Tomahawk is a city in
Lincoln County, Wisconsin
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,415. Its county seat is Merrill. The county was created in 1875 and named after President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln County comprise ...
, United States. The population was 3,441 at the 2020 census. The city is located to the northeast of the
Town of Tomahawk and is not contiguous with it.
History
Before 1837, the land where Tomahawk is now situated belonged to 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 ...
, who traded actively with fur traders such as the
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company (AFC) was a prominent American company that sold furs, skins, and buffalo robes. It was founded in 1808 by John Jacob Astor, a German Americans, German immigrant to the United States. During its heyday in the early 19th c ...
and the
Northwest Company
The North West Company was a Canadian fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in the regions that later became Western Canada and Northwestern Ont ...
. After the
1837 cession, the practical situation changed only slightly: the federal survey teams had not arrived yet, logging activity was still light, and Ojibwe continued to actively occupy the general area. There was a village just north of the modern Tomahawk, in the vicinity of modern
Bradley, and a village on Skanawan Creek. The 1854
Treaty of La Pointe created the reservations at
Lac du Flambeau,
Lac Courte Oreilles and
Bad River. Even after this treaty, the region was largely
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
land and the treaties allowed the Ojibwe
usufructory rights to hunt, fish, gather wild rice and make maple sugar. Some Ojibwe received their annuity payments in
Wausau until the payments ended in 1874. By that time most Ojibwe were living permanently on the reservations.
Logging activity from the Tomahawk River upstream began about 1860 and surged after the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. By 1880 several families were living close to Tomahawk-Wisconsin river confluence, including owning property within the present city limits of Tomahawk. The location was variously known as Bouchard's Station or The Forks, short for Forks of the Wisconsin.
Tomahawk traditionally traces its founding to the establishment of the construction camps for a dam and the railroad in 1886. The company leading the effort was the Tomahawk Land and Boom Company, headed by
William H. Bradley, who is thus considered to be the principal founder of Tomahawk. The Tomahawk Land and Boom Company was owned 51 percent by the
Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul railroad, and 49 percent by the Land, Log and Lumber Company (Bradley and his partners). The dam was a large capital investment for the era, and was one of the largest in the world when it was completed. The town site was platted in 1887, with lots sold in Milwaukee that summer. The agent for the sale was
Henry Payne. The city was incorporated in 1891. In the 10 years after the first construction camps were built, Tomahawk grew rapidly, boasting many stores, a three-story hotel, many saw mills, a paper mill, and service via three railroads.
Among the events highlighting Tomahawk's history since that time are:
*1897: The first high school class graduated; among the graduates was Margaret McBride, who achieved prominence as a vocalist in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
*1906: William T. Bradley, future mayor and adopted son of the city's founder, brought the first automobile to the town.
*1914: The first airplane landed on north Tomahawk Avenue, there being no other runway then.
*1917: Tomahawk men enlisted and formed Company A, 119th Machine Gun Battalion, which was deployed to Europe via
Waco, Texas
Waco ( ) is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2024 popul ...
.
*1929: The iconic Mitchell Hotel burned down, nearly taking the entire downtown with it. A new pump brought in from the
Phillips fire department was the only thing that saved the day.
*1936: Tomahawk celebrated its 50th anniversary. The activities included a visit by Governor
Philip La Follette
Philip Fox La Follette (May 8, 1897August 18, 1965) was an American politician who served during the 1930s as the 27th and 29th governor of Wisconsin. La Follette first served as a Republican from 1931 until 1933, where he lost renomination in ...
.
*1941: The United States declared war on Japan, and many Tomahawk young men and women enlisted in military and other service.
*1951:
Einar Ingman was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor in Korea.
*1976: Governor
Patrick Lucey
Patrick Joseph Lucey (March 21, 1918 – May 10, 2014) was an American politician. A member of the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party, he served as the 38th governor of Wisconsin from 1971 to 1977. He was also independent president ...
visited to simultaneously dedicate a large new paper machine at the kraft mill (then owned by Owens-Illinois) as well as Highway 86 bridge.
*1986: Tomahawk celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Frenchtown
A neighborhood in the southern part of the city is known as "Frenchtown" or "French Town". The origins of its name remain unclear. However, among Tomahawk's original settlers were many French speakers, from Canada as well as elsewhere in the United States, including Germain Bourchard, as well as early property owners such as Albert King and Gilbert Vallier.
Geography
Tomahawk is located at (45.474463, -89.731454).
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.
Tomahawk lies at an elbow-shaped bend in the
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, at approximately 430 miles (692 km) long. As a tributary of the Mississippi River, it is part of the Mississippi River System. The river's name was first recorded in 1673 b ...
. There the water is dammed, forming
Lake Mohawksin
Lake Mohawksin is the name of the reservoir on the Wisconsin River formed by the Tomahawk Dam. The dam is located about one mile south of the city limits of Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Lake Mohawksin was originally called Lake Tomahawk, but the name was ...
. Mohawksin is a concatenation of the last syllable of the three rivers that flow into it – the
Somo
Joseph Anthony Somers-Morales (born September 11, 1987), known professionally as SoMo, is an American singer and songwriter.
