Outline county map of Wisconsin showing the location of Onalaska

Onalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States and a part of the La Crosse, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 16,186 at the 2006 census. The city borders three unincorporated rural towns including: Onalaska, Medary, and Hamilton.

The original village (now city) was platted by Thomas G. Rowe (New York) and John C. Laird (Pennsylvania) in 1851. In its early days, lumbering and related industries served as a basis for its economy.^[1]

The City of Onalaska is primarily built on a slightly elevated ridge above the Black River. Natural areas include river bottomland as well as high, heavily wooded, scenic bluffs. It is known as "The Sunfish Capital of the World." A manmade reservoir at the city's western edge is known as Lake Onalaska.

Use of the Name Onalaska in the United States

The name for the city comes from the poem, "The Pleasures of Hope," by Scottish poet Thomas Campbell. The original spelling of the name in Campbell's poem was "Oonalaska" (an Aleutian island and fishing village).^[2]

Onalaska, Wisconsin, Onalaska, Arkansas (now defunct), Onalaska, Texas, and Onalaska, Washington are all historically linked to one another through the lumber industry. The modern day City of Unalaska, Alaska and Unalaska Island are linked to the Onalaskas in the lower 48 states through Thomas Campbell's poem. Unalaska, Alaska is the original Oonalaska or Onalaska or "Ounalashka" (Russian spelling) immortalized by Campbell.

Geography

Monument on the edge of town on Highway 35

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 square miles (25.1 km²), of which, 9.1 square miles (23.5 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (5.99%) is water.

Named streams within the current corporate limits of the city include the Black River, the La Crosse River, and Sand Lake Coulee Creek. In the 1930s, construction of Lake Onalaska resulted in the flooding and eventual disappearance of a shallow, natural body of water, Rice Lake, as well as several smaller ponds in the Black River bottoms area.

Brice Prairie is an urban reserve area of the City of Onalaska. It lies to the northwest of Onalaska's current northern border.

Onalaska lies immediately north of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Education

High schools:

• Onalaska High School is the public high school in the Onalaska School District.
• Luther High School is the city's Lutheran high school.

Middle school:

• Onalaska Middle School (OMS) is the public middle school in the Onalaska School District.

Elementary schools:

• St. Patrick Parish Elementary School is part of La Crosse Coulee Catholic Schools.
• Eagle Bluff Elementary School is a public elementary school in the Onalaska School District.
• Northern Hills Elementary School is a public elementary school in the Onalaska School District.
• Irving Pertzsch Elementary School is a public elementary school in the Onalaska School District.

Economy

• Onalaska Omni Center is Onalaska's convention center and indoor arena.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 14,839 people, 5,893 households, and 4,036 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile (630.3/km²). There were 6,070 housing units at an average density of 667.4/sq mi (257.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.17% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 2.80% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,893 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,800, and the median income for a family was $57,264. Males had a median income of $41,335 versus $25,316 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,066. About 4.5% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Tim Gullikson, tennis player
• Tom Gullikson, tennis player
• Tom Newberry, football player [1]
• Frank Pooler, choral director and songwriter ("Merry Christmas Darling") [2]