Odanah ( oj, Oodena) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Ashland County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, in the town of Sanborn, United States, on the banks of the Bad River. The population was 47 at the 2020 census. Odanah is the cultural and administrative center of the

Bad River Chippewa Band The Bad River LaPointe Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians or Bad River Tribe for short ( oj, Mashkii ziibii) are a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe people. The tribe had 6,945 members as of 2010. The Bad River Reservation i ...

of the Chippewa. For statistical purposes, the U.S. Census Bureau distinguishes Odanah from New Odanah, which has most of the community's population. In local parlance, the names are used interchangeably. Official state and county maps from the

Wisconsin DOT The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways. It is also responsible for planning transportation in the state ...

only show Odanah.

History

A post office called Odanah has been in operation since 1855. The name is from an

Ojibwe language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...

word, now spelled ''oodena'', meaning "village." A 1960 flood led to the establishment of the Bad River Housing Authority, which relocated thousands of Odanah residents to higher ground a few miles down the road, away from the

flood plain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

Geography

Odanah is located at (46.602594, -90.682582), along the Bad River.

DeLorme DeLorme is the producer of personal satellite tracking, messaging, and navigation technology. The company’s main product, ''inReach'', integrates GPS and satellite technologies. ''inReach'' provides the ability to send and receive text messages ...

(1992), ''Wisconsin Atlas & Gazetteer,'' Freeport, Maine: DeLorme, p. 103 According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of 2.77 square miles (7.18km²), of which 2.62 square miles (6.78km²) is land and 0.16 square miles (0.41km²) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 254 people, 94 households, and 64 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 165.2 people per square mile (63.7/km²). There were 104 housing units at an average density of 67.6/sq mi (26.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 4.72%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 92.52% Native American, and 2.76% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.36% of the population. There were 94 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 18.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 39.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.23. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 36.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.3 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $25,156, and the median income for a family was $24,125. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $19,063 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $9,950. About 23.9% of families and 29.7% 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 t ...

, including 45.6% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

Notable people

Justus Smith Stearns Justus Smith Stearns (April 10, 1845 – February 14, 1933) was an American lumber baron and businessman. He was involved in many enterprises that involved commercial real estate development, sawmills, coal, farming, railroading, and electrica ...

, prominent businessman in this community.

Images

File:Odanah Wisconsin Post Office.jpg, Post office File:Odanah Wisconsin Sign US2.jpg, Sign on U.S. 2 File:Odanah Wisconsin Looking North.jpg, Looking north in Odanah File:Odanah Wisconsin Sign Looking West US2.jpg, Looking west at the sign for Odanah File:Odanah Wisconsin Water Tower.jpg, Water tower File:St Mary Catholic Church Odanah Wisconsin.jpg, St. Mary Catholic Church

References