88-861: The Isham Day House is located in Mequon, Wisconsin . It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The house is owned by the city and located in Settlers Park. This article about a property in Wisconsin on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Wisconsin museum-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mequon, Wisconsin Mequon ( / ˈ m ɛ k w ɒ n / )
176-622: A close relationship, with a shared chamber of commerce, library, and school district. Lutheranism has played a significant role in Mequon since the community's early years. Some of the first German settlers were Old Lutherans who founded the Freistadt community—now a neighborhood in western Mequon—in 1839 and went on to form the first Lutheran congregation in Wisconsin. In the 21st century, there are more Lutheran churches in Mequon than churches of any other single denomination. Additionally, Mequon
264-713: A downtown area with stores, mills, and professional services. The village of Thiensville incorporated in 1910. In 1945, eighty German prisoners of war from Camp Fredonia in Little Kohler, Wisconsin were contracted to work at the Herbert A. Nieman Canning Company in the village to make up for the loss of labor due to local men fighting in World War II . German prisoners from Camp Rockfield in Rockfield, Wisconsin , (located in present-day Germantown ) also worked at
352-457: A group of Native American laborers to construct a dam and a canal. He then built a sawmill and a store. Thien hosted the first town meeting for the Town of Mequon in 1846, and in 1857 he established the volunteer fire department and served as its first captain. Thien was a freethinker , as were many of the early German settlers. The influence of the freethinker societies kept formal churches out of
440-421: A kosher fish and meat counter. Unitarian Church North, a Unitarian Universalist congregation is located in northern Mequon, along Interstate 43. Mequon has had a mayor–council government since its incorporation in 1957. The current mayor is Andrew Nerbun, who was elected to his first three-year term on April 5, 2022. The eight aldermen on the common council also serve three-year terms. The council meets on
528-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 23.7% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 45.9 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.2% were from 25 to 44; 34.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
616-518: A new permanent settlement west of the Mississippi. The Chicago Treaty of 1833 was typical of such treaties. One of the impetuses for the treaty were rumors in the aftermath of the 1832 Black Hawk War that Native Americans were coming into conflict with settlers arriving in Illinois. The number of settlers arriving in Illinois and its surrounding area in search of farmland had increased after
704-483: A new, larger church and school facility opened to serve all of Mequon's congregants. The parish operates a school for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The metro-Milwaukee area's Jewish community is concentrated on Milwaukee's upper east side and in the suburbs north of the city along Lake Michigan. Mequon is the northernmost suburb with a significant Jewish presence. There are two synagogues in Mequon:
792-468: A newly acquired campus in Mequon. In 1994, St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee opened. As of 2015, the two institutions—both located in close proximity to Interstate 43 —were among the largest employers in Ozaukee County. Despite the growth of new industries, half of Mequon's land remains undeveloped and agriculture continues to play a significant role in the local economy. The Frank L. Weyenberg Library
880-518: A private library of primarily theological materials, containing over 50,000 print books and an archive of over 400 publications from a variety of Christian denominations. The seminary owns a collection of rare antique books dating to the 16th through 18th centuries by theologians including Johann Wilhelm Baier , Abraham Calovius , Martin Chemnitz , Johann Gerhard and Martin Luther. The oldest item in
968-440: A relatively negligible role in the negotiations. Secretary Cass instructed the commissioners to work to secure the clearance of the entire region of Native American land claims. Cass called the objective An event equally desirable for us as for them; as it is not possible that they can retain their present position much longer, pressed as they will be by our settlements, and exposed to all the evils which these produce. Cass gave
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#17327801940591056-554: A significant role in the local economy. When the first white settlers arrived in the 1830s, the Mequon area was inhabited by the Menominee , Potawatomi , and Sauk people . In the 1840s, German immigrants settled in the community, building farms and hydropowered mills along the Milwaukee River . Much of the community remained rural, while Thiensville developed as a market town along the local railway, providing services to