Career
In 2009, SoMo started recording covers in Denton, Texas. A successful 2011 mash-up of Drake's ''Take Care'' le ...
, the
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Native Americans in the United States, Indian peoples and nations of North America, traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft.
Etymology
The name comes from Powhatan langu ...
and the Wisconsin.
Climate
The
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 ...
subtype for this climate is "
Dfb" (Warm Summer Continental Climate).
Demographics
2010 census
At the 2010
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 ...
,
there were 3,397 people, 1,480 households and 875 families 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 1,742 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 96.8%
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 ...
, 0.2%
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 ...
, 0.7%
Native American, 0.6%
Asian, 0.2% from
other races, and 1.5% 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 1% of the population.
There were 1,480 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.81.
The median age was 44.8 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census,
there were 3,770 people, 1,527 households and 957 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 506.8 per square mile (195.6/km
2). There were 1,696 housing units at an average density of 228 per square mile (88/km
2). The racial makeup was 97.98%
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 ...
, 0.05%
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 ...
, 0.64%
Native American, 0.66%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.21% from
other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.77% 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 1,527 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% 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, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.
25.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $33,986 and the median family income was $42,333. Males had a median income of $36,042 and females $20,625. 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 ...
was $17,277. About 7.1% of families and 7.9% 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 9.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Airports
Tomahawk is served by the
Tomahawk Regional Airport (KTKV). Located three miles west of the city, the airport handles approximately 7,200 operations per year, with roughly 97%
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
and 3%
air taxi
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand.
History
The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermor ...
. The airport has a 4,401 foot asphalt runway with approved GPS approaches (Runway 9-27).
The
Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (KRHI) serves Tomahawk and surrounding communities with both scheduled commercial jet service and general aviation services.
Education
Tomahawk is served by the
Tomahawk School District and its three public schools:
* Tomahawk Elementary School
* Tomahawk Middle School
* Tomahawk High School
There is also a
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
school: St. Mary's Catholic School.
Recreation
Tomahawk hosts many activities and events, especially in the summer. Among the events are:
* The Tomahawk Fall Ride
* Pow-wow Days (
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
celebration)
Tomahawk is home to the Kwahamot Water Ski Club, who perform regularly throughout the summer and periodically host competitive events.
Notable people
*
Merton W. Baker, U.S. Air Force major general
*
Hall L. Brooks, Wisconsin State Representative
*
David Claerbaut, educator
*
Robert W. Dean, jurist and legislator
*
Carl Eklund, polar scientist and
Antarctic
The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is antipodes, diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole.
The Antar ...
explorer
*
Laurence Eklund, journalist, ''
Milwaukee Journal
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'' Washington bureau chief 1947-1970
*
Mary Felzkowski
Mary Jean Felzkowski (''née'' Behling; born September 25, 1963) is an American businesswoman and Republican politician from northern Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 12th Senate district since 2021. ...
, 35th District Member of the Assembly
*
Einar H. Ingman, Jr. U.S. Army Medal of Honor, Korea
*
Jay Leggett, TV and film personality, screenwriter and filmmaker
*
Pickles the Drummer, drummer for death metal band
Dethklok
*
H. T. Webster
Harold Tucker Webster (September 21, 1885 – September 22, 1952) was an American cartoonist known for '' The Timid Soul'', ''Bridge'', ''Life's Darkest Moments'' and others in his syndicated series which ran from the 1920s into the 1950s. Because ...
, syndicated cartoonist and creator of Caspar Milquetoast
*
Mike Webster, football player, inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
*
Edward W. Whitson, Wisconsin State Representative
In popular culture
*
Pickles the Drummer, drummer for the virtual death metal band
Dethklok and the animated series ''
Metalocalypse
''Metalocalypse'' is an American Musical film, musical adult animated television series created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha for Adult Swim. It premiered on August 6, 2006. The television program centers on the larger-than-life melodic deat ...
'', was raised in Tomahawk.
Images
File:Tomahawk Wisconsin City Hall Police Station.jpg, City hall / police station
File:Tomahawk Wisconsin Fire Station.jpg, Fire station
File:Tomahawk Wisconsin High School.jpg, Tomahawk High School
File:Tomahawk Wisconsin Post Office.jpg, Post office
File:Tomahawk Wisconsin Sign WIS86.jpg, Welcome sign on WIS 86
File:Tomahawk Wisconsin Welcome Sign WIS86.jpg, City welcome sign
File:Tomahawk Leader Building Wisconsin.jpg, ''Tomahawk Leader'' newspaper building
File:Wisconsin River Tomahawk Wisconsin.jpg, Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, at approximately 430 miles (692 km) long. As a tributary of the Mississippi River, it is part of the Mississippi River System. The river's name was first recorded in 1673 b ...
in Tomahawk
File:Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Bridge Wisconsin River Tomahawk Wisconsin.jpg, Veteran's Memorial Bridge over the Wisconsin River
References
External links
City of TomahawkTomahawk Chamber of Commerce*Sanborn fire insurance maps
1892189819011908
{{authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Lincoln County, Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1891
1891 establishments in Wisconsin