Spooner, Wisconsin
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Spooner is a city in
Washburn County, Wisconsin Washburn County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is named after Governor Cadwallader C. Washburn. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,623. Its county seat is Shell Lake. The county was created in 1883. The county is ...
, United States. The population was 2,573 at the 2020 census. The city is located mostly within the southwest corner of the Town of Spooner, with a small portion extending into the Town of Beaver Brook on the south, the Town of Bashaw on the southwest, and the Town of Evergreen on the west. The city's nickname, "Crossroads of the North", is a reference to the city's location at the junction of two U.S. highways, 53 and 63, and State Highways 70 and
253 __NOTOC__ Year 253 ( CCLIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Volusianus and Claudius (or, less frequently, year 1006 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominati ...
.


History

Originally a town in 1889, and officially incorporated as a city in 1909, Spooner's history is closely interlaced with that of railroad history. In 1879, the North Wisconsin Railway was constructed north of the present-day city of Spooner. Following that, the operations of that railroad were moved south where it joined the
Chicago and North Western 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 ...
at what was then called Chicago Junction. The community, then initially only a station, was named by the general superintendent for the Chicago and North Western, Edwin W. Winter, for
John Coit Spooner John Coit Spooner (January 6, 1843June 11, 1919) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Hudson, Wisconsin. He represented Wisconsin as a United States Senator from 1885 to 1891, then again from 1897 to 1907. In his latter stint ...
(1843–1919), who was a distinguished railroad attorney from what is now the city of
Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson Rodrigues dos Santos, Brazilian f ...
in St. Croix County, northwestern Wisconsin. Spooner would later serve in the
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. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
and represent Wisconsin in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
(1885–1891, 1897–1907). He was a well-favored politician of his time and served as advisor to
U.S. presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the officeholder leads the executive branch ...
Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...
,
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
, and
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
. Eventually, the lines were absorbed by the
Chicago & North Western Railroad 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 ...
. Passenger service ended in the early 1960s under the CNW ownership. In 1992, the
Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad operates a historic train line centered in Trego, Wisconsin on 26 miles of track, between Spooner, Wisconsin and Hayward, Wisconsin with the passenger service stopping at Springbrook, Wisconsin. It was foun ...
was incorporated, to serve as a freight hauler from Spooner to Trego, a nearby town, with a connection to the CNW. Although the freight idea did not work out, they began operating successful passenger excursion trains in 1997 (following the example of the nearby Duluth & Northern Minnesota Railroad, which began passenger excursions in Duluth only a few years before), and were an instant success. The passenger trains were very successful, and after the 1995 takeover of the CNW by the Union Pacific, in 1998 UP announced intentions to abandon the line from Hayward Junction where it connected to the Wisconsin Central to the north through Spooner all the way down to Chippewa Falls. The company bought the portion of the line between Spooner and Hayward Junction in 1999, which greatly expanded passenger operations. To this day they run popular robbery, western style, cowboy, and buffet style as well as more formal dinner trains. More recently, the Great Pumpkin train nearly sold out and now runs annually around the time of
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
. The old CNW Spooner Railroad Depot now serves as the town's Railroad Memories Museum. The city was also once the hub of the Omaha Railroad Line. Its economy was once centered on the railroad and the two main lines that joined there.


Geography

Spooner is located at (45.825941, −91.891116). 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.


Climate

Spooner 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 climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
Dfb), typical of northern Wisconsin with warm, humid summers and relatively long, cold winters.


Demographics


2020 census

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 2020, there were 2,573 people, 1,266 households, 669 families, and 1,289 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 94.9%
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 ...
, 1.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.65% from other races, and 5% 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 people of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 1,266 households, of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% 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, 42.7% were living alone, and 47.4% had at least one person 60 years or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.58. The median age in the city was 47 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 53.2% were between the ages of 18 and 65; and 26.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.


2010 census

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 2010, there were 2,682 people, 1,180 households, and 666 families residing in the city. 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 . There were 1,302 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1%
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 ...
, 1.9% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.9% 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 people of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 1,180 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% 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, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 21.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.6% male and 54.4% female.


2000 census

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 2,653 people, 1,148 households, and 662 families residing in the city. 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 . There were 1,249 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.97%
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 ...
, 0.41%
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 ...
, 2.04% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population were
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. There were 1,148 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.9. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,768, and the median income for a family was $39,677. The median income of its residents was $16,390. About 7.6% of families and 11.9% 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 12.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.


Attractions

The Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum, a museum dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the cultural heritage of
canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...
s and
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...
in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, has displays of canoes and canoe-related ephemera. The Railroad Memories Museum has a large collection of historic material and memorabilia. Each July since 1954, Spooner has hosted the Heart of the North Rodeo, which draws thousands of fans to the area. In addition to the rodeo each evening, there is a Saturday afternoon parade, live music every night, and the cowboy church service on Sunday morning, held outdoors at the rodeo arena. The Jack Pine Savage Days is a local festival that features live bands, an annual fun run, a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, a horseshoe tournament, and a
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
tournament. Jack O' Lantern Fest is an October festival that revolves around giving back to kids and families. The event includes attractions such as inflatables, fundraising walk, pumpkin roll, pet costume contest, carnival games, baking contest, and pumpkin carving contest.


Notable people

*
Guy Benson Guy Pelham Benson (born March 7, 1985) is political editor of Townhall.com,an American columnist, commentator, and political pundit. He is a contributor to Fox News and a conservative talk radio host on Fox News Radio. Benson served as a Fel ...
, mayor and legislator * Felmers O. Chaney, civil rights leader * Frank Hammill, farmer, mayor, and legislator *
John Lanzendorf John J. Lanzendorf (1946 – May 27, 2022) was an American hairstylist who amassed one of the world's largest collections of dinosaur-themed artwork. The collection is now owned by the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Lanzendorf grew up in S ...
, hairstylist, philanthropist, and one of the world's largest collectors of dinosaur art * Hal O'Halloran, radio announcer and singer * Travis Randall, actor, musician, and director * Holger Rasmusen, mayor and legislator'Wisconsin Blue Book 1970,' Biographical Sketch of Holger Rasmusen, pg. 29


References


External links


Spooner, Wisconsin

Spooner Area Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
19091917
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Washburn County, Wisconsin