1144-628: Is a private research library with a collection of over 100,000 physical books and 400 scholarly journals. The Rinker library also has access to an additional 150,000 eBooks and 50,000 electronic periodicals. The university's Arnold H. and Vern L. Moeller Rare Books Room contains a collection of over 300 items dating from the 15th through 19th centuries, primarily related to the historical development of Lutheranism, including texts by Augustine of Hippo , Francis Bacon , Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon . Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary hosts
1232-562: Is a public library serving Mequon and Thiensville. In addition to its collection of physical media, the library provides patrons with digital resources and meeting space. In 2018, the library made 307,796 loans to patrons. The library is a member of the Monarch Library System, comprising thirty-one libraries in Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Washington, and Dodge counties. The Rincker Memorial Library at Concordia University Wisconsin
1320-547: Is affiliated with the mainline Protestant ELCA. Other mainline Protestant congregations include the Presbyterian Church (USA) -affiliated Crossroads Presbyterian, Mequon United Methodist Church , and St. Boniface Episcopal Church . The evangelical Protestant churches in Mequon include Alliance Bible Church, Christ Church, the evangelical Presbyterian Grace 242, and Vessels of Honor. Additionally, two Pentecostal congregations—Christian Life Church and
1408-541: Is also a large tamarack swamp along the Little Menomonee River. Much of the original forest was cleared to prepare the land for agriculture. As land development continues to reduce wild areas, wildlife is forced into closer proximity with human communities like Mequon. Large mammals, including white-tailed deer , coyotes , and red foxes can be seen in the city. Many birds, including chimney swifts , great blue herons , and wild turkeys are found in
1496-452: Is home to two private Lutheran post-secondary institutions: Concordia University Wisconsin and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary . In addition to having other Christian denominations, Mequon is also the northernmost of Milwaukee's suburbs to have a sizable Jewish community. "Mequon" may have come from the Ojibwe word "Emikwaan" or "Miguan", meaning ladle, referring to the shape of the river in
1584-515: Is land and 2.49 square miles (6.45 km ) is water. As of 2005, Mequon was the third-largest city in terms of land area in the state of Wisconsin . Though much of the population lives in residential areas, approximately half of the land within the city's boundaries is undeveloped or farmed. The Village of Thiensville is an enclave in central Mequon. The city is also bordered by the Town of Cedarburg , City of Cedarburg , and Town of Grafton to
1672-550: Is the most populous city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin , United States. The population was 25,142 at the 2020 census . Located on Lake Michigan 's western shore with significant commercial developments along Interstate 43 , the community is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area . Despite being the third-largest city in Wisconsin by land area, approximately half of Mequon's land is undeveloped, and agriculture plays
1760-571: The Assemblies of God -affiliated Restoration Church —are located in the city. The Jehovah's Witnesses also have a Kingdom Hall in Mequon. There once were two Catholic Churches in the Mequon area: St. Cecilia Catholic Church and School in Thiensville and St. James Catholic Church and School in Mequon. The two parishes merged in 1984 to form Lumen Christi Catholic Church, although the church maintained two campuses until September 2016, when
1848-612: The Indian Removal Act . It was the second treaty referred to as the "Treaty of Chicago," after the 1821 Treaty of Chicago . The negotiation of the cession treaty came roughly three years after the United States government ratified the Indian Removal Act . While many cession treaties had previously been negotiated between the United States government and Native American tribes during the late 18th century and
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#17327801940591936-537: The Lutheran Synod of Buffalo was organized in Freistadt. However, the Freistadt church became a part of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in 1848. The wooden church was replaced with a limestone building in 1884. Joachim Heinrich Thien moved to the area in 1842 from Oldenburg , Prussia , and helped design a plan for the settlement that would become Thiensville . A year later he employed
