Stoughton ( ) is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It straddles the Yahara River about southeast of the state capital, Madison. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,173. Stoughton hosts a citywide celebration of Syttende Mai, the Norwegian constitution day. Part of the city's celebration of its Norwegian heritage is the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers dance group, sponsored by Stoughton High School, as well as Norwegian flags and memorabilia displayed throughout the town.

History

thumb|left|Former [[Stoughton (Wisconsin) High School|Stoughton High School building, built 1892-1893]]

Stoughton was founded in 1847 by Luke Stoughton, an Englishman from Vermont. Many Norwegian immigrants settled in the town from 1865 through the early 1900s.

Stoughton claims to be the birthplace of the "coffee break", and hosts a small yearly parade to celebrate the distinction.

For much of its history, Stoughton has been Dane County's second-largest and economically important city, after Madison.

In 1919, the Stoughton Wagon Company began putting custom wagon bodies on Model T chassis; by 1929 Ford was by far the biggest seller of station wagons.

On August 18, 2005, an F3 tornado cut a 10-mile path across rural subdivisions and farms north of Stoughton, killing one person and damaging hundreds of homes.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Stoughton had a population of 13,173. The median age was 41.3 years. 6.8% of residents were under the age of 5, 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 18.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. 52.0% of residents were female. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.2 males age 18 and over. Of the total population, 601 were veterans.

99.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,459 households in Stoughton, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.2% were married-couple households, 15.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 12,611 people, 5,133 households, and 3,296 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,419 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1% White, 1.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 5,133 households, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.8% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 39.2 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, The 680,000 sq. ft. Stoughton plant houses everything from fabrication of subassemblies to final assembly of all Stoughton dry vans. Stoughton Trailers is one of the largest truck trailer manufacturing companies in North America, and is the only American company still manufacturing 53-foot-long "intermodal" freight containers used to ship goods internationally.

Another large employer in the city is Uniroyal Engineered Products, makers of Naugahyde. Stoughton and its environs are also home to printers, and manufacturers of foodstuffs, chemicals, and sundry other products. North American Fur Auctions' US offices are based in Stoughton.

Stoughton Utilities, a municipally owned utility, provides electrical, water and sewer service to the city.

Arts and culture

thumb|[[Constitution Day (Norway)|Syttende Mai Parade]]

The coffee break is said to have originated in Stoughton, when immigrant men became employed en masse at T. G. Mandt's wagon factory, leaving their wives to fill the shortages at the tobacco warehouses. They agreed to work under the condition that they were allowed to go home every morning and afternoon to tend to chores and, of course, drink coffee. The city of Stoughton celebrates the coffee break every summer with the Stoughton Coffee Break Festival.

The first weekend in December marks Stoughton's Victorian Holiday Weekend, celebrating the city's Victorian homes and commercial buildings. Events include a Victorian Holiday Ball with period dances, a production of the Nutcracker Ballet or A Christmas Carol (alternates each year), carriage rides, a silent decorated fire truck parade, a children's parade.

The weekend closest to May 17, Norwegian Constitution Day, marks Stoughton's Syttende Mai festival. The celebration includes parades, an art fair, Norwegian dance performances, races, and other events. The Stoughton Chamber of Commerce has planned the festival every year since 1967.

In 2004, a Norwegian TV crew traveled to the Midwest to witness modern manifestations of Norsky culture in the US. They visited Stoughton, Mount Horeb and Decorah, Iowa. Their documentary Ja, de elsker (Yes, they love, a reference to the Norwegian national anthem) was aired on NRK1 on May 16 and 17, 2006.

Government

thumb|Stoughton City Hall

Stoughton is incorporated as a city, with an elected mayor and a 12-member city council. Aldermen from four districts are elected to three-year terms, with the terms staggered so one seat is up for election in each district each spring.

The Stoughton Area School District serves the city, and is overseen by an elected board of education.

Education

thumb|Stoughton Public Library

Stoughton is served by the Stoughton Area School District, which covers most of southeastern Dane County as well as a small portion of Rock County. SASD operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school (Stoughton High School). There is no higher education in the city, but a UW science lab operates in rural Stoughton on Schneider Road.

Media

The weekly Stoughton Courier-Hub newspaper, founded in 1969, is published on Thursdays.

WSTO TV is a public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channel operated by The City of Stoughton's Information Technology/Media Services Department.

The 495-seat Stoughton Opera House features about 30 traveling musical, comedy and other acts each year.

Transportation

thumb|[[Milwaukee Road Stoughton depot]]

Stoughton is served by Interstate 39 (I-39) and I-90, which run concurrently and have two exits north (Exit 147) and west (Exit 156) of the city. US Highway 51 comes from Madison and goes along the west side of town, then turns east through downtown towards the Interstates. US Highway 14 has an exit for Stoughton at Wisconsin Highway 138, six miles west of the city in the village of Oregon. WIS-138 heads west at US-14 from Oregon into Stoughton, then goes south towards the unincorporated Cooksville.

A small general aviation airport is located east of the city. Commercial air service is provided by Dane County Regional Airport.

Notable people

  • Ole Amundsen Buslett, author
  • John Edward Erickson, Governor of Montana, born in Stoughton
  • Jerry Frei, head coach of the Oregon Ducks football team, NFL assistant coach
  • Gale Gillingham, Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame
  • Russell Hellickson, silver medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1976 Summer Olympics
  • Bob Homme, star of the Canadian television series The Friendly Giant
  • Henry Huber, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
  • Justin Jacobs, 2014 PECASE winner, Orlando Magic statistician
  • Ole C. Lee, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Thomas A. Loftus, United States ambassador to Norway, Wisconsin politician
  • Louis K. Luse, Wisconsin State Representative and lawyer
  • Per Lysne, artist
  • Alonzo J. Mathison, Wisconsin State Representative
  • John McCarthy, Nebraska politician and member of the United States House of Representatives, born in Stoughton
  • John E. McCoy, U.S. Air National Guard general
  • Henry Everett McNeil, writer
  • Billy Moll, songwriter
  • William P. Murphy, Nobel Prize laureate
  • Truman O. Olson, Medal of Honor recipient
  • Andrew Rein, silver medal in freestyle wrestling (lightweight class) at the 1984 Summer Olympics