Wausau ( ) is a city in and the
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 st ...
of
Marathon County, Wisconsin
Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,013. Marathon County's seat is Wausau. It was founded in 1850, created from a portion of Portage County. At that time the cou ...
, United States. The
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...
divides the city into east and west. The city's suburbs include
Schofield,
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* ...
,
Mosinee,
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
,
Rib Mountain
Rib Mountain, also known as Rib Hill, is a glacially-eroded monadnock in central Wisconsin, located in the Town of Rib Mountain in Marathon County. Composed of quartzite covered with a softer syenite sheath, it was intruded about 1.5 billion ...
,
Kronenwetter, and
Rothschild
Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by sign ...
.
As of the
2020 census, Wausau had a population of 39,994.
It is the core city of the
Wausau Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes all of Marathon County and had a population of 134,063 at the 2010 census.
History
Founding
This area has for millennia changed hands between various
indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
. The historic
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 ...
(also known in the United States as the Chippewa) occupied it in the period of European encounter. They had a lucrative
fur trade
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 ...
for decades with French colonists and French Canadians. After the French and Indian War this trade was dominated by
British-American
British American usually refers to Americans whose ancestral origin originates wholly or partly in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, Orkney, and the Isle of Man). It is primarily a demographic or histor ...
trappers from the eastern seaboard.
The
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...
first drew European-American settlers to the area during the mid-19th century as they migrated west into the Great Lakes region following construction of the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
in New York State. This provided a route for products from the region to the large New York and other eastern markets. The area had been called "Big Bull Flats" or "Big Bull Falls" by French explorers, who were the first Europeans here.
They named it for the long rapids in the river, which created many bubbles, called ''bulle'' in French. By an 1836 treaty with the United States, the Ojibwe ceded much of their lands in the area to federal ownership. It was sold to non-Native peoples. ''Wausau'', from Ojibwe “waasa”, means "a faraway place".
[
]
George Stevens, the namesake of the city of Stevens Point
Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858.
Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...
south of Wausau, began harvesting the pine forests for lumber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
in 1840 and built a saw mill. Lumbering was the first major industry in this area, and other sawmills along the Wisconsin River were quickly constructed by entrepreneurs.[ By 1846, Walter McIndoe arrived and took the lead in the local business and community. His efforts helped to establish Marathon County in 1850.][ Word of Stevens's success in the region spread across the country throughout the logging industry. Loggers came from ]Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population of Cortland County was 46,809. The county seat is Cortland. The county is named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at ...
, Carroll County, New Hampshire
Carroll County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 50,107, making it the third-least populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is O ...
, 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 with ...
and Down East
"Down East", also "Downeast", is a term for parts of eastern coastal New England and Canada, particularly the U.S. state of Maine and Canada's Maritime Provinces, an area that closely corresponds to the historical French territory of Acadia. Th ...
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
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 of ...
. These were "Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...
" migrants, descended from the English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
Puritans
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
who settled 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 provinces ...
during the 1600s.
Early settlers
By 1852, Wausau had been established as a town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
and continued to grow and mature. German immigration into the area following the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
brought more people, and by 1861, the settlement was incorporated as a village.[
Churches, schools, industry and social organizations began to flourish. The state granted the city a charter in 1872, and elections are held the first Tuesday in April.][ The residents elected August Kickbusch as their first mayor in 1874.][ Five years earlier, Kickbusch had returned to his homeland of Germany and brought back with him 702 people, all of whom are believed to have settled in the Wausau area. Kickbusch founded the A. Kickbusch Wholesale Grocery Company, a family business carried on by his grandson, August Kickbusch II. In 1917, August Kickbusch II purchased a modest four-square-style house at 513 Grant Street. He undertook extensive additions, adding two ]sun room
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared rad ...
s, arcaded windows, a tiled porch in the Mediterranean style, a formal classical entrance, and ornate custom-designed chimney
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...
crowns. The home is 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 ...
as part of the Andrew Warren Historic District.
When the railroad arrived in 1874, Wausau became more accessible to settlers and industry. This enabled the city to develop alternatives to the lumber industry, which was in decline since the clear-cutting of many forests. By 1906 the lumber was gone, but the city continued to grow and flourish. Other villages and towns in the area declined because of over-harvesting of the forests and lumber mills closed down.
Twentieth century
Wausau's favorable location on the Wisconsin River was partly responsible for its survival. The economy was diversified in the early 20th century, led by Employers Insurance of Wausau, now a part of Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual Group is an American diversified global insurer and the sixth-largest property and casualty insurer in the United States. It ranks 71st on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the United States based on 2020 revenue. B ...
. Its logo, first introduced in 1954, was the downtown Milwaukee Road
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States fr ...
railroad depot set against the backdrop of the community's skyline.
The Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...
had a major effect on the Wausau area. Many industries were forced to cut back by laying off and dismissing workers or by closing altogether.[ After decades of growth, the city virtually ground to a halt. But after ]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 ...