2024-904: The Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan to the United States Federal Government through the Treaty of Washington . The Potawatomi surrendered the area of Mequon west of the Milwaukee River in 1833 through the 1833 Treaty of Chicago , which (after being ratified in 1835) required them to leave the area by 1838. While many Native people moved west of the Mississippi River to Kansas , some chose to remain, and were referred to as "strolling Potawatomi" in contemporary documents because many of them were migrants who subsisted by squatting on their ancestral lands, which were now owned by white settlers. Eventually
2112-887: The Orthodox Congregation Anshai Lebowitz and the Peltz Center for Jewish Life, which is affiliated with the Chabad movement. Additionally, Mequon is home to the Ovation Sarah Chudnow Jewish retirement community; the Blane Goodman Funeral Service, LLC, which claims to be the Milwaukee area's "only Jewish funeral directors;" and a Roundy's Metro Market with extensive kosher options, including Pas Yisroel bakery, Chalav Yisrael dairy, and
2200-562: The United States Department of War . The reports delivered by Reynolds and the reports made by investigators that Reynolds tasked with examining this state of affairs were founded entirely on second-hand accounts. Officials that were closer to the situation gave accounts that contradict the reports of native misconduct and aggression. Thomas Jefferson Vance Owen (the United States government's Indian agent in Chicago and
2288-637: The Wisconsin State Senate . Eastern Mequon is part of the Wisconsin State Assembly 's 23rd District and is represented by Deb Andraca (D), while western Mequon is part of the 24th District and is represented by Dan Knodl (R). 1833 Treaty of Chicago The 1833 Treaty of Chicago was an agreement between the United States government and the Chippewa , Odawa , and Potawatomi tribes. It required them to cede to
2376-589: The common reed , purple loosestrife , garlic mustard , Eurasian buckthorns , and honeysuckles . Mequon experiences four distinct seasons , with variation in precipitation and temperature being very wide. The warmest month of the year tends to be July, when the high temperature averages 81 °F (27 °C), with low temperatures of approximately 59 °F (15 °C). January is the coldest month in Mequon, with average high temperatures averaging only 27 °F (−3 °C), and lows averaging 11 °F (−12 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded in Mequon
2464-691: The 1825 opening of the Erie Canal made possible an easier route to Illinois from the Eastern United States . Illinois residents pressured the government to remove the Indians from the land they occupied in the state, thereby making it available to settlers. One of the ways in which they applied pressure was by making regular reports complaining of misconduct and hostility from the Native people. These reports were relayed by John Reynolds to
2552-605: The 1920s. In 1928, 6,600 of the 8,841 pelts sold by the New York Auction Co. came from the Fromm and Nieman operations in Wisconsin for a record-breaking sum of $ 1,021,000. In 1929, the Nieman and Fromm operations broke their own record with auction sales of $ 1,331,679, making them a leader in the national fur industry. By 1937, the farms were selling 30,000 pelts per year. After World War II, changing consumer tastes caused
2640-508: The Fromm Bros., Nieman & Co. Fox Ranch in northern Mequon. In the 20th century, Mequon and the village of Thiensville developed a close relationship, with a shared school district, chamber of commerce, and library. The Town of Mequon experienced significant population growth during the suburbanization that followed World War II. Between 1950 and 1960, the population increased by roughly 110%, from 4,065 to 8,543. With growth came
2728-677: The Indian removal goals being pursued by President Andrew Jackson and the Office of Indian Affairs. Commissioner of Indian Affairs Herring and Secretary of War Cass, considered the treaty to be a significant success for the United States. Herring told the opening of the Fall 1833 session of the United States Congress: The treaty comes particularly commended in the fact of total cession without any reservation, thereby ensuring
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2816-683: The Kinzie for the accommodations. Porter made efforts to refute the allegations of wrongdoing. Finding the Porter's refutations of the corruption allegations satisfactory, President Jackson submitted the treaty to the United States Senate on January 10, 1834, requesting that the Senate give its approval to the treaty. To address the allegations of corruption, Jackson recommended that an individual agent be sent to go to Chicago and investigate
