Vilas County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the state of

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. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,047. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Eagle River. The county partly overlaps the reservation of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

History

Native Americans

Native Americans have lived in what is now Vilas County for thousands of years. The county contains archaeological sites dating to the prehistoric

Woodland period In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeo ...

. In the eighteenth century, the area was disputed by the Dakota and

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

people. According to oral histories, the conflict culminated in Ojibwe victory in a battle on Strawberry Island in

Flambeau Lake Flambeau Lake is a 1,166 acre lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, USA. The community of Lac du Flambeau completely surrounds the lake. Fish present in the lake are muskellunge, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. There is ...

around 1745. Ojibwe people have continued to live in the area ever since, securing the

Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is ''Kerria lacca''. Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infes ...

in the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe.

Settlement

The first recorded white settler was a man named Ashman who established a trading post in

Lac du Flambeau Lac du Flambeau is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,004 at the 2000 census. The land base of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is located within the town and also consists of a large portion ...

in 1818.Vilas County, WI Government Main Page
Accessed January 11, 2011 In the 1850s migrants from

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

, primarily from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

and

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, constructed wagon roads and trails through Vilas County including the Ontonagan Mail Trail and a military road from Fort Howard to

Fort Wilkins Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is a historical park operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at Copper Harbor, Michigan. The park preserves the restored 1844 army military outpost, Fort Wilkins, which was placed on the Nation ...

in Copper Harbor, Michigan. Vilas County was set off from Oneida County on April 12, 1893, and named for

William Freeman Vilas William Freeman Vilas (July 9, 1840August 27, 1908) was an American lawyer, politician, and United States Senator. In the U.S. Senate, he represented the state of Wisconsin for one term, from 1891 to 1897. As a prominent Bourbon Democrat, he ...

. Originally from

, Vilas represented Wisconsin in the United States Senate from 1891 to 1897.

Logging era

Logging began in the late 1850s. Loggers came from Cortland County, New York,

Carroll County, New Hampshire Carroll County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,107, making it the third-least populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is Ossipee. The county was created in 1840 and organiz ...

Orange County, Vermont Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,277. Its shire town (county seat) is the town of Chelsea. Orange County was organized on February 2, 1781, as an original county wi ...

and Down East

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

in what is now

Washington County, Maine Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2010 census, its population was 31,095, making it the third-least populous county in Maine. Its county seat is Machias. The county was established on June 25, 1789. ...

and

Hancock County, Maine Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,478. Its county seat is Ellsworth. The county was incorporated on June 25, 1789, and named for John Hancock, the first governor o ...

.History of Northern Wisconsin Illustrated. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1881. Many dams were built throughout the county to assist loggers as they sent their timber downstream to the lumber and paper mills in the Wisconsin River valley. After the county was founded in 1893 and logging ceased to be the primary industry in the area, migrants seeking other forms of employment settled in the county. These later immigrants primarily came from Germany, Ireland and Poland though some came from other parts of the United States as well.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (16%) is water. There are 1,318 lakes in the county. Much of Vilas County is covered by the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and the

Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest is a Wisconsin state forest of more than across Vilas, Oneida, and Iron counties in north-central Wisconsin. The state forest includes numerous lakes, rivers, and streams. The most prominent riv ...

as well as extensive county forest lands. Vilas County waters drain to

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh w ...

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that ...

, and the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

. The

, Flambeau, and Presque Isle Rivers all find their headwaters in Vilas County.

Adjacent counties

* Forest County - southeast *

Iron County Iron County is the name of four counties in the United States: *Iron County, Michigan *Iron County, Missouri *Iron County, Utah *Iron County, Wisconsin Iron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, t ...

- west * Oneida County - south * Price County - southwest *

Gogebic County, Michigan Gogebic County ( ) is the westernmost county in the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan, and the westernmost in the state as a whole. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 14,380. The county seat is Bessemer. This was historic ...

- north *

Iron County, Michigan Iron County is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 11,631. The county seat is Crystal Falls. History Iron County was organized in 1885, with territory partitioned from Ma ...

- northeast

Major highways

U.S. Highway 45 U.S. Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south United States highway and a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as . US 45 is notable for incorporatin ...

U.S. Highway 51 U.S. Route 51 or U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) is a major south-north United States highway that extends from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana, to within of the Wisconsin– Michigan state line. As most of the United States Numbered H ...

* Highway 17 (Wisconsin) * Highway 32 (Wisconsin) * Highway 47 (Wisconsin) * Highway 70 (Wisconsin) * Highway 155 (Wisconsin)

Buses

* List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Airports

* KARV -

Lakeland Airport Lakeland Airport , also known as Noble F. Lee Memorial Field, is a public airport near Arbor Vitae, a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The airport is three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of Minocqua ...

/ Noble F. Lee Memorial Field * KEGV -

Eagle River Union Airport Eagle River Union Airport is a city owned public use airport located in Eagle River, a city in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2 ...

* KLNL - Kings Land O' Lakes Airport * D25 -

Manitowish Waters Airport Manitowish Waters Airport is a town owned public use airport located one mile (1.6 km) south of the central business district of Manitowish Waters, a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. It is included in the National Plan ...

National protected areas

Chequamegon National Forest Chequamegon Bay ( ) is an inlet of Lake Superior in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the extreme northern part of Wisconsin. History A Native American village, known as ''Chequamegon'', developed here in the mid-17th century. It was developed b ...

(part) * Nicolet National Forest (part) Although these two forests have been administratively combined into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, it is important to note that the county contains portions of both original forests.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 23,047. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 24,486 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 85.5%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 9.8% Native American, 0.3%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.0%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race.

2000 census

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 21,033 people, 9,066 households, and 6,300 families residing in the county. The

was 24 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 22,397 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.69%

, 0.20%

, 9.08% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.19% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were

or Latino of any race. 37.8% were of German, 7.9% Polish, 6.6% Irish and 5.3% English ancestry. 95.9% spoke English, 1.3% Spanish and 1.2% German as their first language. There were 9,066 households, out of which 23.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% 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, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.73. In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.70% under the age of 18, 5.00% from 18 to 24, 23.10% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 22.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males. In 2017, there were 186 births, giving a general fertility rate of 74.9 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 7th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were twelve reported induced abortions performed on women of Vilas County residence in 2017.Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin
Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18

Economy

The economy in Vilas County is based on tourism centered on its high concentration of lakes and forests. Hunting and sport fishing are the backbones of the fall economy, and ice fishing and especially snowmobiling makes up the bulk of the economy in the wintertime. Logging, forestry, construction and government also account for important parts of the local economy.

Municipalities

The municipalities with their population within Vilas County and their total population as of the 2010 Census, are:

City

* Eagle River – 1,398 (county seat)

Towns

* Arbor Vitae – 3,316 *

Boulder Junction Boulder Junction is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 958 at the 2000 census. In 1903, the Milwaukee Railroad laid tracks to the area that became known as Boulder Junction. While the railroad served the booming ...

– 933 * Cloverland – 1,029 * Conover – 1,235 *

– 3,441 * Land O' Lakes – 861 * Lincoln – 2,423 *

Manitowish Waters Manitowish Waters is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 566 in the 2010 census. The unincorporated community Manitowish Waters, is also located within the town. History In 1934, at the Little Bohemia Lodge on L ...

– 566 *

Phelps Phelps may refer to: Places in the United States * Phelps, Kentucky * Phelps, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Phelps, New York ** Phelps (village), New York * Phelps, Wisconsin, a town ** Phelps (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated co ...

– 1,200 * Plum Lake – 491 * Presque Isle – 618 * St. Germain – 2,085 * Washington – 1,451 * Winchester – 383

Census-designated places

– 183 *

– 1,969 * Sayner – 207

Other unincorporated communities

* Arbor Vitae * Conover * Katinka Village * Land O' Lakes *

* Marlands *

* Presque Isle * St. Germain * Star Lake * Winchester

Notable people

* Herman Finger was the Treasurer of Vilas County in the 1890s while also co-owning and operating

Gerry Lumber Company Herman Finger was a lumberman who owned and operated various lumber companies that operated in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. He also served as the first mayor of The Pas after its establishment in 1912. Origins in ...

in the county * Screenwriter Winifred Dunn was born in Vilas County.

Politics

Images

File:Vilas County Fair 2015.jpg, Cars parked by the entrance to the Vilas County Fairgrounds during the 2015 fair File:Vilas County Fair rides 2015.jpg, Rides during the 2015 county fair File:Vilas County Highway Department at Eagle River.jpg, The Vilas County Highway Department near Eagle River

References

External links

Vilas County government website

Vilas County Chamber of Commerce

Vilas County map
from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation {{authority control Populated places established in 1893 1893 establishments in Wisconsin