Mosinee is a city in
Marathon County, Wisconsin
Marathon County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 138,013. Its county seat is Wausau, Wisconsin, Wausau. It was founded in 1850, cr ...
, United States. It is part of the
Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau ( ) is a city in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Wisconsin River and had a population of 39,994 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the core city of the Wausau ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,452 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Early history
The traditional inhabitants of the area were the
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
, the
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...
and the
Menominee
The Menominee ( ; meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recognized tribe of Na ...
. However, the name is the Hochunk Mōsį́nį, the "Cold Country," from ''mō'', an old form of ''mą'', meaning "earth, ground, land, country"; and ''sį́nį'', "cold." The Ojibwe ceded the territory to the United States in 1837 when they sold most of their land in what would become Wisconsin, though they were guaranteed the right to continue hunting, fishing, and gathering wild rice on the ceded lands. Similarly, the Potawatomi gave up their land claims in Wisconsin in 1833, and the Menominee ceded territory in this area in the 1836
Treaty of the Cedars
The Treaty of the Cedars was an 1836 agreement between the Menominee Indian nation and the United States in which the Menominee ceded to the United States about of land for $700,000. The agreement opened that huge tract of forest to logging and Wh ...
. These treaties coincided with the establishment of the first
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
in the area by a white settler, John L. Moore, in 1836, and enabled white settlement to begin in the area. Lumber quickly became the most important industry and drew other businesses and settlers to the town, which at the time was known as Little Bull Falls. After the closing of
Fort Winnebago
Fort Winnebago was a 19th-century fortification of the United States Army located on a hill overlooking the eastern end of the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers east of present-day Portage, Wisconsin. It was the middle one of three ...
in 1845, a number of
Métis
The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...
families moved to Little Bull Falls, and in 1857 the town was renamed in honor of an Ojibwe chief from the Wisconsin River Band.
Deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
led to the collapse of the lumber industry in the early 20th century, but it was quickly replaced by the paper industry. In the neighboring Menominee language the town is called ''Mōsāpnīw'', "he dwells alone there", which is likely a close approximation of the eponymous chief's name.
Mock Communist invasion
On May 1, 1950, local residents acting as Communist invaders seized control of Mosinee.
The action was a part of an elaborate pageant organized by the Wisconsin Department of the
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
. The "Communists" dragged Mayor Ralph E. Kronenwetter and Police Chief Carl Gewiss out of their beds. Mayor Kronenwetter surrendered at 10:15 AM in the town's new "
Red Square
Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', p=ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːɪtʲ) is one of the oldest and largest town square, squares in Moscow, Russia. It is located in Moscow's historic centre, along the eastern walls of ...
" with a pistol to his back. The police chief was reported to have resisted and was "liquidated".
Roadblocks were set up around Mosinee, the library was "purged", prices of goods were inflated for the duration of the coup, and local restaurants served Russian
black bread
Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat ...
and potato soup for lunch.
As he arrived at a rally to restore democracy to the community the night of May 1, Mayor Kronenwetter suffered a heart attack and never regained consciousness. He died five days later on May 6, 1950 at age 49. The mayor's doctor said the excitement and exertion probably contributed to his collapse.
Franklin Baker, commander of the local American Legion post, said, "It was a terrible coincidence."
Local minister Will La Brew Bennett, 72, who, during the Communist invasion, demonstrated to the media how he would hide his Bible in the church organ if the Communists really invaded and was herded with other residents into a barbed-wire ringed "
concentration camp
A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
" near "Red Square", was found dead in his bed hours after the mayor's death on May 7, 1950.
Geography
Mosinee is located at 44°47'30" North, 89°42'19" West (44.791709, −89.705301).
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 city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 3,988 people, 1,660 households, and 1,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,791 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.6%
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 ...
, 0.3%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.5%
Native American, 0.5%
Asian, 0.5% from
other races, and 0.7% 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 1.3% of the population.
There were 1,660 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the city was 39.1 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 4,063 people, 1,635 households, and 1,111 families residing in the city. The population density was 522.2 people per square mile (201.6/km
2). There were 1,711 housing units at an average density of 219.9 per square mile (84.9/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.79%
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 ...
, 0.12%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.12%
Native American, 0.22%
Asian, 0.32% from
other races, and 0.42% 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 0.69% of the population.
There were 1,635 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together and 32.0% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,109, and the median income for a family was $51,776. Males had a median income of $34,494 versus $25,572 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,700. About 2.8% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Airport
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 in ...
(CWA) is located southeast of the Mosinee central business district. The airport provides
both scheduled commercial jet service and general aviation services.
On October 24, 2018, the airport was the site of a
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
"Make America Great Again" rally. Attendees lined up to gain entry to the rally up to 29 hours before the event was scheduled to begin.
Education
Joseph Dessert Library
Joseph Dessert came from Canada to Mosinee (then known as "Little Bull Falls") in 1844. He built and equipped a free library for the community. Dedicated on February 11, 1899, the building was used as a library, as well as a post office, village hall, and school, and it was the scene of many community events, including dances and balls. The library was the only place in the community with theater facilities, so amateur plays were often presented there, and school commencements were held in the Grand Hall. The library existed as a city library until 1974, when the library and municipal boards recommended that the Joseph Dessert Library should join the
Marathon County Public Library. Since then, it has also come to be known as the Marathon County Public Library - Mosinee Branch.
Celebrations have marked two significant anniversaries for the library, the first in 1949 at the 50th anniversary, and the second in 1999 at the time of the library's 100th year. Several renovations have also taken place, with the most recent occurring in 1995 as part of a county-wide building and improvement program for libraries. Today, the library maintains its status in the City of Mosinee as both an important community service and as a building significant to the history of the community. The library building is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
Mosinee School District
Mosinee is within the
Mosinee School District.
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Notable people
* John Altenburgh, Jazz/Blues musician and composer
* Cole Caufield, NHL hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
*Kevin Cywinski
Kevin Cywinski (born March 16, 1965) is an American former NASCAR driver. He competed in the Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 1998 and 1999, as well as some races in the Busch Series. After leaving NASCAR, he went back down to the short-track r ...
, 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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver
* Willis F. La Du, state legislator
*Kole Heckendorf
Kole Joseph Heckendorf (born November 20, 1985) is an American college football coach and former wide receiver. He is the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for Saint John's University, positions he has held since 2018. After playing ...
, football player
* William A. Kasten, state legislator
* Sebastian Kronenwetter, pioneer, businessman, state legislator
* Thomas J. Springer, state legislator
* Henry M. Thompson, state legislator
References
External links
City of Mosinee
Mosinee Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Marathon County, Wisconsin