2904-462: The Kinzies and Forsyths was further given bad optics with the fact that John J. Kinzie and B. B. Kerchavel (the latter being the husband of Maria Forsyth) had been given a virtual monopoly on furnishing goods to the treaty negotiation meetings for which they made a 50% profit. Additional, many government officials had been hosted at the Kinzie residence during the negotiations and had well-compensated
2992-625: The Potawatomi who evaded forced removal gathered in northern Wisconsin, where they formed the Forest County Potawatomi Community . European trappers, explorers, and traders used the Milwaukee River through the middle of what is now Mequon as a means of transportation. The first permanent white settlers arrived in the mid-1830s from New York, England, and Ireland. One of the first settlers was John Weston, who settled near present-day Thiensville in 1837 and served as
3080-552: The Potawatomi, Odawa , and Chippewa populations "should they consent to remove." Among those who receive such instructions were Montfort Stokes , Henry Leavitt Ellsworth , and John F. Schermerhorn , the last of whom been involved in the relocation of the Potawatomi of Indiana to land west of the Mississippi River. In a March 5, 1833 letter, Chicago Indian Agent Owen told Elbert Herring (the commissioner of indian affairs ) that, after having spoken with the, "most intelligent and influential" native chiefs, he had concluded that it
3168-421: The Senate gave its consent to the treaty. The treaty was ratified that same day by the signature of President Jackson. The treaty's statute reference is 7 Stat., 431. On March 3, 1835, federal appropriations for the treaty were approved. The appropriations saw $ 1,032,689.53 (equivalent to $ 32,211,000 in 2023) allocated for grants provided by the treaty. A further $ 2,536.53 (equivalent to $ 79,000 in 2023)
3256-670: The United States government their 5,000,000 acres (2,000,000 ha) of land (including reservations ) in Illinois , the Wisconsin Territory , and the Michigan Territory and to move west of the Mississippi River . In return, the tribes were given promises of various cash payments and tracts of land west of the Mississippi River. The treaty was one of the removal treaties to come after the passage of
3344-464: The United States government would not take "no" for an answer once it had decided that it wanted to see Natives cede their land. Therefore, the Natives likely saw it as in their best interests to strike a bargain, despite their desire to remain on their existing lands. An initial version of the treaty was agreed to on September 26, 1833. Supplementary articles were agreed to the following day. After
3432-606: The United States government. It also stipulated that the Odawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi would cede their lands in Illinois , the Wisconsin Territory , and the Michigan Territory in exchange for a sum of presents, certain annuities, liquidation of all their debt, and a tract of equal size in the Kansas Territory along the Missouri River , to where they were required move within three years. The Potawatomi were
3520-690: The WELS-affiliated Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary is a men's post-secondary educational institution that trains pastors for the synod. Beautiful Savior Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran (Freistadt) are affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . Trinity (Freistadt) also operates a private school for students from kindergarten through eighth grade, and the Missouri Synod operates Concordia University Wisconsin, one of eight campuses in its Concordia University System . Grace Lutheran Church in Thiensville
3608-457: The area. Alternatively, the name may come from a Menominee word Mēkon , meaning "feather." The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, including the Menominee , Potawatomi , and Sauk people . In the early 19th century, the Potawatomi had a village in present-day Thiensville located on Pigeon Creek, north of Freistadt Road. In 1832, the Menominee surrendered the land between
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3696-432: The assembly, caused that to be delayed, and the first day of the council for the negotiations was held on September 14. At the beginning of the proceedings, a fire was kindled inside of the council house, and a peace pipe was passed between the federal government's commissioners and the chief and head men of the Native tribes. While the natives were against the cession of their land, it was clear from past experiences that
3784-403: The average family size was 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. The median income for a household in the city
3872-588: The city is in the Southern Lake Michigan Coastal ecological landscape. The Milwaukee River and its tributary Pigeon Creek flow through the eastern part of the city. Little Menomonee Creek and the Little Menomonee River, which are tributaries of the Menomonee River , flow through western Mequon. Before white settlers arrived in the area, Mequon was an upland forest dominated by American beech and sugar maple trees. There
