{{About|the Town of Albion in Dane County|the unincorporated community in this town|Albion (community), Wisconsin|other similarly-named places|Albion, Wisconsin (disambiguation)}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Town of Albion |settlement_type = [[Administrative divisions of Wisconsin#Town|Town]] |nickname = |motto = <!-- Images --> |image_skyline = Albion, WI town hall.JPG |imagesize = |image_caption = Albion town hall |image_flag = |image_seal =

<!-- Maps --> |image_map = Dane County Wisconsin incorporated and unincorporated areas Albion highlighted.svg |mapsize = 260px |map_caption = Location in [[Dane County, Wisconsin|Dane County]] and the state of [[Wisconsin]]. |pushpin_map = Wisconsin#USA |pushpin_label =Albion <!-- Location --> |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} |subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]] |subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Wisconsin}} |subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Wisconsin|County]] |subdivision_name2 = [[Dane County, Wisconsin|Dane]]

<!-- Government --> |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 = |leader_name1 = |established_title = |established_date =

<!-- Area --> |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 92.7 |area_land_km2 = 91.1 |area_water_km2 = 1.6 |area_total_sq_mi = 35.8 |area_land_sq_mi = 35.2 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.6

<!-- Population --> |population_as_of = [[United States Census, 2020|2020]] |population_footnotes = |population_total = 2069 |population_density_km2 = 20.0 |population_density_sq_mi = 51.8

<!-- General information --> |timezone = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]] |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |elevation_footnotes = <ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> |elevation_m = 262 |elevation_ft = 860 |coordinates = {{coord|42|52|55|N|89|3|31|W|region:US-WI|display=inline}} |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = [[Area code 608|608]] |blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]] |blank_info = 55-00875<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> |blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID |blank1_info = 1582668<ref name="GR3" /> |website = http://townofalbionwi.com/home |footnotes = }} The '''Town of Albion''' is located in [[Dane County, Wisconsin]], United States. The population was 2,069 at the [[United States Census, 2020|2020 Census]]. The unincorporated communities of [[Albion (community), Wisconsin|Albion]], [[Highwood, Wisconsin|Highwood]], [[Hillside, Wisconsin|Hillside]], and [[Indian Heights, Dane County, Wisconsin|Indian Heights]] are located in the town.

==History== The [[Christiana, Dane County, Wisconsin|Town of Christiana]] was created from the Town of Albion on May 6, 1847. Freeborn Sweet was the first settler of the Town of Albion, migrating from [[Oneida County, New York]] in August 1841. Other settlers began arriving that fall. In 1842, the first inhabitants in what would become the hamlet of [[Albion (community), Wisconsin|Albion]] arrived, and the following year they organized a [[Seventh Day Baptist]] Church, which became a prominent institution in the community.<ref name="mad">{{cite book|title=Madison, Dane County and Surrounding Towns|publisher=William J. Park|location=Madison|year=1877|pages=283–290|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=luaQ6IVdY_gC&q=dane+county+history}}</ref>

In 1844, settlement began in the northern part of the town, known as "Albion Prairie". A school was organized the same year. A [[Primitive Methodist Church]] was soon started, but burned down in the 1860s. A later building, constructed in the early 1870s, still stands near Rice Lake. In 1868, a [[Methodist Episcopal Church]] was built near the Primitive Methodist Church, but that building was demolished in the 1930s.

In the 1800s, the hamlet of Albion was a retail center for the area, with a general store, a wagon and blacksmith shop, a steam mill that manufactured wagons and sleighs, a harness shop, and a hotel.<ref name="mad"/>

In 1854, Albion Academy was founded by the Seventh Day Baptists in the hamlet of Albion. It offered a classical education, including courses in the classics, mathematics, science, and music.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sanford |first=Don A. |title=A Choosing People: The History of Seventh Day Baptists |publisher=Broadman Press |year=1992 |isbn=0-8054-6055-1 |location=Nashville |pages=127–286}}</ref> It is considered one of the first co-educational colleges in Wisconsin. Among faculty members at this school were the famed Swedish-American naturalist, [[Thure Kumlien]], and the Norwegian-American author and diplomat, [[Rasmus Anderson]]. Graduates of the college included naturalist [[Edward Lee Greene]], educator [[John Q. Emery]], newspaper editor [[Christopher J. Rollis]], [[Colorado]] governor [[Alva Adams (governor)|Alva Adams]], and [[Minnesota]]'s U.S. Senator [[Knute Nelson]]. The last remaining building of the academy, Kumlien Hall, was destroyed by fire in the 1960s. However, it was rebuilt and a museum devoted to the academy and the early education of southern Wisconsin is now located on the Albion green. Among the treasures at the museum is the canoe paddle created by [[Sterling North]], author of the 1963 bestseller [[Rascal (book)|''Rascal'']], for the canoe that North built at his childhood home. The canoe, unfortunately, was destroyed in the 1960s fire of Kumlien Hall.<ref>[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2C3Z Albion Academy Historical Marker - Wisconsin Historical Markers on Waymarking.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=12162&letter=A |title=Albion Academy (Historic Marker)<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=February 3, 2008 |archive-date=August 19, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819101558/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=12162&letter=A |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geography== According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 35.8&nbsp;square miles (92.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 35.2&nbsp;square miles (91.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.6&nbsp;square mile (1.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (1.73%) is water.

==Demographics== As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,823 people, 726 households, and 516 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was 51.8 people per square mile (20.0/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 869 housing units at an average density of 24.7 per square mile (9.5/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 98.19% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.16% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.27% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.49% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.33% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.55% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.77% of the population.

There were 726 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,118, and the median income for a family was $55,938. Males had a median income of $37,000 versus $25,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $24,643. About 2.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==

* [[Nicholas Anderson (Wisconsin)|Nicholas Anderson]], farmer and politician, was born in the town. Anderson graduated from Albion Academy<ref>Wm. H. Froehlich (comp.) ''[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=goto&id=WI.WIBlueBk1899&isize=L&submit=Go+to+page&page=767 The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin]''. Milwaukee: Northwestern Litho Co., 1899, p. 767.</ref> * [[Rasmus B. Anderson]], historian and diplomat * [[Lars O. Lein]], farmer and politician, was born in the town. Lein graduated from Albion Academy<ref>Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (comp.) ''[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=goto&id=WI.WIBlueBk1942&page=41&isize=L The Wisconsin Blue Book 1942]''. 1942, p. 41.</ref> * [[Stanley Slagg]], lawyer and politician<ref>William J. Anderson & William A. Anderson (eds.) ''[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=goto&id=WI.WIBlueBk1929&page=572&isize=L The Wisconsin Blue Book 1929]''. Madison: Democrat Printing Company, 1929, p. 572.</ref> * [[Lawrence C. Whittet]], businessman and politician, was born in the town<ref>Industrial Commission of Wisconsin (comp.) ''[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=goto&id=WI.WIBlueBk1917&page=548&isize=L The Wisconsin Blue Book 1917]''. Madison: Democrat Printing Company, 1917, pp. 548-549.</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://townofalbionwi.com/ Town of Albion official website]

{{Dane County, Wisconsin}}

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[[Category:Towns in Dane County, Wisconsin]] [[Category:Madison metropolitan area]] [[Category:Towns in Wisconsin]]