—Wausau was significantly modernized—and it continued to grow in industry, education, recreation, and retail, more than in population.
After the fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon by North Vietnamese or Liberation of the South by the Vietnamese government, and known as Black April by anti-communist overseas Vietnamese was the capture of Saigon, the capital of ...
, Hmong
Hmong may refer to:
* Hmong people, an ethnic group living mainly in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand
* Hmong cuisine
* Hmong customs and culture
** Hmong music
** Hmong textile art
* Hmong language, a continuum of closely related to ...
refugees from Southeast Asia who fought alongside the CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
immigrated to Wausau at the end of the 1970s. Wausau church organizations (Catholic and Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
) helped Hmong refugees adapt to American life.
In 1983, the Wausau Center shopping mall opened. By the mid- to late-1990s, the Wausau began to purchase and develop parts of West Industrial Park to meet the needs of the expanding economy and companies. In the late 1990s, the city demolished a number of aging buildings on a square in the center of downtown, creating what is known locally as the 400 Block, an open, grassy block with paved sidewalks crossing it. The square is a focal point for summer festivals. In recent years Wausau has redone the 400 Block, adding a permanent stage and other renovations that cost $2 million.
The new millennium
By the end of the 20th century, Wausau began to implement the Wausau Central Business District Master Plan, which included redevelopment and economic restructuring of downtown Wausau. The tallest commercial building in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee is in Wausau: the 241-foot Dudley tower.
Geography and climate
Geography
Wausau is located at .
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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The city is located at an altitude of . Wausau is close to the center of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere. Just west of Wausau, 45°N meets 90°W (), which is exactly halfway between the equator and the north pole and a quarter of the way around the world from the prime meridian
A prime meridian is an arbitrary meridian (a line of longitude) in a geographic coordinate system at which longitude is defined to be 0°. Together, a prime meridian and its anti-meridian (the 180th meridian in a 360°-system) form a great c ...
.
Climate
Wausau's climate is classified 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 freez ...
(Dfb DFB may refer to:
* Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city
* Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas
* Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia
* Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate
* Distributed-feedback ...
). It is built on or around a hemiboreal forest, which has some of the characteristics of a boreal forest and shares some of the features of the temperate zone forests to the south. Coniferous trees predominate in the hemiboreal zone, but a significant number of deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
species are found there, as well.
;Notes:
Demographics
Wausau is the larger principal city of the Wausau–Merrill CSA, a Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
that includes the Wausau metropolitan area (Marathon County) and the Merrill micropolitan area ( Lincoln County),[Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Components](_blank)
, Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, pol ...
, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-08-01. which had a combined population of 155,475 at the 2000 census.
In 1996, a US census estimate found the Hmong people
The Hmong people ( RPA: ''Hmoob'', Nyiakeng Puachue: , Pahawh Hmong: , ) are a sub-ethnic group of the Miao people who originated from Central China. The modern Hmongs presently reside mainly in Southwest China (Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chon ...
were the largest ethnic minority group in Wausau, with about 11% of the population.
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 39,994. 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 . There were 18,605 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.3% 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 ...
, 11.9% 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 ...
, 1.7% 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 ...
or 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 ...
, 0.7% Native American, 1.8% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 5.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 4.1% 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 ...
or 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.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 39,106 people, 16,487 households, and 9,415 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 18,154 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.7% 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 ...
, 1.4% 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 ...
, 0.8% Native American, 11.1% 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 ...
, 0.9% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.3% 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 ...
or 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 2.9% of the population.
There were 16,487 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.9% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.02.
The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, 38,426 people, 15,678 households, and 9,328 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,330.7 people per square mile (899.7/km2). There were 16,668 housing units at an average density of 1,011.0 per square mile (390.3/km2). The racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 85.91% White, 0.54% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 11.41% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. About 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 15,678 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were not families. About 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city, the population was distributed as 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,831, and for a family was $47,065. Males had a median income of $33,076 versus $24,303 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,227. About 7.2% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Hmong population
As of 2003 the Hmong Americans
Hmong Americans ( RPA: ''Hmoob Mes Kas'', Pahawh Hmong: "") are Americans of Hmong ancestry. Many Hmong Americans immigrated to the United States as refugees in the late 1970s. Over half of the Hmong population from Laos left the country, or at ...
are the largest ethnic minority in Wausau.[In Wausau, Hmong at another crossroads]
". ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', June 16, 2003. Retrieved on March 2, 2014. Churches and social service agencies settled refugees, most of them Hmong with some Vietnamese and Lao, in Wausau after the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. According to the 1980 U.S. Census, the Wausau SMSA had fewer than 1% non-White people. There were several dozen immigrants in 1978. By 1980 Wausau had 200 immigrants. This increased to 400 in 1982 and 800 in 1984.[The Ordeal of Immigration in Wausau]
.
. ''The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
''. April 1994. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
In 1981 there were 160 Hmong students in the Wausau School District
The Wausau School District is a public school district serving the Wausau metropolitan area, including the City of Wausau and the Towns of Rib Mountain, Wausau, Stettin, and Texas. It contains two high schools, two middle schools, 13 elementar ...
and in 1991 1,010. In a period ending in 1994 the tax rate of the Wausau School District rose by 10.48% as a result of the expenses of services to children from immigrant families. The increase was three times as high as the increase in an adjacent school district without a large immigrant population. By 1994 Wausau had 4,200 refugees. By 1996 the number of Hmong students in the school district was over 2,000. In 1998 this number reached its peak, 2,214. The city experienced some social upheaval following the Hmong arrival. Some schools in Wausau had a minority of English speakers and some were predominantly Hmong students. Some native-born American families in Wausau criticized the crime and expenses in social services.
As of 2003, "Sixty percent of Hmong families are homeowners. Although more than half of the workforce is earning less than $8 an hour, the welfare rate has dropped to less than 5 percent. More people are going to college. And test scores and graduation rates of Hmong public school students are steadily rising."[
In Wausau there is relatively little Hmong-language media because for much of its history, the Hmong language was not written.][
]
Government and politics
Wausau has a mayor–council form of government. Eleven elected alderpersons comprise the city council, each representing one district of the city. The City Council manages eight standing committees, including Parks & Recreation, Parking & Traffic, Finance, Human Resources, Public Health & Safety, Economic Development, Coordinating, and Capital Improvement & Street Maintenance.
The current Mayor of Wausau is Katie Rosenberg, 36, sworn on April 21, 2020. She becomes the second woman to serve in the role, and at 36 years old is also one of the youngest mayors according to a mayoral history on the Wausau city website. Rosenberg, a two-term Marathon County board supervisor, defeated incumbent mayor Robert Mielke by five points in the April 7, 2020 election.
Police/Fire
Fire Department
The Wausau Fire Department has 3 stations within the city which contain 5 ambulances
An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport.
Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...
, 4 engines
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power g ...
, a heavy rescue vehicle
A rescue vehicle is a specialised vehicle used in technical rescue. It is designed to transport and provide the specialized equipment necessary for technical rescue. They carry an array of special equipment such as the jaws of life, wooden cri ...
, a 100 foot platform truck, rescue boats, inspections vehicles, and command vehicles. The department also has a hazardous incident team, or HIT, which is a type II regional hazardous materials team.
The department currently employs 62 full-time firefighter/paramedics.
The department responded to 6,490 calls in the year 2021.
Police Department
The Wausau Police Department is responsible for law enforcement services in the City of Wausau. On average, between 8–12 officers are on patrol at a time.
Outdoor Warning System
The city of Wausau, in coordination with the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, is responsible for maintaining 14 outdoor tornado sirens that are strategically placed throughout the city. Sirens are sounded during tornadoes and severe weather. Sirens are tested at 1:15PM every Monday (April–September) and the first Monday of the month (October–March).
Economy
Nearly one-third of the Marathon County economy is based in manufacturing, with the balance in the service industry. Prominent industries include paper manufacturing, insurance, home manufacturing, and tourism. The Wausau region has a lower than average unemployment rate and continues a steady growth in job creation and economic viability among manufacturers and service providers alike.[ Wausau has 12 banks with 41 branch locations, three ]trust companies
A trust company is a corporation that acts as a fiduciary, trustee or agent of trusts and agencies. A professional trust company may be independently owned or owned by, for example, a bank or a law firm, and which specializes in being a trust ...
and three holding companies
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
in the metropolitan area. There are also 13 open membership credit union
A credit union, a type of financial institution similar to a commercial bank, is a member-owned nonprofit organization, nonprofit financial cooperative. Credit unions generally provide services to members similar to retail banks, including depo ...
s with 18 branch locations.[
The Wausau area is a center for cultivation of ]American ginseng
American ginseng (''Panax quinquefolius'') is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ivy family, commonly used as an herb in traditional Chinese medicine. It is native to eastern North America, though it is also cultivated in China. Since the 18th ...
, and is also known for its red granite, which is quarried nearby.
Education
Public schools
Wausau is served by the Wausau School District
The Wausau School District is a public school district serving the Wausau metropolitan area, including the City of Wausau and the Towns of Rib Mountain, Wausau, Stettin, and Texas. It contains two high schools, two middle schools, 13 elementar ...
, which has 14 elementary schools, two middle schools (John Muir and Horace Mann), and two high schools ( Wausau East, Wausau West) and two charter schools (Wausau Engineering and Global Leadership Academy and Enrich Excel Achieve Learning Academy). Wausau Engineering and Global Leadership (EGL) Academy is a public charter school housed in Wausau East High School serving grades 9–12 and emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math.
D.C. Everest Area School District also serves a large part of the Wausau area. This school district has 7 elementary schools, one middle school, one junior high, and one senior high. They also have a 4K Program.
Charter schools
Wausau Area Montessori Charter School serves grades 1–6 and is housed at Horace Mann Middle School. Two kindergarten classes are available at the Montessori Children's Village and Rib Mountain Montessori.
The Excel, Enrich, Achieve (EEA) Learning Academy is a public charter school in the Wausau School District, housed in Wausau East High School, and is for students who do not find the traditional school setting to be a fit for their academic needs. EEA services grades 6–12.
The Idea Charter School, a project-based charter school that is a part of the D.C. Everest School District, had its first year in operation in the 2011–2012 school year. The charter school serves grades 6–12.
Private schools
The city's Roman Catholic parochial schools are known as the Newman Catholic Schools. They include St. Anne, St. Michael and St. Mark, Newman Middle School, and Newman Catholic High School. Other parochial schools include Trinity Lutheran grade school ( Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod), Our Savior's Lutheran School (Pre-K–8) (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwauke ...
), Faith Christian Academy (K4–12), and a K–8 school operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
.
Colleges and universities
Wausau is home to the University of Wisconsin– Stevens Point at Wausau a two-year university satellite campus of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
. The University houses the Wisconsin Public Radio Station. The city is also home of Northcentral Technical College
Northcentral Technical College (NTC) is a public community college in Wausau, Wisconsin. It is a member of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The district of the college includes all of, or portions of, Marathon, Lincoln, Taylor, Price ...
, a two-year technical college.
It is also home to a number of satellite campuses of other colleges, including, Upper Iowa University
Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private university in Fayette, Iowa. It enrolls around 6000 students and offers distance education programs that include 15 centers in the U.S., an online program, an independent study program, and centers in ...
, Lakeland College, Concordia University Wisconsin
Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) is a private Lutheran university in Mequon, Wisconsin. It is part of the eight-member Concordia University System operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS).
The university is a coeducational in ...
(closed in 2012), Rasmussen College
Rasmussen University is a private for-profit university with multiple locations throughout the United States. It offers associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at 23 campuses in Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota, Florida, Wisconsin ...
, Medical College of Wisconsin
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is a private medical school, pharmacy school, and graduate school of sciences headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school was established in 1893 and is the largest research center in eastern Wisconsin ...
, and Globe University.
Public libraries
The Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) – Wausau Headquarters, located downtown near the Wausau Center Mall, is the largest library in the Wausau area. It was formed when the county and city libraries merged in 1974. It serves as the headquarters for the Marathon County Public Library
The Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) is a consolidated county library with nine locations in Marathon County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Its headquarters are in Wausau. The library has its origins in the Wausau Free Public Library, which was founded ...
system, which encompasses all public libraries in Marathon County, including eight branch libraries. The Marathon County Historical Museum also maintains a library.
Parks
The city's 37 city parks, which total ,[http://www.ci.wausau.wi.us/Home/AboutWausau/GeneralInformation.aspx , accessed November 8, 2010] are maintained by the Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department.
Oak Island Community Park and Fern Island Community Park are located next to each other on the Wisconsin River. Oak Island has a wide range of activities: tennis courts, two playgrounds, a baseball diamond, one enclosed shelter with a kitchen, two open shelters, and a walking bridge to Fern Island. Fern Island Park hosts the annual Big Bull Falls Blues Festival in August, as well as the annual Beer and Bacon Fest.
Athletic Park, a baseball stadium on the east side of Wausau, is home to the Wausau Woodchucks baseball team.
Whitewater Park contains a third of a mile of Class I-II+ rapids along the Wisconsin River in downtown Wausau. It has bleachers facing whitewater rapids where recreational whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is an adventure sport where a river is navigated in a decked kayak. Whitewater kayaking includes several styles. River running; where the paddler follows a river and paddles rapids as they travel. Creeking usually involving s ...
and canoeing
Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
take place.
Sylvan Hills is a county park within the Wausau city limits. During the winter, tubing takes place on hills that have vertical drops of up to .
Marathon Park, another county park in the city of Wausau, is the location of the Wisconsin Valley Fair. The park includes camping grounds, two hockey rinks, a curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...
barn, playgrounds, an obstacle course, an amphitheater, a bandstand, a grandstand, exhibition buildings, a concessions building, and a miniature golf course. Marathon Park contains the southernmost section of old-growth forest remaining in Wisconsin. The Little Red School House is housed within the park.
Transportation
Airport
* AUW – Wausau Downtown Airport
* CWA – Central Wisconsin Airport
Central Wisconsin Airport , referred to as "C-Way", is a public airport located southeast of the central business district of Mosinee, in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. It is owned by Marathon County and Portage County. It is incl ...
Public transit
Metro Ride provides local bus service while Lamers Bus Lines provides once daily trips from Wausau to Appleton and Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
.
Until 1971, Wausau was served by intercity passenger trains at Wausau station.
Roads and highways
Major roads in Wausau are: Grand Avenue, North 6th St/North 5th St(one-way pair), East and West Bridge St, West Thomas St, 1st Ave/3rd Ave (one-way pair), Stewart Ave, 17th Ave, Merrill Ave, 28th Ave, and East Wausau Ave.
When traveling in Wausau, be aware that numbered "Streets" are on the east side of Wausau and numbered "Avenues" are on the west side of Wausau. The Wisconsin River divides the city between East and West.
Grand Avenue turns into North 6th Street when travelling north into the downtown area. Business 51 is a major route designation that runs through the city mostly along the original route of US 51 before the freeway bypass was constructed in the 1960s. Entering from the south along Grand Ave, north to downtown then splitting into one-way streets; northbound follows 6th St, McIndoe St, N. 1st St, and Scott St to the Wisconsin River; and southbound from the Wisconsin River along Washington St, 1st St, and Forest St back to Grand Ave. Once on the west side of the river, Scott St becomes Stewart Ave. Business 51 turns north off of Stewart Ave onto the one-way 1st Avenue north to W. Union Avenue westerly for two blocks then north out of town along Merrill Ave (southbound from Merrill Ave along 3rd Avenue, then East on Stewart Ave to the Wisconsin River).
Sports
The Wausau Woodchucks baseball team of the Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not paid, so as to maintain their college el ...
, an NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
summer baseball league, plays home games at the Athletic Park in Wausau. The Wausau Woodchucks were formerly known as the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Woody Woodchuck is the mascot of the Woodchucks.
The Wausau River Hawks baseball team of the Dairyland League, a Wisconsin Baseball Association summer baseball league, plays home games at Athletic Park in Wausau. The Wausau River Hawks were formerly known as Wausau Precision.
Granite Peak Ski Area offers downhill skiing at nearby Rib Mountain. The 700-ft mountain is the highest skiable mountain in the state and one of the highest vertical drops in the Midwest. It first became a ski area in 1937, when Wausau residents cleared six runs by hand, installed the nation's longest ski lift, and built a chalet with stone quarried nearby. Granite Peak has 74 runs and seven ski lifts. Granite Peak earned ''Ski Magazine's'' #1 ranking in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.
Wausau hosts the annual Badger State Winter Games.
Wausau is home to a kayak
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' ().
The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...
course which has hosted numerous regional, national, and world competitions over the last two decades. Nine Mile Recreation Area hosts many running, skiing, biking, and other outdoor events each year. The annual 24 hour mountain biking race has served as the USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships in past years. Ragnar relay began hosting a trail event at Nine Mile Recreation Area in 2016. Downhill flow machine built mountain bike trails were constructed and opened in 2017 at Sylvan Hill County Park.
Wausau is also home to the Wausau Curling Club, with an eight-sheet ice surface. A new curling facility was finished in February 2013. The new curling facility is located next to the former Holtz-Krause Landfill. The new facility has an Olympic size ice rink and will allow for curling tournaments, national and world championship games.
In the summers local softball teams come together to play softball at the Sunnyvale Softball Complex which possesses five softball fields and two volleyball courts. Men's, Women's, JO, and Slow and Fast pitch are played at the softball complex.
In the beginning of 2012, Wausau bought the former Holtz-Krause landfill for plans to build a soccer complex. Building of the soccer complex is expected in 2013 and should be open by 2014 in the fall.
Media and entertainment
Entertainment available in the city includes Exhibitour, Concerts on the Square, Market Place Thursdays, Screen on the Green and the Hmong New Year.
The only local daily newspaper is the ''Wausau Daily Herald
The ''Wausau Daily Herald'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Wausau, Wisconsin. It is the primary newspaper in Wausau and is distributed throughout Marathon and Lincoln counties. The ''Daily Herald'' is owned by the Gannett Company, whic ...
'', with a daily circulation of 21,400 during the week and 27,500 on Sunday. ''City Pages'' is a free weekly newspaper. ''Le Dernier Cri'' is a monthly newspaper that reports on local business.
Wausau is home to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum is located in Wausau, Wisconsin. It is best known for its annual "Birds in Art" exhibition, which exhibits contemporary artistic representations of birds. The annual exhibition has been held beginning the week af ...
, which houses the "Birds in Art" collection as well as Leigh Yawkey Woodson's collection of decorative glass.
The Grand Theater is located in downtown Wausau. The theater hosts local and national shows.
Notable people
* W. W. Albers, Wisconsin State Senator
* John Altenburgh, jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
/blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
musician and composer
* Frank E. Bachhuber, lawyer, businessman, and politician
* Chris Bangle
Christopher Edward Bangle (born October 14, 1956) is an American automobile designer. Bangle is known best for his work as Chief of Design for BMW Group, where he was responsible for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce motor cars.
Early life
Bangl ...
, Chief of Design at BMW Auto Group (grew up in Wausau)
* Marcus H. Barnum, Wisconsin State Representative, businessman, and lawyer
* Wayne R. Bassett Sr. (1915–1988), Minnesota state legislator and librarian, Bassett moved to Wausau and was the head librarian of the Marathon County Library
* Matthew Beebe
Matthew P. Beebe (September 4, 1833 – October 27, 1901) was an American businessman and politician.
Born in Chester, New York in Warren County, Beebe moved to Portville, New York in 1851. Then, in 1852, Beebe moved to Mineral Point, Wiscon ...
, Wisconsin State Representative and businessman
* Rudy Bell, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player
* William Belter
William N. Belter (July 7, 1926 – December 12, 1999) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He represented Green Lake and Waushara counties in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1953 to 1957.
Biography
Born in Wausau, Wiscon ...
, Wisconsin State Representative
* Warren Bernhardt
Warren Bernhardt (November 13, 1938 – August 19, 2022)''WBGO'', (Newark, NJ)"Warren Bernhardt, pianist with Steps Ahead, Steely Dan and other bands, dies at 83" August 24, 2022. Retrieved on August 24, 2022. was an American pianist in jazz, pop ...
, jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, pop, and classical pianist
* Claire B. Bird, 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 ...
state senator
* Jake Blum, North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
State Representative
* Gerald J. Boileau, US congressman
* Emil Breitkreutz, Olympic medalist, head coach of the USC Trojans men's basketball
The USC Trojans men's basketball program is a college basketball team that competes in the Pac-12 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, representing the University of Southern California.
The Trojans' He ...
team
* Win Brockmeyer
Winfred Otto Brockmeyer (September 16, 1907 – March 14, 1980) was an American football coach from Mankato, Minnesota.
Background
Brockmeyer was born in Mankato, Minnesota on September 16, 1907, the son of Otto and Margaret Brockmeyer. He atte ...
, football coach
* Neal Brown
Neal Brown (born March 11, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at West Virginia University. Brown was previously the head coach at Troy University from 2015 to 2018. Brown also previousl ...
, politician, lawyer, businessman and writer
* Rachel Campos-Duffy
Rachel Campos-DuffyCampos-Duffy, Rachel (December 19, 2007)"I'm Expecting My 5th: What To Make Of The Trend In Bigger Families" Parent Dish. (born October 22, 1971) is a conservative American television personality. She first appeared on televisi ...
, American television personality and conservative activist
* John C. Clarke, Wisconsin State Representative
* Gloria Coates
Gloria Coates (born October 10, 1938, in Wausau, Wisconsin) is an American composer who has lived in Munich since 1969. She studied with Alexander Tcherepnin, Otto Luening, and Jack Beeson.
Music
Her music features canonic structures and prom ...
, musical composer
* Charles F. Crosby
Charles F. Crosby (December 12, 1847 – December 1, 1889) was an American politician and lawyer from Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Born in the town of Waterloo, in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, Crosby moved with his family to Dell Prairie, Wis ...
, Minnesota and Wisconsin legislator, lawyer
* Robert W. Dean, Wisconsin jurist and legislator
* Jim DeLisle, NFL player
* Jeff Dellenbach
Jeffrey Alan Dellenbach (born February 14, 1963) is a former American football center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a member of the Gr ...
, NFL player for the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, and Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
* Sean Duffy
Sean Patrick Duffy (born October 3, 1971) is an American politician, prosecutor, former sports commentator and reality television personality who is currently a co-host of ''The Bottom Line'' on Fox Business, as well as a contributor on Fox News. ...
, former member of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from Wisconsin; former reality TV star on ''The Real World''
* Henry Ellenbecker, Wisconsin State Representative
* Orville Fehlhaber, Wisconsin State Representative
* Bill Fischer, MLB pitcher and coach
* Ellsworth K. Gaulke, Wisconsin educator, businessman, and politician
* Paul Gebert, Sr., Wisconsin State Representative and businesspeople
* Rod Grams
Rodney Dwight Grams (February 4, 1948 – October 8, 2013) was an American politician and television news anchor who served in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. A local news anchor, Grams became well-known ...
, former member of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
and senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
for Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
(as a local news anchor in the late 1970s)
* Dave Heaton, Wisconsin State Representative
* Benjamin W. Heineman, former CEO of Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...
, founder and CEO of Northwest Industries
* Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player, Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
, University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...
Athletic Director 1969–1987 and actor
* Charles Hoeflinger, Wisconsin State Representative
* Michael W. Hoover, Presiding Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals
* Victoria Houston, author
* Jalen Johnson
Jalen Tyrese Johnson (born December 18, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. He was a consensus five-star r ...
, NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
player for the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
* Justin L. Johnson, member of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from California (1943–1957)
* William A. Kasten, Wisconsin State Representative
* John Azor Kellogg, U.S. military leader and Wisconsin politician
* William P. Kozlovsky, U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
admiral
* Edward C. Kretlow, Wisconsin State Representative
* Dave Krieg
David Michael Krieg ( ; born October 20, 1958) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Milton College in his home state of Wisconsin and made the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. ...
, football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player
* Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher Kubek (born October 12, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and television broadcaster. During his nine-year playing career with the New York Yankees, Kubek played in six World Series in the late 1950s an ...
, baseball player and television broadcaster (lived in Wausau in the 1970s and early 1980s)
* Debi Laszewski
Debi Laszewski (born September 29, 1969) is an American retired professional female bodybuilder. She ranks as the 3rd best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List.
Early life and education
Debi Laszewski was born 1 ...
, IFBB professional bodybuilder
* John E. Leahy, Wisconsin State Senator
* Liberace
Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
, pianist/entertainer (lived and worked in Wausau in the 1950s)
* Greg Liter, NFL player
* Paul A. Luedtke, Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
man
* Barbara K. MacDonald, musician, half of the duo Timbuk 3
Timbuk 3 was an American rock band which released six original studio albums between 1986 and 1995. They are best known for their Top 20 single "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades". The band's music has been featured on more than 20 c ...
* Sue R. Magnuson, Wisconsin State Representative
* Mike Manley, Olympic athlete, Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
gold medalist
* Nicole Manske
Nicole Briscoe ( Manske; born July 2, 1980) is an American sportscaster who is employed by ESPN. Originally focused on covering auto racing for the network, which included stints as the host of ''NASCAR Countdown'' and ''NASCAR Now'', Briscoe beca ...
, host of ''NASCAR Now
''NASCAR Now'' was a NASCAR news and analysis show that aired year round Tuesday through Saturday as a thirty-minute show at 2:00am ET on ESPN2. ''NASCAR Now'', that debuted on February 5, 2007, was broadcast in HD from Bristol, Connecticut and ...
'' and '' The Speed Report''
* Herbert H. Manson, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler.
Important issues for the state party include support for worke ...
* Rufus P. Manson, Wisconsin State Representative
* Dave Marcis, retired NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
driver
* August F. Marquardt, Wisconsin State Representative
* Herman Marth, Wisconsin State Representative
* Marissa Mayer
Marissa Ann Mayer (; born May 30, 1975) is an American businesswoman and investor. She is an information technology executive, and co-founder of Sunshine Contacts. Mayer formerly served as the president and chief executive officer of Yahoo!, a p ...
, CEO of Yahoo!
Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Man ...
* Edward F. McClain, Wisconsin State Representative
* Myron Hawley McCord, governor of Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
* John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon (born August 14, 1952) is an American folk music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has produced 41 albums since the 1970s. He is regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, and is also proficient on many other i ...
, folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
singer
* John L. McEwen, Wisconsin State Representative
* Burton Millard
Burton Millard (1828April 7, 1862) was an American machinist and Republican politician. He served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He died at the Siege of Yorktown during the American Civil War.
Biography
Born in Scio, New York, Mill ...
, Wisconsin State Representative
* Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...
, Wisconsin State Representative and jurist
* Herman Miller
Herman Miller, officially MillerKnoll, Inc., is an American company that produces office furniture, equipment, and home furnishings, including the Aeron chair, Noguchi table, Marshmallow sofa, and the Eames Lounge Chair. Herman Miller is al ...
* Walter D. McIndoe
Walter Duncan McIndoe (March 30, 1819August 22, 1872) was a Scottish American immigrant, lumber industrialist, and politician. A Republican, he represented Wisconsin for two terms in the United States House of Representatives (from 1863 to 186 ...
, congressman
* Gerald Morris, author
* Thomas T. Moulton, five-time Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
winner in sound recording
* Otto Mueller
Otto Müller (16 October 1874 – 24 September 1930) was a German painter and printmaker of the Die Brücke expressionist movement.
Life and work
Mueller was born in Liebau (now Lubawka, Kamienna Góra County), Kreis Landeshut, Silesia. Betw ...
, politician and businessman
* William H. Mylrea, Wisconsin Attorney General
* Burton Natarus
Burton F. "Burt" Natarus (November 7, 1933 – June 11, 2020) was Chicago City Council, Alderman of the 42nd Wards of the United States, Ward of Chicago from 1971 to 2007.
Early life
Natarus was born in Wausau, Wisconsin. He graduated from Univ ...
, Chicago City Council member and lawyer
* David Obey
David Ross Obey ( ; born October 3, 1938) is an American lobbyist and former politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for from 1969 to 2011. The district includes much of the northwestern portion of the st ...
, member of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from Wisconsin from 1969–2011
* Jim Otto
James Edwin Otto (born January 5, 1938) is an American former professional football player who played as a center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He played colle ...
, football player, Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
* Shirley Palesh
Shirley Palesh (November 23, 1929 – March 1, 2017) was an American baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between 1949 and 1950. She both batted and threw right-handed. She earned herself two nicknames while play ...
, baseball player
* Jim Pekol, musician
* B. G. Plumer, legislator and businessman
* Daniel L. Plumer, mayor of Wausau, legislator
* Fred Prehn, Wisconsin State Representative
* Scott Resnick, Wisconsin politician
* Bartholomew Ringle, Wisconsin State Representative
* John Ringle, mayor of Wausau, legislator
* Oscar Ringle, Wisconsin State Representative
* John H. Robinson, mayor of Wausau, legislator
* Sue Rohan, Wisconsin State Representative
* Marvin B. Rosenberry, Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
* Angus B. Rothwell
Angus B. Rothwell was Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin.
Biography
Rothwell was born on July 25, 1905, in Superior, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and Columbia University. Additionally, he rec ...
, Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin
* Johnny Schmitz
John Albert Schmitz (November 27, 1920 – October 1, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who worked in 366 games over 13 seasons as a member of the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Se ...
, baseball player
* Mark Seidl, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge
* Willis C. Silverthorn, Wisconsin politician
* Leann Slaby, actress, '' Survivor: Vanuatu'' contestant
* Brad Soderberg
Bradley William Soderberg (born May 10, 1962) is a men's college basketball coach. He is currently the Director of Scouting for the University of Virginia Cavaliers. Soderberg was previously head coach at Lindenwood, St. Louis, South Dakota State ...
, basketball coach
* Ed Sparr
Edwin Andrew Sparr (July 29, 1898 – May 19, 1974) was a player in the National Football League for the Racine Tornadoes in 1926 as a tackle. He played at the collegiate level at Carroll University.
Sparr was born in Hazelhurst, Wisconsi ...
, NFL player
* Michael Stackpole
Michael Austin Stackpole (born November 27, 1957) is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his ''Star Wars'' and ''BattleTech'' books. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, but raised in Vermont. He has a BA in history from ...
, science fiction author
* Grace Stanke
Grace Marie Stanke (born April 30, 2002) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss America on December 15, 2022. A native of Wausau, Wisconsin, she is the third Miss Wisconsin to win the national title.
Early life and educa ...
, Miss America 2023
Miss America 2023 was the 95th edition of the Miss America pageant, which occurred at the Mohegan Sun on December 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar year, based on several sources, may be the final year at Mohegan Sun.
Rather than being aired on mai ...
* Alexander Stewart, member of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
and lumber baron
* Patrick Thomas Stone, United States District Court judge
* Jerome A. Sudut, Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
recipient
* Ray Szmanda
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
, radio and television personality/spokesperson
* Claude Taugher, Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...
and Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
recipient; NFL player
* Tom Wiesner
Thomas N. Wiesner (February 28, 1939 – June 25, 2002), also known by his nickname "Big Dog", was an American politician and businessman. Wiesner initially played football for the Wisconsin Badgers from 1958 to 1960, before moving to Las Vegas ...
, Nevada politician and businessman
* Lyman Wellington Thayer, Wisconsin State Senator
* Arthur H. Treutel, Wisconsin State Representative
* Mary Williams Walsh, journalist
* George Werheim, Wisconsin State Representative
* Milt Wilson
Richard Milton Wilson (May 29, 1897 – December 8, 1967) was a professional football player who was an original member of the Green Bay Packers. He played for the Packers beginning in 1919, two years before the team joined the National Football L ...
, professional football player
* Chris Wimmer
Chris Wimmer (born June 23, 1979) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has raced mostly in short track competition and as high as the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Series). Wimmer competed in the ASA Midwest Tour (now ARCA ...
, NASCAR driver
* Scott Wimmer
Scott Allan Wimmer (born January 26, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has a total of six wins in the Xfinity Series. His brother Chris Wimmer competed in the Busch Series. Wimmer co-owns State Park Speedway in Wausau ...
, NASCAR driver
* Dean Witter
Dean Witter Reynolds was an American stock brokerage and securities firm catering to a variety of clients. Prior to the company's acquisition, it was among the largest firms in the securities industry with over 9,000 account executives (ranking t ...
, U.S. businessman and founder of Dean Witter & Company investment house
* Cyrus C. Yawkey, businessman
* Charles Zarnke
Charles F. Zarnke (July 19, 1868 - May 16, 1931) was a farmer, janitor and Socialist state legislator from Marathon County, Wisconsin.
Background
Zarnke was born in Germany on July 19, 1868. He immigrated to America at age fourteen and farmed ...
, Wisconsin politician
* Brad Zweck, Wisconsin State Representative
References
External links
City of Wausau
Wausau Regional Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Marathon County, Wisconsin
County seats in Wisconsin