3960-415: The city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. U.S. Census Bureau estimated the median income for a household in the city in 2009–2011 to be $ 106,647, and the median income for a family to be $ 124,422. The per capita income for the city estimated at $ 64,530. About 1.2% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over. During
4048-419: The city was 92.0% White , 2.8% African American , 0.1% Native American , 3.6% Asian , 0.3% from other races , and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 8,598 households, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had
4136-440: The city. The city is also home to many rare and notable species, including the state-designated endangered pinedrops and heartleaf plantain ; threatened forked aster , snow trillium , and yellow gentian ; as well as American gromwell and twinleaf , which are state-designated special concern plant species. The region struggles with many invasive species, including the emerald ash borer , common carp , reed canary grass ,
4224-494: The claims there. The Senate referred the treaty to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs . After giving due consideration to objections to the treaty, the committee decided that there was not a need for it to fight the treaty's ratification. On April 2, 1834, the committee submitted its report and recommendations to the full Senate. On October 1, 1834, alterations to the treaty were proposed. On February 21, 1835,
4312-406: The collection is a 1487 edition of a commentary by Nicholas of Lyra . Lutheranism has played an important role in Mequon since the community's earliest years. In 1840, a group of Old Lutheran immigrants from Prussia established Trinity Lutheran Church of Freistadt, the first Lutheran congregation in Wisconsin. In 1845, the Lutheran Synod of Buffalo , one of the predecessor organizations of
4400-504: The commissioners warnings that he believed other treasuries for treaties had been excessively expensive, with too many individuals receiving gratuities. Furthermore, Cass declared that no liquor should be involved in the dealings of the treaty's treasury and that its location should be on Native American territory and placed under the protection of the Army's commanding officer at Fort Dearborn. William Lee D. Ewing served as secretary for
4488-425: The commissioners. Plans to facilitate the travel of a Native American delegation to inspect land West of the Mississippi ahead of the negotiations were scrapped after appropriations for such an undertaking failed to come through. Porter, who believed that would increase the difficulty of negotiating the treaty, requested in an August 23, 1833, to John F. Schermerhorn for Schermerhorn to travel to Chicago to help with
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#17327801940594576-406: The completion of the treaty. In it, he also suggested that the United States act fast to remove from Native possession remaining small reservations; "thus this whole country may probably be altogether relieved from any serious impediment to its entire settlement, by the removal of a population which will always embarrass and retard it." The treaty ceded 5,000,000 acres (2,000,000 ha) of land to
4664-419: The corner of Rush Street and Michigan Avenue to be used as a council house during the meeting. On April 8, 1833, Secretary of War Cass appointed the commissioners for the negotiations, naming Michigan Territory Governor Porter, Chicago Indian Agent Thomas Jefferson Vance Owen, and Colonel William Weatherford. Weatherford, who served to represent the people of Illinois in the investigation, ultimately played
4752-560: The early 19th century, those that were negotiated after the ratification of the Indian Removal Act differed by usually including stipulations requiring that the Native American tribes party to the treaty to move west of the Mississippi River. In such post-Indian Removal Act cession treaties, the United States government agreed to compensate tribes for their lands, liquidate their debts , and assist them in establishing
4840-506: The farmers. Thiensville incorporated as a village in 1910. Mequon remained rural in the early 20th century but experienced significant population growth during the suburbanization that followed World War II. The community incorporated as a city in 1957 to avoid annexation by the City of Milwaukee . The City of Mequon completely surrounds Thiensville, leading some residents to call Thiensville "Mequon's donut hole." The two municipalities have
