The Town of West Bend is located in Washington County. Located in Southeastern Wisconsin, the population of West Bend stood 28,152 at the 2000 census. The city is near other small communities, including the Town of West Bend, the Town of Trenton, the Village of Barton and the Town of Polk. The city consists of primarily German heritage, and is predominantly middle-class. West Bend combines small town living with the fast pace of the greater metropolitan area. It is close to numerous lakes, making West Bend favored by sportsmen.

Before the arrival of European settlers in Southeastern Wisconsin, the Potawatomi and Menominee Indians inhabited the land now occupied by the City of West Bend. In 1845, the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature had authorized the building of a road that would connect Fond du Lac with Milwaukee. Byron Kilbourn, one of the highway commissioners at the time and a future co-founder of Milwaukee, along with Jasper Vliet, a surveyor, were put in charge for determining the route this road would take. A second task they were assigned was to identify a good halfway point for travelers. The path they chose is now Hwy. 45 and the rest stop is present-day West Bend. Many people utilized the resting place and eventually it evolved into a popular area. The Milwaukee River running through the town would eventually play a major role in the city's history. It was because of the western bend in the river that West Bend got its name. Aside from the naming rights, it also produced enough energy to power the saw and gristmills located on it. The railroad arrived in the area in 1873 bringing with it more settlers and industrialization. At this time West Bend saw a growth spurt, and in 1885, the city officially became an incorporated Wisconsin Community.

In 1845, early settler Barton Salisbury, while on a surveying trip up the Milwaukee River, found a rapids which he believed would be a good source of power for a sawmill. He built a log hut on the west side of the river and the village of Barton was born. On November 1, 1961, the city of West Bend annexed the Village of Barton, which eventually played a major role in the city's development.

Activities in and around West Bend, WI, focus on water and outdoors fun and also include visiting historical downtown West Bend or going for a ride in Wisconsin's first indoor go-kart track. A movie theater, an ice skating rink, and a locally-owned 1950's styled custard stand round out some of the entertainment options in West Bend. Numerous coffee shops can be found throughout the city as well.

While many current residents of West Bend work in neighboring communities, the history of the city's economy is predominantly manufacturing and financial services. The West Bend Mutual Insurance Company was founded in the city in 1894. The West Bend Aluminum Company (later renamed West Bend Company) was founded in 1911 by Bernhardt C. Ziegler, and remained in West Bend until 2003. Ziegler had previously founded the securities brokerage company B.C. Ziegler & Co. in 1902. In 1915, Robert H. Rolf founded Amity Leather in downtown West Bend, which would go on to become the world's largest manufacturer of leather billfolds before leaving West Bend in 1996. The strong economy in West Bend in the 1930's led Ripley's Believe it or Not to claim that West Bend was the only city in the United States not to enter the Great Depression. In 1949, the printing company Serigraph, Inc. was founded in a garage in West Bend and went on to employ people all over the world.

Gorgeous lake properties can be found on the following lakes in West Bend: Big Cedar, Little Cedar, Silver, Wallace, and Paradise Valley. West Bend has wooded lots, country land, city subdivisions, and new construction. Most of the new construction projects in the last decade have been on the south side of West Bend.

West Bend is also known as a city of trails. A paved riverwalk snakes through the city along the banks of the Milwaukee River. The recently completed Eisenbahn Trail, a Rails to Trails project, has added another trail that facilitates walking, running, biking and skating.

West Bend is home to numerous parks and play areas. The city's downtown area also has several specialty shops, an active night life and historic buildings. Maxwell Street Days and Germanfest are two popular summertime events held in West Bend's downtown. Seafood Fest is held every year at Regner Park on the first weekend in June. The Farmer's Market every Saturday in downtown West Bend is also a place to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Every year, Riverside Park is host to a recent tradition called JazzFest. Just north of downtown is Regner Park. The park offers a wooded area for hiking, a baseball diamond, a community swimming pond with a beach, fishing pond, and several softball and soccer fields. On the southeast side of the city is Quaas Creek Park, which is home to the Roman "Doc" Gonring Athletic Complex and Quaas Creek Trail[[9]]. This facility includes scenic bike/pedestrian trails, a canoe launch, three softball fields with two concession stands, and a children's playland area. This park was a community effort, funded with various public and private donations, state and federal grants, through efforts of the West Bend Athletic Association and the West Bend Parks Department.

Nestled in the heart of Wisconsin’s northern Kettle Moraine and conveniently linked to Milwaukee, West Bend offers residents and visitors an opportunity to participate in small-town living and still enjoy the fast pace of a greater metropolitan area. It’s a prosperous community – clean, inviting and full of people who still embrace some old traditions and welcome the challenge that rapid change and growth have brought to the area.

Washington County, Wisconsin, named for George Washington, is northwest of the Milwaukee/Waukesha metro area. The estimated population in 2004 was 124,502, an increase of 5.97% from the 2000 census. With the gentle rolling landscape carved by the glaciers and towered by the historical landmark of Holy Hill, Washington County provides an interesting atmosphere for family living, business, and industry.

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

• Visit Washington County
• Washington County, WI on wikipedia
• Town of West Bend on wikipedia
• Museum of Wisconsin Art
• River Bend Storytelling Festival
• City of West Bend, WI
• Washington County, WI
• West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce
• West Bend, WI Real Estate Summary on IDCide (Local Info Data Server)
• West Bend, WI on CityTownInfo.com
• West Bend, WI Google Earth Map
• View West Bend, WI Area Jobs on Career Builder
• View West Bend, WI Area Jobs on Yahoo HotJobs
• West Bend, Wisconsin on Wikipedia.com
• West Bend, 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

West Bend Area Certified Home Inspection Services Featuring Local and Experience and Expertise.