Minocqua, Wisconsin

Last updated

Minocqua, Wisconsin
Minwaakwaa
Town
15-08-04-Minocqua-Daniela-Kloth-IMG 1367.JPG
Downtown Minocqua
Nickname: 
The Island City
USA Wisconsin relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Minocqua
Location within Wisconsin
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Minocqua
Minocqua (the United States)
Coordinates: 45°52′14.3″N89°42′33.0″W / 45.870639°N 89.709167°W / 45.870639; -89.709167
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of Wisconsin.svg  Wisconsin
County Oneida
Government
 • Chairman [1] Mark Hartzheim [2]
 • Town Clerk [2] Roben Haggart [2]
 • Town Treasurer [2] Kim Strasburg [2]
 • Town Secretary [2] Karla Wotruba [2]
Area
 • Total168.1 sq mi (435.3 km2)
 • Land150.8 sq mi (390.6 km2)
 • Water17.3 sq mi (44.8 km2)
Elevation
[3]
1,598 ft (487 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total4,859
 • Density32.2/sq mi (12.4/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s) 715 & 534
FIPS code 55-53225 [4]
GNIS feature ID1583727 [3]

Minocqua (Ojibwe : Minwaakwaa) [5] is a town in northwestern Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,388 as of 2017. [6] The census-designated place of Minocqua and the unincorporated community of Rantz are both located in the town. Minocqua is commonly referred to as "The Island City." [7]

Contents

History

Minocqua was officially organized in the year 1889. Although there are varying explanations regarding the meaning of the word "Minocqua", most credit its origin to the Island's first inhabitants, the Ojibwe. [8] The town Minocqua is named after, "Ninocqua", the Ojibwe name that is defined as "noon-day-rest". [1]

In the late 1800s, Minocqua was a logging town. Minocqua Clawson was the first child born in the town. Clawson Hill was a famous landmark in town, and it is now the current location of the Pointe Resort & Hotel at the south end of the Highway 51 bridge.

The construction of railroads was a critical component of Minocqua's early growth. The Milwaukee Road originally came to the area to provide access to timber. Later, railroads catered to sportsmen and tourists, transforming Minocqua into the vacation getaway it remains to this day. The two railroad trestles that brought trains to the Island are still intact and serve as the trailhead for the Bearskin State Trail that provides hiking and biking in summer, and snowmobiling in winter.

Much of the town's business district was destroyed by a major fire in 1912. Many of the buildings on the main street today were designed and built after the fire. Although the last several decades have brought a higher percentage of visitor-oriented retail stores, the downtown still retains a U.S. post office, banks, restaurants, and a barbershop. The Island, Minocqua's city center, contains the Campanile Center for the Arts, the Minocqua Police Department, Minocqua Fire Department, and the Minocqua Community Center, which houses the town offices and public library.

Landmarks on the Island include Torpy Park, the Belle-Isle building and the Minocqua Community Center. Town offices and the Minocqua Public Library are located in the Minocqua Community Center. Bosacki's Boat House burned to the ground in 1972. Although state regulations prohibited the structure being rebuilt over water, a public outcry convinced the DNR to allow it to be rebuilt where it had originally stood.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 168.1 square miles (435.4 km2), of which, 150.8 square miles (390.6 km2) of it is land and 17.3 square miles (44.8 km2) of it is water. The total area is 10.29% water.

Termed the "Island City," a portion of the town is situated on what was an actual island, which is accessible by bridge on Highway 51 and "the fill" to the north. Much of Minocqua has sandy soil, although areas of the far northwest and the northeast are clay. The majority of the soil is highly acidic and many areas are covered by forests.

The highest point in Minocqua is Squirrel Hill, located near Winter Park (1735 ft). [9] The highest structure in Minocqua is the Lakeland Sanitary District water tower, a steel tank on Hwy 51 North put in place in the 1960s during the winter.

The community of Bo-di-Lac (short for "Booth-Diamond-Lac du Flambeau) is located in the western portion of the town bordered by Squirrel Lake, Diamond Lake, Booth Lake, and the town of Lac du Flambeau.

Climate

Minocqua has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with long, cold winters and mild, humid summers.

