Three Lakes is a town in Oneida 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 ...

, United States. The population was 2,131 at the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Three Lakes is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Clearwater Lake is also located in the town.

History

Three Lakes, Wisconsin was named for the three lakes the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company had to route around while attempting to plan a railroad through the Three Lakes region: Maple, Townline, and Range Line lakes. It formally became a town in 1881. The early industry in the town was logging and forestry. Three Lakes and the rest of the Northwoods supplied wood to build Chicago after the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

of 1871. During that time, most of the area's virgin forests were cleared and it was only in the 1930s that a process began to replant them. As a result of these replanting efforts, logging and forestry continue to be an important industry in Three Lakes. As the logging industry moved out of the area, many of the cleared areas were converted to potato farms and agriculture became the community's primary industry through the early 1900s. However, over time these family potato farms were replaced by larger corporate commercial enterprises, which are no longer in production. Three Lakes began growing as a tourist and summer vacation destination in the late 1930s. The increasing availability of automobiles, combined with the roads that existed from the logging industry, made the lakes and forests of the Three Lakes area an attractive vacation destination. Tourism was the primary industry in Three Lakes beginning in the 1970s and continues to be today. The town also has light manufacturing, a winery, an arts center and numerous retail businesses that have diversified its economy. The town has made substantial investments in developing high speed Internet and broadband capabilities.

Geography

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 town has a total area of 99.9 square miles (258.7 km²), of which 81.5 square miles (211.1 km²) is land and 18.4 square miles (47.6 km²) (18.40%) is water. The Eagle River flows through the town in a series of

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

Climate

The climate is described as

Humid Continental A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

by the Köppen Climate System, abbreviated as ''Dfb.''

Demographics

As of the

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

, there were 2,339 people, 1,031 households, and 691 families residing in the town. 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 28.7 people per square mile (11.1/km²). There were 2,908 housing units at an average density of 35.7 per square mile (13.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.16%

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 ...

, 0.17%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.13% Native American, 0.43%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, and 1.03% 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 0.86% of the population. There were 1,031 households, out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% 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, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.74. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,798, and the median income for a family was $38,098. Males had a median income of $31,638 versus $19,773 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 town was $17,758. About 5.4% of families and 6.7% 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 1.6% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Three Lakes Municipal Airport is located in the town and provides general aviation service.

Commercial airline An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in which ...

service for the town is provided by Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport.

Culture

Three Lakes is home to the Three Lakes Center for the Arts, which was built by the

Seabees United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a

Quonset hut A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semi cylindrical cross-section. The design was developed in the United States, based on the Nissen hut introduced by the British during World War I ...

theater. It is one of fewer than five

theaters in the country. The building came to Three Lakes in 1946 and was completely renovated starting in 2009. The Center houses an art gallery and a theater. The art gallery presents work from a rotating group of local and national artists, while the 100-seat theater presents first-run movies and live musical events. The center sponsors summer adult art classes taught by local and visiting artists. It works cooperatively with local schools, presenting performances for school students and offering free summer arts classes at Maple Lake Pavilion. The Three Lakes Center for the Arts also runs annual events such as Art on Main, Affair of the Arts, Pumpkin Fest, and Oktoberfest.

Recreation

As part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Three Lakes, Wisconsin has access to hunting, snowmobiling, biking, birdwatching, camping, and hiking trails. Three Lakes is part of the Eagle River-Three Lakes chain of lakes. The Three Lakes part of the chain starts with the Burnt Rollways Reservoir and includes 20 lakes ranging in size from 123 acres to 1012 acres. Water skiing, boating and

wakeboarding Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard (a board with foot bindings), is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboardin ...

are popular activities on the lakes. They are also known for their

muskie The muskellunge ''(Esox masquinongy)'', often shortened to muskie, musky or lunge is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to North America. It is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. Origin of name The name "muskellun ...

and

walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...

fishing.

Historic places

Locations in Three Lakes listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

include: * George P. Mayer Boathouse * Indianapolis Outing Club * Joseph and Augusta Trunck Boathouse * Marshall D. Miller Boathouse * Reay Boathouse

Notable people

* Sam Campbell, Author and Conservationist *

Marie Kazmierczak Marie Kazmierczak (February 14, 1920 – January 15, 2000) was an American fourth outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1944 season. Listed at , 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.''The W ...

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

player *

Fred Luderus Frederick William Luderus (September 12, 1885 – January 5, 1961) was an American professional baseball player who played first base in the major leagues from 1909 to 1920 for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. Luderus was a member of ...

, Major League Baseball player *

Ray Meyer Raymond Joseph Meyer (December 18, 1913 – March 17, 2006) was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois. He was well known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record. Meyer ...

, member of the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

Cy Williams Frederick "Cy" Williams (December 21, 1887 – April 23, 1974) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs (1912–17) and Philadelphia Phillies (1918–30). As Major Lea ...

, Major League Baseball player

References

12
Great Lakes and Wisconsin Water Facts
Retrieved January 10, 2019

External links

Town of Three Lakes, WisconsinTown of Three Lakes Economic Development websiteThree Lakes Chamber of CommerceThree Lakes Historical SocietyThree Lakes Center for the Arts
*Sanborn fire insurance map
1901
{{authority control Towns in Oneida County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin