Manitowish Waters is a town in
Vilas County,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, United States. The population was 572 in the 2018 census. The unincorporated community
Manitowish Waters, is also located within the town.
History
In 1934, at the
Little Bohemia Lodge on Little Star Lake, the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
and
Dillinger Gang were involved in a shootout, which resulted in the accidental shooting death of one local
Civilian Conservation Corps worker and severely injuring two other workers by federal agents who mistook them for members of the gang. Agent W. Carter Baum was also shot and killed by
Baby Face Nelson in a brief gunfight a short distance away, which resulted in another special agent and a local constable being wounded. All six members of the gang escaped the incident unharmed.
The lodge, then owned by Emil Wanatka, remains in existence as a restaurant today without lodging. Bullet holes in the building's siding and windows from the shootout are still visible. Personal items left behind by the hasty departure of the Dillinger Gang members have been preserved and are on display. In the summer of 2008, the Little Bohemia Lodge was used in the filming of a re-creation of these events in the 2009
Michael Mann film ''
Public Enemies'', a movie about Dillinger and the FBI starring
Johnny Depp as
John Dillinger and
Christian Bale as
Melvin Purvis.
American businesspeople and political donors
Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein are currently considered the "main benefactors" of Manitowish Waters, owning a hotel, a condominium complex, a lakefront pavilion, a restaurant, a spa, a coffee shop, and two gift shops in the city, as well as numerous private residences. This is controversial among permanent residents of the town, as even though the Uihleins have invested more than 6.5 million dollars in the town between 2007 and 2015, the residents complain that they are "left in the dark" about Uihlein projects and that the Uihleins exert unfair influence over long-standing local businesses.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of 36.4 square miles (94.4 km
2), of which, 30.4 square miles (78.6 km
2) of it is land and 6.1 square miles (15.7 km
2) of it (16.69%) is water.
Airport
Manitowish Waters is served by the
Manitowish Waters Airport (D25). Located one mile south of the city, the airport handles approximately 6,200 operations per year, with roughly 96% general aviation and 4% air taxi.
Climate
Rest Lake is a weather station in Manitowish Waters near the
Manitowish Waters Airport.
Rest Lake has a
humid continental climate
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 cold ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfb''), bordering on a
dry-winter humid continental climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dwb'').
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 646 people, 301 households, and 208 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was 21.3 people per square mile (8.2/km
2). There were 1,103 housing units at an average density of 36.3 per square mile (14.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.07%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.46% from
other races, and 0.46% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 2.01% of the population.
There were 301 households, out of which 19.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 2.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.56.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.1% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 29.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $49,375. Males had a median income of $36,518 versus $20,114 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $21,042. About 5.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
Tourism
The town is best known for its
chain of lakes. During the summer, the population increases dramatically as tourists come from all around the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
.
It is also known as an artists' enclave, with many artist studios and gift shops located in the town square and surrounding areas. Another tourist attraction is the water ski team, the Skiing Skeeters, who perform free shows two nights a week throughout the summer.
Transportation
River's Edge
BCycle station offers a
bikeshare facility for the town with 10
e-bikes since 2021.
Gallery
Image:Old-town-at-manitowish.jpg, Wood-and-canvas canoe being lifted over a beaver dam near Manitowish Waters
Image:Manitowish Waters, WI.JPG, Town center, Manitowish Waters
Image:Manitowish Waters gift shop.JPG, A typical gift shop in the area
Image:Skiing Skeeters.JPG, Members of the local ski team, the Skiing Skeeters, form a human pyramid
File:Manitowish Waters Airport.jpg, Manitowish Waters Airport
File:Manitowoc Waters Wisconsin Looking North County W.jpg, Looking north at the community of Manitowish Waters on County Road W
File:Bohemiaentrancefromhwy512.jpg, Little Bohemia Lodge as it looked in 1934
File:Eagle Visit For Lunch.jpg, Keep an eye out for one of the many local eagles.
References
External links
Manitowish Waters Chamber of CommerceManitowish Waters Lakes AssociationManitowish Waters Public Library (Frank B. Koller Memorial Library)
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Towns in Vilas County, Wisconsin
Towns in Wisconsin