The Town of Lac du Flambeau is located in

Vilas County, Wisconsin Vilas County ( ) is a county in the state of Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,047. Its county seat is Eagle River. The county partly overlaps the reservation of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior ...

, United States. The population was 3,004 at the 2000 census. The land base of the

Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (called ''Waaswaaganing'' in Ojibwe language, Ojibwe) is a federally recognized Ojibwa Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe. It had 3,415 enrolled members as of 2010. T ...

is located within the town and also consists of a large portion of the town. The Lac du Flambeau

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

is located within the town. The unincorporated community of Marlands is also located in the town. Lac du Flambeau, situated around Flambeau Lake, is a year-round vacation destination.

History

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have lived in this area since 1745, when Chief Keeshkemun led the Band to the area.

European-American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

fur traders The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...

first established themselves in Lac du Flambeau in 1792. The fur trade continued in the area until around 1835. In 1854, the

Treaty of La Pointe The Treaty of La Pointe may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in La Pointe, Wisconsin between the United States and the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Native American peoples. In addition, the Isle Royale Agreement, an adhesion to the first Tre ...

established the Lac du Fleambeau

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

Logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksIndian residential school The Canadian Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by various Christian churches. The scho ...

, the Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau, was founded in 1895. At least six students died during their time at the school between 1895 and 1932.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 3,004 people, 1,093 households, and 821 families in the town. The population density was . There were 2,981 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 39.55% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 59.39% Native American, 0.30% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.60% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. Of the 1,093 households 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.1% of households were one person and 8.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.07. The age distribution was 29.8% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males. The median household income was $30,349 and the median family income was $33,036. Males had a median income of $27,589 versus $22,560 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,176. About 12.1% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Lac du Flambeau Band have developed the Lake of the Torches resort and casino. The Lac du Flambeau Band started the LDF Business Development Program.

Notable people

* Ellsworth K. Gaulke, businessman, educator, and politician * William R. Yeschek, businessman and politician * Susan Poupart, murdered in 1999, unsolved

References

External links

Lac du Flambeau Chamber of CommerceLac du Flambeau Public School

- ''New York Times'' article about a property dispute between the Town of Lac du Flambeau and the

{{authority control Towns in Vilas County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin