Sun Prairie - Through the Years ..,
In 1837 Commissioner Augustus Bird assembled carpenters and mechanics in Milwaukee for the construc�on of the new territorial capitol in Madison . A�er days of rain that rendered the trip memorable , the sun came out when they entered the lobe of a small prairie . A member of the expedi�on inspired by the sun on the prairie named the site Sun Prairie on June 9 , 1837 .
Sun Prairie was the western fron�er when the �rst white se�lers arrived here . Local stories and legends are replete with the difficul�es involved in the se�lement of the Sun Prairie area . The Sun Prairie Squa�ers Protec�ve Society formed on March 5 , 1845 . Another society was the Sun Prairie and Token Creek An�-Horse Thief Society . When the survey of the newly incorporated Village of Sun Prairie was completed on November 20 , 1868 , it marked the separa�on of the village from the Town of Sun Prairie .
Sun Prairie was primarily a farming community as late as the 1960s . The village served as an economic , religious and cultural center for the farming community . Sun Prairie had the �rst Rural Free Delivery Route in Wisconsin , which started on November 17 , 1896 .
The village ’ s dependence on the farming community experienced a major change with the forma�on of the Sun Prairie Spark Plug Factory in 1919 . This factory , later known as the Sun Prairie Porcelain Company , provided a major
alterna�ve to employment in the agricultural community .
The village of Sun Prairie incorporated into a city in 1958 .
New industries developed in the community during the 1950 ’ s and 60 ’ s , these industries including : the Wisconsin Cheeseman , Diesel Injec- �on Service , Foulke Rubber Products and General Telephone Company . Admiral opened a television component factory in Sun Prairie in 1965 , which was later developed in 1967 as Goodyear . General Casualty opened a two story building in 1982 .
Sun Prairie changed from a farming community of 2,263 residents in 1950 to a community of 4008 in 1960 . In 1970 city residents increased to 9 , 935 ; approximately 25,370 in 2008 . Two periods of signi�cant popula�on increase have taken place : from 1960-1970 and from 1990 to present . Much of this growth was most likely in�uenced by the proximity of this area to transporta�on corridors that connect Sun Prairie with the rest of the Madison region . The current popula�on is 31,213 .
Liveability . com has ranked Sun Prairie # 2 in the na�on on their “ Top 10 Economic Ci�es ” for 2015-2016 .
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