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 Since 2016, Pepin County has continued shifting to the right in each election.

Note: In 1924, Progressive candidate Robert M. La Follette Sr. came in second in Pepin County, receiving 33.59% of the vote (737 votes).

Communities

City Durand (county seat)

Villages Pepin Stockholm

Towns

Albany Durand (town) Frankfort Lima Pepin Stockholm Waterville Waubeek

Census-designated place Arkansaw

Unincorporated communities

Barry Corner Devils Corner Ella Hawkins Corner Lakeport Lima Lund Porcupine Tarrant

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Pepin County, Wisconsin

References

Further reading Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn (comp.). History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties. Winona, Minn.: H. C. Cooper Jr., 1919.

External links Pepin County Old plat maps: 1877 1877 1896 1913 1930 Pepin County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation