Ashland County, Wisconsin

Ashland County
County
Ashland County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°43′N90°34′W / 46.71°N 90.56°W / 46.71; -90.56
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	March 27, 1860
Named for	Henry Clay's farm Ashland
Seat	Ashland
Largest city	Ashland
Area
• Total	2,292 sq mi (5,940 km2)
• Land	1,045 sq mi (2,710 km2)
• Water	1,247 sq mi (3,230 km2)  54%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	16,027
• Density	15.3/sq mi (5.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.co.ashland.wi.us

Ashland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,027. ^[1] Its county seat is Ashland. ^[2] The county was formed on March 27, 1860, from La Pointe County. ^[3] The county partly overlaps with the reservation of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

History

Ashland County was named in honor of the Lexington estate of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, as one of the founders of the city of Ashland was an admirer of Clay. ^{[4] [5]}

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,292 square miles (5,940 km²), of which 1,045 square miles (2,710 km²) is land and 1,247 square miles (3,230 km²) (54%) is water. ^[6] It is the second-largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The Apostle Islands are a small group of islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula with the majority of the islands located in Ashland County — only Sand, York and Raspberry Islands are in Bayfield County.

Adjacent counties

• Iron County – east
• Price County – southeast
• Sawyer County – southwest
• Bayfield County – northwest
• Lake County, Minnesota – northwest
• Cook County, Minnesota – north
• Ontonagon County, Michigan – northeast
• Gogebic County, Michigan – northeast

Major highways

U.S. Highway 2 Highway 13 (Wisconsin) Highway 77 (Wisconsin) Highway 112 (Wisconsin)

Highway 118 (Wisconsin) Highway 137 (Wisconsin) Highway 169 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• Watco

Buses

• Bay Area Rural Transit
• Indian Trails
• List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Airports

• John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (KASX) serves the county and surrounding communities.
• Major Gilbert Field Airport (4R5) enhances county service.

National protected area

• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (part)
• Chequamegon National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	515		—
1870	221		−57.1%
1880	1,559		605.4%
1890	20,063		1,186.9%
1900	20,176		0.6%
1910	21,965		8.9%
1920	24,538		11.7%
1930	21,054		−14.2%
1940	21,801		3.5%
1950	19,461		−10.7%
1960	17,375		−10.7%
1970	16,743		−3.6%
1980	16,783		0.2%
1990	16,307		−2.8%
2000	16,866		3.4%
2010	16,157		−4.2%
2020	16,027		−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9] 1990–2000 [10] 2010 [11] 2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, ^[1] the population was 16,027. The population density was 15.3 inhabitants per square mile (5.9/km²). There were 9,407 housing units at an average density of 9.0 units per square mile (3.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.8% White, 13.0% Native American, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 5.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,157 people living in the county. 84.6% were White, 11.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% of some other race and 3.3% of two or more races. 1.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 25.6% were of German, 7.6% Finnish, 6.8% American, 6.5% Irish and 5.3% Norwegian ancestry. ^[12]

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Ashland County

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 16,866 people, 6,718 households, and 4,279 families living in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km²). There were 8,883 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.10% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 10.35% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 1.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 27.8% were of German, 8.4% Finnish, 7.4% Polish, 7.4% Norwegian, 7.3% Swedish and 5.4% Irish ancestry. 96.6% spoke English as their first language. The reservation of the Bad River Chippewa Band is partially located in the county.

There were 6,718 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.60% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.30% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% 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 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.

In 2017, there were 194 births, giving a general fertility rate of 73.1 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the eleventh highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. ^[14] Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Ashland County residence in 2017. ^[15]

Communities

Ashland County, Wisconsin from 1895 U.S. Atlas

Entrance sign on U.S. Route 2

Cities

• Ashland (county seat; partly in Bayfield County)
• Mellen

Village

• Butternut

Towns

• Agenda
• Ashland
• Chippewa
• Gingles
• Gordon
• Jacobs
• La Pointe
• Marengo
• Morse
• Peeksville
• Sanborn
• Shanagolden
• White River

Census-designated places

• Bayfront
• Birch Hill
• Clam Lake
• Diaperville
• Franks Field
• Glidden
• Jolmaville
• Marengo
• New Odanah
• Odanah

Unincorporated communities

• Ballou
• Birch
• Cayuga
• Foster Junction
• Highbridge
• Holts Landing
• La Pointe
• Middleport
• Minersville
• Morse
• North York
• Old Fort
• Peeksville
• Penokee
• Petes Landing
• Sanborn
• Sedgwick
• Shanagolden
• White River

Politics

Ashland County is consistently Democratic. It has voted for the Democrat in every presidential election since 1932, with the exceptions of 1952 and 1956 when it backed Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower's two successful bids for the presidency.

Despite Ashland County's Democratic leanings, three consecutive district attorneys of Ashland County in the 1990s and early 2000s, each elected as Republicans, went on to hold major positions in state or federal politics. J.B. Van Hollen, district attorney from 1993 to 1999, later served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin in the administration of President George W. Bush and as Attorney General of Wisconsin from 2007 to 2015. Van Hollen's successor as district attorney, Michael Gableman, who served from 1999 to 2002, was later a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 2008 to 2018. Gableman's successor as district attorney, Sean Duffy, who served from 2002 to 2010, served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019.

United States presidential election results for Ashland County, Wisconsin ^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,841	43.86%	4,801	54.82%	115	1.31%
2016	3,303	41.12%	4,226	52.61%	503	6.26%
2012	2,820	33.68%	5,399	64.49%	153	1.83%
2008	2,634	30.72%	5,818	67.86%	122	1.42%
2004	3,313	36.01%	5,805	63.10%	81	0.88%
2000	3,038	38.50%	4,356	55.21%	496	6.29%
1996	1,863	27.41%	3,808	56.02%	1,127	16.58%
1992	2,372	28.26%	4,213	50.20%	1,808	21.54%
1988	2,926	39.11%	4,526	60.49%	30	0.40%
1984	3,517	42.54%	4,680	56.60%	71	0.86%
1980	3,262	37.56%	4,469	51.46%	954	10.98%
1976	3,045	38.25%	4,688	58.89%	228	2.86%
1972	3,478	46.93%	3,771	50.88%	162	2.19%
1968	2,557	35.74%	4,147	57.96%	451	6.30%
1964	2,198	28.96%	5,383	70.91%	10	0.13%
1960	3,470	42.70%	4,644	57.14%	13	0.16%
1956	4,121	52.70%	3,677	47.03%	21	0.27%
1952	4,451	53.50%	3,828	46.01%	41	0.49%
1948	3,135	41.75%	4,110	54.73%	264	3.52%
1944	3,183	40.60%	4,609	58.80%	47	0.60%
1940	3,592	38.59%	5,586	60.01%	131	1.41%
1936	2,439	28.10%	5,904	68.01%	338	3.89%
1932	2,646	31.77%	5,405	64.90%	277	3.33%
1928	3,639	49.36%	3,570	48.43%	163	2.21%
1924	2,272	32.44%	449	6.41%	4,283	61.15%
1920	4,005	70.94%	1,081	19.15%	560	9.92%
1916	1,998	51.98%	1,582	41.16%	264	6.87%
1912	937	26.83%	1,451	41.54%	1,105	31.63%
1908	2,259	54.21%	1,582	37.96%	326	7.82%
1904	3,406	71.40%	1,004	21.05%	360	7.55%
1900	3,034	63.97%	1,557	32.83%	152	3.20%
1896	2,738	59.70%	1,743	38.01%	105	2.29%
1892	2,283	46.46%	2,436	49.57%	195	3.97%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ashland County, Wisconsin
• List of counties in Wisconsin

References

1. "2020 Decennial Census: Ashland County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Wisconsin History: La Pointe County (obsolete)". Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
4. Wisconsin Historical Society. "Term: Ashland County [origin of place name]". Dictionary of Wisconsin History. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
5. "Here's How Iron Got Its Name". The Rhinelander Daily News. June 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2014– via Newspapers.com.
6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
9. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
11. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
12. "American FactFinder" ^{[ dead link ]}
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
15. 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
16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 9, 2020.

External links

• Ashland County
• Old plat maps: ca 1898 1898 1905 1917
• Ashland County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

46°43′N90°34′W / 46.71°N 90.56°W / 46.71; -90.56