The City of Hartford, Wisconsin straddles Dodge and Washington Counties in the Southeastern part of the state. As of the 2000 census, Hartford had an population of 13,426 in 2007. Hartford, WI is growing at an estimated rate of 10.66% annually. One tradition says the community was named for a nearby lake which was heart-shaped; another says it was named after Hartford, CT

John Thiel and Nicolas Simon first surveyed the area that would become Hartford in 1843. They returned in 1844 with James and Charles Rossman to build a dam across rapids in the Rubicon River. The Rossmans built a sawmill that harnassed the power of the water to make lumber for the growth of the area. Rails were laid in 1855 that linked Chicago, Milwaukee, LaCrosse and Minneapolis until the early 1900's.

Hartford, WI was an early car manufacturing center, home to Kissel before 1926. Hartford has been the home of a Chrysler car plant, a Libby's beet processing plant, and now many smaller industries including a manufacturing site for Broan-NuTone, LLC Recently, the city has engaged in rapid expansion, annexing parts of the town of Hartford and other areas. Pike Lake has been annexed into city boundaries. The Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is situated on the lake. The city has a major industrial park, including a Quad Graphics factory that employs many city residents on the outskirts of the city.

The uniqueness of Hartford begins with the historic downtown area, the specialty shops, the enchanting Wisconsin Automotive Museum, The Mineshaft which is Wisconsin’s Largest Bar & Restaurant, and the turn-of-the-century Chandelier Ballroom. Located only a few minutes north-west of the fringes of metropolitan Milwaukee, Hartford displays the rich flavors of the county, by the natural recreation assets of Pike Lake State Park and Wisconsin’s northern Kettle Moraine Forest area. Hartford has much to offer for the visitors or the residents. The tannery at WB Place, The Schauer Arts and Activates Center, Historic Downtown, and the Shrine at Holy Hill, are all points of interest visited annually by thousands.

Hartford Joint 1 is the school district that provides public education to elementary students in Hartford. Lincoln and Rossman Elementary Schools each serve roughly half of the city's K-5 student population. Both schools are feeders to Central Middle School, which provides for all Hartford students in grades 6-8. Secondary education is provided by Hartford Union High School (HUHS), which is independent of the Hartford Joint 1 district. It has an enrollment of about 1,700 students. The high school not only serves the city of Hartford, but the town of Hartford and most of the surrounding communities including Richfield, Erin, Friess Lake, and Neosho. Several private parochial schools serve students of all ages.

Each year, thousands of visitors are attracted to Hartford because of what Pike Lake, Pike Lake State Park and the northern Kettle Moraine Forest area have to offer.

Pike Lake State Park covers almost 700 acres and is a year-round destination for family fun. During the camping season, families can enjoy the park’s public campground, picnic areas and playgrounds. Pike Lake itself can be used for swimming as well as fishing. Different kinds of pan fish, bass, walleye pike and northern pike can be caught out of the more than 500-acre lake.

For the nature lover, Pike Lake State Park has a couple hundred different varieties of wildflowers that can be seen from the eight-mile hiking trail that travels the park. During the winter months, that hiking trail is groomed and open to cross country skiers. Powder Hill, the name of the 1,350-foot kame that overlooks Pike Lake, offers a scenic view of the park and the surrounding area, especially in autumn as the leaves change their color.

Another destination of visitors is The Shrine of Mary at Holy Hill. The church is said to have a mysterious healing power and attracts those with physical ailments and infirmities. But it is much more than that, there are daily services offered, and the view from the top of the steeple is second to none. People from all over the world travel to the site to visit the shrine and learn its rich history.

Another destination, particularly for automobile lovers, is the Wisconsin Automotive Museum. The museum has a collection of Kissel, Nash and Pierce-Arrow automobiles, many of which are very rare. The collection also includes fire trucks and a 1930 Steam Engine.

For more information on activities in and around Hartford, Wisconsin, visit:

• Dodge County, WI on wikipedia
• Dodge County
• Washington County, Wisconsin on wikipedia
• Town of Hartford, WI
• Washington County, WI
• Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce
• The State of Wisconsin
• Hartford, WI Real Estate Summary on IDCide (Local Info Data Server)
• Hartford, WI on MuniNetGuide.com
• Hartford, WI on CityTownInfo.com
• Hartford, WI Google Earth Map
• View Hartford, WI Area Jobs on Career Builder
• View Hartford, WI Area Jobs on Yahoo HotJobs
• Hartford, Wisconsin on Wikipedia.com
• Hartford, Wisconsin on epodunk

For more information on activities in and around Southeastern Wisconsin visit:

• Visit Milwaukee
• Discover Milwaukee
• Summerfest: The World's Largest Music Festival
• Milwaukee County Zoo
• Milwaukee Public Museum
• Milwaukee Art Museum
• Mitchell International Airport
• Southeastern Wisconsin Weather
• Milwaukee 7 Region
• On Milwaukee!
• Green Bay Packers (NFL)
• Milwaukee Brewers (MLB)
• Milwaukee Bucks (NBA)
• Milwaukee Wave (MISL)
• Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)
• The State of Wisconsin

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