Abrams, Wisconsin

Abrams is a town located in Oconto County, Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,757.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 97.3 km² (37.6 mi²). 97.0 km² (37.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.29% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 1,757 people, 652 households, and 494 families residing in the town. The population density is 18.1/km² (46.9/mi²). There are 700 housing units at an average density of 7.2/km² (18.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.52% White, 0.00% African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.28% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 652 households out of which 35.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% are married couples living together, 6.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% are non-families. 19.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.69 and the average family size is 3.06.

In the town the population is spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 105.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $51,250, and the median income for a family is $53,510. Males have a median income of $37,261 versus $23,542 for females. The per capita income for the town is $20,889. 4.9% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.3% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

Abrams' first European settler, Richard B. Yeaton, arrived in 1854. Yeaton built a sawmill on the banks of the Pensuakee River, dubbing his newfound settlement West Pensaukee. Abrams was known for its "pumpkin pines"- enormous white pine trees that thrived in the sandy soils. The pine trees even appeared on town apparrel in the 1980s, as t-shirts were embroidered with "Abrams- A Good Place to Grow."

Subsequent settlers were mostly New Englanders, and the general thought was that Abrams would be named New Haven or Hartford or Westchester. However, when the railroad built a station in the town, it was named after the prior owners of the land, the Abrams family.

Abrams enjoyed steady growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At one point just before World War I, Abrams boasted four churches, three taverns, four sawmills, a smithy, two hardware stores, a school, a fine hotel, a feedmill, and a population of over 500. Abrams had been fortunate to escape the flames of the Peshtigo Fire in 1971, but luck ran out. Disaster struck in 1917, as a fire destroyed much of the town, including the hotel. Abrams never fully recovered from the blaze, and the downtown portion of Abrams today has almost 300 residents.

Abrams is the hometown of two modest celebrities: songwriter Pee Wee King and pitcher Bob Wickman. Pee Wee King, born LeRoy Kuczynski, wrote the "Tennessee Waltz" and is immortalized in wax museums in Nashville. Wickman is currently a closer for the Cleveland Indians, but has spent time with the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, and Milwaukee Brewers. WIckman pitched a scoreless inning in the 2000 MLB All-Star Game when he was with Milwaukee.