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 The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (called ''Waaswaaganing'' in Ojibwe) is a federally recognized Ojibwa Native American tribe. It had 3,415 enrolled members as of 2010. The Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation lies mostly in the ...

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 provinces ...

, primarily from

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, 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 (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

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 (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

, 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 National ...

Copper Harbor, Michigan Copper Harbor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Grant Township. The population of the CDP was 136 as of the 2020 census. The communit ...

. 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 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 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 organ ...

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 wit ...

and Down East

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 nor ...

in what is now Washington County, Maine and Hancock County, Maine.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 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 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 prominen ...

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 wa ...

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 o ...

, and the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

. The

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

Adjacent counties

* Forest County - southeast * Iron County - 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 * Highway 17 (Wisconsin) * Highway 32 (Wisconsin) * Highway 47 (Wisconsin) * Highway 70 (Wisconsin) *

Highway 155 (Wisconsin) State Trunk Highway 155 (often called Highway 155, STH-155 or WIS 155) is a state highway in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States, that runs north–south from Wisconsin Highway 70 (WIS 70) St. Germain to the northern of two junct ...

Buses

List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin The following is a list of presently operating intercity bus stops in Wisconsin with regular service. The list excludes charter buses, local transit buses, paratransit systems, and trolleybus systems. The following companies provide intercity bus se ...

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 * 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 Nicollet or Nicolet may refer to: Canada *Nicolet, Quebec, the county seat of Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality *Nicolet River, Quebec, Canada People *Aurèle Nicolet (1926–2016), Swiss flautist *Hercule Nicolet (1801–1872), Swiss ...

(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: 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 RosenberPopu ...

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 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 ...

, 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 ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% 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 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 inc ...

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 O ...

, 0.19% from

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

or Latino of any race. 37.8% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 7.9% Polish, 6.6% Irish and 5.3%

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 ...

ancestry. 95.9% spoke

, 1.3%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and 1.2%

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 ...

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 boomi ...

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

– 3,441 *

Land O' Lakes Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an American member-owned agricultural cooperative based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills, Minnesota, United States, focusing on the dairy industry. The cooperative has 1,959 direct producer-members, 751 m ...

– 861 *

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

– 2,423 * Manitowish Waters – 566 * Phelps – 1,200 * Plum Lake – 491 * Presque Isle – 618 * St. Germain – 2,085 *

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

– 1,451 *

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

– 383

Census-designated places

– 183 *

– 1,969 * Sayner – 207

Other unincorporated communities

* Arbor Vitae * Conover * Katinka Village *

* Manitowish Waters * Marlands * Phelps * Presque Isle * St. Germain * Star Lake *

Notable people

* Herman Finger was the Treasurer of Vilas County in the 1890s while also co-owning and operating Gerry Lumber Company in the county * Screenwriter

Winifred Dunn Winifred Dunn was an American screenwriter, editor, radio scenario writer, and art critic in the early 20th century. She was one of the youngest scenario editors of the silent era and was credited with writing over 40 productions.Hansen, James. " ...

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