Shullsburg was founded during the 1820s in parts by Jason Shull and Henry Gratiot and due to their ventures into lead mining. Following the Black Hawk War conflict Gratiot's Grove and other small settlements consolidated into Shullsburg. In 1841 Missionary Priest Samuel Mazzuchelli platted the Northeast section of town and named the streets after the virtues of life. After arrival of railroad in the 1880s the Water Street Commercial District saw the construction of its many brick and limestone buildings. The Shullsburg High School was built in 1900 designed by the town physician Dr. C.C. Gratiot. The 8-Acre Badger Park, designed by Phelps Wyman, was completed in 1942 by the Works Progress Administration and lights were installed at its baseball park in 1948. In 1974 the Emily Franz Scholarship Fund was formed to help high school students pay for college and is today worth 1.8 million dollars. The last working lead mine in the Upper Midwest Lead District closed at Shullsburg in 1979 and the town fell on hard times. During the 1990s and 2000s the restoration of buildings became important to building preservationists. In 2001 a new library and community center was built with private funds only. In 2016 it was named a Wisconsin Main Street Community.
St. Matthews Church and Parish
Founded in 1835 by Samuel Mazzuchelli, St. Matthews is one of the oldest catholic parishes in Wisconsin. In 1852 construction of the current church began and was completed and dedicated on Saint Patrick's Day 1861. The Greek Revival architecture of the church stands on the towns highest point. It is built of limestone quarried from the local Rennick Quarry. During the 1890s an "impoverished artist" was hired to paint the Stations of the Cross and are known today for the beautiful depictions. In 1907 the steeple was felled in a storm and was replaced the following year along with the placement of the stained glass windows. Today the sextagonal steeple stands at 135 feet tall with a 12 foot cross. In 1918 an adjoining parochial school was built and staffed by Sisters of Mercy and it served students until 1969. In 2010 the parish celebrated its 175th anniversary with a mass led by Bishop Robert C. Morlino.
Shullsburg School
The Shullsburg K-12 School is a Romanesque structure built in 1900. It is highlighted by arched windows and three arched door openings that form arcades across the buildings facade. The building was designed by school board member C.C. Gratiot. Gratiot designed many homes and commercial buildings in Shullsburg. In 1949 a gymnasium was built of matching limestone with crews provided by the Motherland Works Progress Administration. Another gym addition occurred in 1996. Today the K-12 school serves the community of Shullsburg and 360 students.
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,226 people, 534 households, and 324 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,106 people per square mile. There were 549 housing units at an average density of 499 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 99.1% White, 0.2% Asian, and 0.2% from two or more races. There were 534 households of which 60.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
Notable people
Shullsburg was the boyhood home of Lou Blonger, the "Bunco King" of Denver, Colorado. Blonger lived in Shullsburg from 1853, when he was four, until 1864, when he enlisted in the Union Army as a fifer.
