Kenosha

Kenosha kĭnōˈshə [key], industrial city (2020 pop. 99,986), seat of Kenosha co., SE Wis., a port of entry on Lake Michigan; inc. 1850. Transportation equipment, apparel, herbicides and fertilizers, electronics, food, machinery, and metal products are among the city's many manufactures; distribution warehouses are also important. The first public school in the state was begun there in 1849. In the city are Carthage College, the Univ. of Wisconsin at Parkside, two museums, and a library designed by Daniel Burnham.

Kenosha was in the national news following the shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, by the local police in August 2020; mass protests led to seven days of rioting, looting, and destruction of property. During these protests, a 17-year-old from neighboring Illinois, Kyle Rittenhouse, shot three people claiming self-defense; his subsequent trial in Novemnber 2021 gained national attention, with his acquittal leading some to question the existing gun laws that allowed him to openly carry an automatic weapon.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography