RACINE

city, seat (1836) of Racine county, southeastern Wisconsin, U.S. It lies along Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River, just south of Milwaukee. Founded in 1834 as Port Gilbert by a lake captain, Gilbert Knapp, in 1837 it adopted its present name, which was derived either from the French word for root or from the Algonkian pakwasewin, meaning a place where wild rice is gathered. The improvement of its harbour in the 1840s and the arrival of the railroad spurred its industrial growth, which received considerable impetus from World War II. Racine is now a shipping point with a diversified economy, including publishing and the manufacture of chemical and wax products, farm machinery, metal castings, electrical equipment, and processed foods. It is the site of the SC Johnson Wax administration and research complex, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Racine is the seat of Gateway Technical CollegeRacine Campus (1911). Inc. village, 1841; city, 1848. Pop. (1990) city, 84,298; Racine PMSA, 175,034; (1994 est.) city, 86,014; Racine PMSA, 181,817.