4928-412: The farms to begin breeding mink in addition to silver fox. Fur sales declined later in the 20th century, and the Mequon farms sold their last pelts in 1985. The mid-to-late 20th century saw diversification in Mequon's economy. Retail stores opened to serve the increasingly suburban community, and manufacturers opened plants. In 1983, Concordia University Wisconsin moved from its campus in Milwaukee to
5016-481: The first postmaster of the Town of Mequon. One of the oldest surviving buildings from this period is the Isham Day House , constructed in 1839 on the west bank of the river. The first Germans arrived in 1839, and in the 1840s Germans became the largest ethnic group in Mequon and Ozaukee County. In October 1839, a party of twenty German families from Pomerania , Prussia , settled the Freistadt community in
5104-610: The lake. Clay bluffs are a geological formation characteristic of the Lake Michigan shoreline, and are found in few other areas of the world. Much of the coast has mixed gravel and sand beaches. The city is located in the Southeastern Wisconsin glacial till plains that were created by the Wisconsin glaciation during the most recent ice age. The soil is clayey glacial till with a thin layer of loess on
5192-549: The land in the community is undeveloped. Mequon is located at 43°13′27″N 87°57′36″W / 43.22417°N 87.96000°W / 43.22417; -87.96000 (43.224243, −87.960094), about 15 miles (24 km) north of Milwaukee and is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 48.77 square miles (126.31 km ), of which, 46.28 square miles (119.86 km )
5280-461: The largest tribe in regards to population residing West of the Mississippi among the three tribes that were party to the treaty. The sum promised to the tribes was unprecedented for such a treaty. The treaty marked the cession of what was the last immense tract of Native American land that remained north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River. That marked a landmark in accomplishing
5368-405: The letter was also sent to Governor Porter, who expressed the belief that the spending of great expenses would be justified if it secured the cession of the Potawatomi from their lands. Porter also believed that the government could recoup its expense when it would sell the land to settlers. He also suggested that Michigan Territory could possibly secure a cession of the few remaining plots of land in
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#17327801940595456-572: The modern Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) , formed in Freistadt. As of 2020, four churches—Christ Alone Evangelical; Christ Alone Evangelical, North Campus; St. John's Evangelical; and Trinity (West Mequon)—are affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Christ Alone Evangelical Lutheran Church also operates a school serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade, and
5544-485: The negotiations by sharing his expert knowledge about land west of the Mississippi. Schermerhorn would come to during the meetings, staying from September 22 through September 26, 1833. During the meeting, it was estimated that 3,000 out-of-town visitors descended on Chicago, including Native Americans, government officials, troops of the United States Army , land speculators , and other travelers to witness
5632-468: The north; Lake Michigan to the east; the Village of Bayside , Village of River Hills , Village of Brown Deer , and City of Milwaukee to the south; and the Village of Germantown to the west. The city is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan , and the coastline is characterized by clay bluffs ranging from 80 to 140 feet (24 to 43 meters) in height with deep ravines where streams flow into
5720-407: The population. There were 7,861 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.8% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.5% were non-families. 16.1% 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 2.75 and
5808-687: The president of the Chicago Town Board of Trustees ), General Winfield Scott , and George Bryan Porter (the territorial governor of Michigan ) all communicated to the Office of Indian Affairs that the rumors and newspaper stories covering them were untrue and unfair. In early 1833, the Office of Indian Affairs began exploring the prospect of removing the Potawatomi . Herring, Lewis Cass (the United States secretary of war ) several figures to find land that could be used to house removed
5896-573: The proceedings unfold. At the time, Chicago was just a small village with merely 150 buildings. Thousands of Native Americans descended on the city in the week that the meeting started. Among the non-Natives who came to Chicago were who saw the trial as important to the interests of their personal profit, including, "men pursuing Indian claims, some for tracts of land,... creditors of the tribes, or of particular Indians, who know that they have no chance of getting their money, if they do not get it from Government agents." While traders worked hard to influence
