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Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest community in Waukesha County. The village's slogan is "More than a village."

The Mid 1800s
Menomonee Falls was first inhabited by the Native Americans, including the people of the Menomonee and Chippewa tribes. European settlers had begun to settle into what was called the Town of Menomonee in the 1840s. The settlers built the first church, school, post office, lime kilns, tavern, and plank road during this time. By the 1860s, Menomonee Falls had become a center of trade for the surrounding areas and German immigrants started becoming business owners in the town.

The Late 1800s
Menomonee Falls continued to grow throughout the 1870s despite the economic depression as well as the migration to the western territories, known as the gold rush, that was occurring. By 1890, the population was a total of 2,480. This continued increase in population helped prepare the town of Menomonee Falls for becoming an incorporated Village. In 1892, a section of Menomonee Falls became a Village and in 1894 the first Village Board was elected as well as the first Village Fire Department. After becoming a Village, many important buildings were built such as; Village Hall/Fire Station, Menomonee Falls High School, and the Wisconsin Sugar Factory. The Wisconsin Sugar Factory employed as many as 500 laborers and produced up to fifteen million pounds of sugar annually.

The Early 1900s
As a Village, many important advances happened; such as the first public telephone service being offered in 1902, a local electricity plant offering a substitute for regular kerosene lamps by 1907, the installation of water mains in the 1910s and the first sewer lines were laid in 1924. Also, other important aspects such as new neighborhoods, the Village’s first banks, and the Menomonee Falls Public Library were built. By 1910, automobiles started being sold in the Village which led to the increase in concrete paved roads. Highway 15 eventually connected Menomonee Falls to Milwaukee and Illinois by 1919 and then to Green Bay by 1922.

The early part of the 20th century was a very important time for the growth of Menomonee Falls. A new municipal building which housed Village offices, the Fire Department, Police Department and the Menomonee Falls Public Library. A new subdivision named Hiawatha Heights added fifty-eight new single-family homes with 95% of the homebuyers relocating from Milwaukee. By 1940, the population had come to 3,674. Along with all of this, the building of shopping areas had begun including The Hiawatha Shopping Center which today can be seen along Appleton Avenue with Krueger’s Entertainment and Pop’s Custard as the main attractions.

The Mid 1900s
In the 1950s more subdivisions were built, and US 41 was completed. This increased the attractiveness of Menomonee Falls as there was now an easy commute to Milwaukee jobs. In the year of 1958, the Village of Menomonee Falls annexed the Town of Menomonee Falls which increased the total area from 2 square miles to 32 square miles and the population from 4,500 people to 12,000 people.

The 1960s led to the Village building six new schools within the school district due to the baby boom era. The baby boom era led to a great number of young people in Menomonee Falls, in fact, “By the end of the 1960s, 48 percent of the population in the Village was 19 years old or under”. Both a better park system as well as better public services were developed to help better accomadate the public. Several full-time officers were hired along with full-time firefighters. Throughout this time, the Village also developed many shopping centers as well as established many major employers. These employers included Harley Davidson and Wacker Neuson. Also, to help accommodate the growing population and their travels, many of the old structures were destroyed to help make way for several new streets.

The Late 1900s
Near the end of the 20thcentury, Menomonee Falls continued to grow in population. Between the years of 1990 and 2010, the population had grown by almost 9,000. This is due to continued additions of subdivisions and apartments being built in the community. Reports in 2016 state, “As of 2016, the Village had an estimated 36,907 residents and had become an important economic hub of Greater Milwaukee area”. Major business developments have helped the economy of the area, which includes Kohl's Corporate campus located off Silver Spring as well as Westbrook Corporate Center. A new Village Hall/Municipal Center was built for the public officials as well as a new Library. In the present day, new subdivisions are still being built to help accommodate the continued growth and the future of the Village. With Menomonee Falls being rated as one of the safest cities in America, the population has continued to rise well into the 21st century.

Geography


According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 33.31 sqmi, of which, 32.92 sqmi of it is land and 0.39 sqmi is water.

Neighborhoods
Fussville is a neighborhood of Menomonee Falls located at 43.15167°N, -88.07778°W. Fussville was once a separate unincorporated community; it was annexed by Menomonee Falls sometime between 1950 and 1960.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 35,626 people, 14,567 households, and 10,028 families residing in the village. The population density was 1082.2 PD/sqmi. There were 15,142 housing units at an average density of 460.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 91.6% White, 3.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

There were 14,567 households of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.2% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the village was 43.3 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 29.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

Government
Menomonee Falls has a governing body consisting of a Board President and a six-member Board of Trustees. The current Village Board President is Joseph Helm. The Trustees are: Katie Kress, Dave Glasgow, Chris Smolik, Bonnie J. Lemmer, Paul Tadda, Jeremy Walz.

Media

 * The Menomonee Falls Express News
 * The Menomonee Falls Gazette (1971–1978) — comic strip publication
 * The Menomonee Falls Guardian (1973–1976) — comic strip publication
 * Menomonee Falls Now

Economy
The overall economy of Menomonee Falls employs 18,839 people and “is specialized in Management of Companies and Enterprises; Manufacturing; and Wholesale trade”. The largest industries in the Village are manufacturing, healthcare/social assistance, and retail trade which employ 3,917, 2,704 and 2,465 people respectively. Income per capita with adults and children included is $36,386 with the median household income in Menomonee Falls being $73,350. The average male salary is $93,192 and average female salary is $61,294. The unemployment rate is 4.00% with a job growth of 0.73%. Sales tax is 5.1% and income tax is at 6.27%. With an overall poverty rate of only 3.72%, Menomonee Falls has a very healthy economy.

Top employers
According to Menomonee Falls's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the village are:

Education
Menomonee Falls School District operates Menomonee Falls High School, North Middle School, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Riverside Elementary School, Valley View Elementary School, and Shady Lane Elementary School. Saint Anthony's Catholic School, Saint Mary's Catholic School, Calvary Baptist School, Grace Lutheran School, Bethlehem Lutheran School, Zion Lutheran School, and Aquinas Academy are private schools in Menomonee Falls.

Notable people

 * Mark Borchardt, independent filmmaker
 * Janel Brandtjen, Businesswoman and Wisconsin State Assemblywoman
 * Mel Eslyn, film producer
 * Brett Hartmann, National Football League punter
 * George E. Hoyt, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and Senator
 * Andy Hurley, drummer of Fall Out Boy
 * Elmer Klumpp, Major League Baseball player
 * Victor Nehs, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * Justus Henry Nelson, Methodist missionary in the Amazon
 * John H. Niebler, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * Vic Perrin, actor
 * Richard Riehle, actor
 * Lolita Schneiders, Wisconsin State Assemblywoman
 * Barry Schultz, professional disc golfer
 * James Sensenbrenner, U.S. congressman
 * Mike Solwold, NFL player
 * Peter J. Somers, U.S. congressman
 * Jessica Szohr, actress
 * Bob Uecker, baseball radio broadcaster
 * Joel Whitburn, music historian
 * Mark Wilson, five-time winner on the PGA Tour