Verona

History

The town was named for Verona, New York. It was incorporated as a village in 1921 and as a city in 1978. Verona used to be home to the Dane County Insane Asylum which opened in 1882, closed in 1973, and was demolished in 2006. It was previously a poor farm for people who needed care due to old age, blindness, disease, deformity, loss of limbs and insanity. The area was also the site of a small leper colony sometime between 1890 and 1910. It is now a dog park.

Geography

Verona is located at (42.989853, −89.535552). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Notable geographical features include the Verona Sugar River Valley, the Badger Mill Creek, and the Sugar River State Trail. A portion of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail also runs through Verona. On July 22, 2010, a tornado rated EF1 hit Verona. On June 9, 2011, an EF1 tornado struck Verona, with winds peaking around 90 mph. On the night of June 16, 2014, an EF3 tornado tore through Country View Elementary School and surrounding neighborhoods. No one was hurt by the tornado and the school was rebuilt and remodeled before school started in the fall. On July 29, 2021, around 12:44 am an EF1 tornado with winds of 93 mph struck as well as a high-end EF0 tornado with winds of 85 mph at 12:47 am in Verona.

Race & ethnicity