5984-459: The prompt emigration of the Indians. In a report to the president, Secretary Cass lauded that the Natives were better off west of the Mississippi, declaring that they were, "comfortable and contented" there. He also celebrated seeing the land north of the Ohio River and West of the Mississippi River "cleared of the embarrassments of Indian relations." Despite the glowing endorsements of Secretary Cass and Secretary Herring, it soon became clear that
6072-534: The risk that municipalities such as Thiensville or Milwaukee would try to annex land from the Town of Mequon, as happened to the Milwaukee County's Town of Lake in 1954 and Town of Granville in 1956. With a 1957 population of about 7,500, Mequon incorporated as a city under the terms of Wisconsin statute 66.0215, also known as "The Oak Creek Law," which had been crafted to prevent suburban towns from being annexed by other municipalities. According to Tougaloo College 's Historical Database of Sundown Towns , Mequon
6160-610: The same period, the median household value for Mequon was estimated at $ 357,200. As of the census of 2000, there were 21,823 people, 7,861 households, and 6,406 families residing in the city. The population density was 472.5 people per square mile (182.5/km ). There were 8,162 housing units at an average density of 176.7 per square mile (68.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 94.16% White , 2.25% African American , 0.10% Native American , 2.39% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.23% from other races , and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of
6248-431: The second Tuesday of each month in Mequon City Hall at 7:30 p.m. A full-time staff of unelected administrators manage the city's day-to-day operations. As part of Wisconsin's 6th congressional district , Mequon is represented by Glenn Grothman (R) in the United States House of Representatives , and by Ron Johnson (R) and Tammy Baldwin (D) in the United States Senate . Alberta Darling (R) represents Mequon in
6336-733: The surface. The city has some limestone deposits, including the Devonian Thiensville formation in north-central Mequon and the Silurian Little Menomonee River Reef District, which contains dolomite marine fossils. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources considers the eastern part of the city along the lake to be in the Central Lake Michigan Coastal ecological landscape, while the western part of
6424-485: The territory that were still controlled by Native Americans. The federal government decided for there to be treaty negotiations with the Potawatomi, Odawa, Chippewa, and Kickapoo natives. Chicago , then a town in the state of Illinois was selected as the site for a treaty to be negotiated, as it had already long established itself as a consequential trading center, was home to the Fort Dearborn garrison, and
6512-540: The treaty and the federal government's goals, the United States government acted to carry out the removal of members of the party Native American tribes out of the lands east of the Mississippi. As the treaty was ratified in 1835, it would be by 1838 that the Natives had to leave. On August 31, 1835, before the residents of Chicago, in an act of defiance ahead of their impending removal, five-hundred Native American warriors gathered in Chicago in full dress and brandishing tomahawks and put on dramatic war dance displays. That
6600-421: The treaty was agreed to, the commissioners gave medals to a number of Native chiefs. From September 30 through October 4, 1833, the commissioners examined claims that individuals held against the Natives. From October 5 to 6, they created a statement of their accounts and checked invoices. Porter, who had been enthusiastic in his role in creating and finalizing the treaty, wrote a letter to Lewis Cass to report
6688-432: The treaty would face strong opposition within the United States Senate . One reason was that immediately after the agreement was first reached in 1833, accusations of fraud and foul play alleging schemes of self-enrichment were made against individuals that had negotiated the treaty. Another reason was that United States Senators felt that Native treaties were beginning to cost too much. The primary corruption allegation
6776-474: The treaty, it appears that they had very little influence on the actual terms reached. During the meeting, there was much unruliness among the many visitors who had flocked to the city. The meeting was held between September 10 and October 7, 1833. Formal proceedings of negotiations were originally scheduled to begin on September 12, 1833. However, the Native Americans, who were in no hurry to start
6864-454: The village until 1919, when St. Cecilia Catholic Church was built. Thiensville grew in part because of its location on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway , which was constructed in the early 1870s. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Thiensville was one of the most concentrated communities in the Town of Mequon. While most of Mequon was quite rural, Theinsville functioned as
6952-584: The western part of the Town of Mequon. They were Old Lutherans who had resisted the Prussian government's attempts to take control over the Protestant churches through the Prussian Union of Churches . In German, "Freistadt" means "Free City". In 1840, they built a log cabin church, which they named Trinity Lutheran Church. It was the first Lutheran church in Wisconsin. In 1845, what would become
7040-435: Was $ 90,733, and the median income for a family was $ 101,793 (These figures had risen to $ 97,797 and $ 113,265, respectively, as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $ 72,762 versus $ 40,280 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 48,333. About 1.3% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over. Mequon's economy
7128-509: Was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 24, 1935, and again on July 17, 1995. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −40 °F (−40 °C), on January 17, 1982, also known as Cold Sunday . As of the census of 2010, there were 23,132 people, 8,598 households, and 6,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 499.8 inhabitants per square mile (193.0/km ). There were 9,145 housing units at an average density of 197.6 per square mile (76.3/km ). The racial makeup of
7216-474: Was a traditional Potawatomi resort. On April 6, 1833, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Herring informed Chicago Indian Agent Owen that the United States Congress had approved the appropriation of $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 337,000 in 2023) needed to hold the treaty negotiations. Owen took charge of planning the meeting. In preparation for the meeting, a large open arbor was built in Chicago at
7304-402: Was appropriated to pay the balance exceeding the $ 10,000 previously appropriated to cover the costs incurred in spending related to facilitating the negotiations. $ 9,453 (equivalent to $ 295,000 in 2023) was appropriated to cover the expenses of an exploratory trip by fifty representatives of the Potawatomi to inspect the land they would be allotted west of the Mississippi. In accordance with
7392-669: Was primarily agricultural. Some farmsteads from as early as the 1840s and 1850s still stand in the community and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The first major businesses were hydropowered mills on the Milwaukee River and other businesses that served local farmers, many of which concentrated in Thiensville. Beginning in the 1920s, the Nieman and Fromm families began fur farming silver foxes in Mequon. Several companies, including Fromm Bros., Nieman & Co.; Federal Silver Fox Farms, Inc.; Ozaukee Fur Farms Co.; Herbert A. Nieman & Co.; and Cedarburg Fox Farms, Inc. all began operating in Mequon and southern Cedarburg in
7480-437: Was probably a sundown town until 1954 when Milwaukee Braves right fielder Hank Aaron moved his family to the community. Aaron could not buy his home directly from its builder and instead had to engage a friend to buy it on his behalf. The city continued to grow with the construction of Interstate 43 in the mid-1960s, making travel to Milwaukee easier. Despite being a city, much of Mequon remains rural, and nearly half of
7568-463: Was the allegation that Governor Porter had shown favor to two families with connections to him, the Kinzie's and the Forsyths. Members of those families were to profit a cumulative $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 3,368,000 in 2023) from under terms of the treaty. It looked suspicious that each member of the Kinzie family earned nearly identical sums of money under the treaty's terms. Porter's connection to
7656-539: Was the last recorded war dance in the Chicago area . Some natives moved to northern Wisconsin, rather than moving west of the Mississippi. For years, only the Potawatomi that had moved west of the Mississippi to Kansas would receive the stipulated annuities from the United States government. However, the United States government moved to rectify that in 1913, when it paid the Wisconsin Potawatomi $ 447,339 (equivalent to $ 10,148,000 in 2023). In 1838,
7744-548: Was very unlikely that they would agree to cede all of their lands. His letter declared that he believed that they could be induced to move west only if they were first permitted to have a delegation travel to inspect the land they would be moving to first and that they would be "unwilling to make any exchange until they are satisfied of the fact that their new home and country possessed advantages not inferior to those incident to" they land they already occupied. He opined that Potawatomi land cession would be expansive to secure. A copy of
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