Climate data for Minocqua, Wisconsin, 1991–2020 normals, 1903-2020 extremes: 1601ft (488m)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)56
(13)		60
(16)		78
(26)		90
(32)		99
(37)		99
(37)		106
(41)		99
(37)		95
(35)		86
(30)		75
(24)		57
(14)		106
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)38.3
(3.5)		44.9
(7.2)		57.3
(14.1)		72.7
(22.6)		82.7
(28.2)		87.3
(30.7)		87.8
(31.0)		87.0
(30.6)		82.4
(28.0)		73.6
(23.1)		56.4
(13.6)		41.4
(5.2)		90.1
(32.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)19.7
(−6.8)		25.1
(−3.8)		36.8
(2.7)		49.2
(9.6)		63.8
(17.7)		73.1
(22.8)		76.7
(24.8)		74.6
(23.7)		66.5
(19.2)		52.3
(11.3)		36.6
(2.6)		24.7
(−4.1)		49.9
(10.0)
Daily mean °F (°C)10.5
(−11.9)		14.0
(−10.0)		24.7
(−4.1)		37.4
(3.0)		51.6
(10.9)		61.9
(16.6)		65.5
(18.6)		63.2
(17.3)		55.6
(13.1)		42.9
(6.1)		29.2
(−1.6)		17.0
(−8.3)		39.5
(4.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)1.2
(−17.1)		2.8
(−16.2)		12.6
(−10.8)		25.7
(−3.5)		39.4
(4.1)		50.8
(10.4)		54.4
(12.4)		51.7
(10.9)		44.8
(7.1)		33.5
(0.8)		21.9
(−5.6)		9.4
(−12.6)		29.0
(−1.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C)−22.2
(−30.1)		−20.8
(−29.3)		−12.9
(−24.9)		9.8
(−12.3)		25.6
(−3.6)		35.3
(1.8)		42.7
(5.9)		40.1
(4.5)		29.5
(−1.4)		20.2
(−6.6)		3.3
(−15.9)		−14.9
(−26.1)		−25.7
(−32.1)
Record low °F (°C)−48
(−44)		−48
(−44)		−36
(−38)		−18
(−28)		15
(−9)		25
(−4)		30
(−1)		30
(−1)		19
(−7)		3
(−16)		−18
(−28)		−36
(−38)		−48
(−44)
Average precipitation inches (mm)1.27
(32)		1.07
(27)		1.72
(44)		2.88
(73)		3.76
(96)		4.36
(111)		4.10
(104)		3.65
(93)		3.56
(90)		3.67
(93)		2.08
(53)		1.67
(42)		33.79
(858)
Average snowfall inches (cm)20.40
(51.8)		16.50
(41.9)		16.90
(42.9)		8.80
(22.4)		0.70
(1.8)		0.00
(0.00)		0.00
(0.00)		0.00
(0.00)		0.00
(0.00)		2.90
(7.4)		12.80
(32.5)		19.70
(50.0)		98.7
(250.7)
Source 1: NOAA [10]
Source 2: XMACIS (records & monthly max/mins) [11]

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, [4] there are 4,385 people living in the town occupying 2,079 households. There are a total of 4,835 housing units in town of which 2,493 are seasonal in nature.

The racial makeup of the town is 96.1% White, 0.2% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 0.8% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

26.4% of the town's population is age 65 or older while 16.3% is below the age of 18. The median age is 51.6 years.

The average household size is 2.11 persons.

Transportation

Bus service is provided by Bay Area Rural Transit.

The Lakeland Airport (KARV) is located 3 miles northwest of the central business district of Minocqua.

The Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (KRHI) located 25 miles to the southeast serves Minocqua, Oneida county and surrounding communities with both scheduled commercial jet service and general aviation services.

Railways

Until the 1980s, a Milwaukee Road line went through the town. The line is now the Bear Skin State Trail.

Government

The town board, consisting of a town chairman and four supervisors, is responsible for governing the citizens of Minocqua. [1] There have been 30 town chairmen in the history of Minocqua. The list of early town chairmen include A.O. Dorwin, Lincoln Abraham, Jacob Huber, Thomas Bolger, William Schlecht, and Dr. Torpy. [12]

Minocqua is entirely located in Wisconsin's 34th Assembly, 12th Senate, and 7th Congressional District, and is represented by State Representative Rob Swearingen and Congressman Tom Tiffany. The 12th Senate district is currently open following the election of Senator Tom Tiffany to the US Congress on May 12, 2020. [1]

Education

Minocqua has a public elementary school, Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk Elementary School, a private Lutheran elementary/middle school, Trinity Lutheran School, [13] and a high school, Lakeland Union High School.

Tourism

Tourism plays a substantial role in the economy of Minocqua. As a forested lake community, there are many outdoor summer activities, such as fishing, camping, waterskiing, boating, hiking, bike riding, berry collecting, and swimming.

A business strip runs through the downtown ("The Island"), with tourist attractions and shopping. Minocqua's nightlife includes bars hosting live music in the summer. A Fourth of July parade is presented annually. Events include dancing, live music, fireworks, and a Min-Aqua Bat waterski and boat show.

During the fall, rifle and bow hunting draw many visitors, as does the annual downtown merchants' Beef-a-Rama held the last Saturday in September. Winter activities include snowmobile festivals, Nordic (cross country) skiing, ice fishing, downhill skiing in nearby hills, snow tubing, sleigh rides, and snowmobiling. Minocqua is home to Minocqua Winter Park, a cross-country skiing venue, as well as a sledding hill and ice-skating pond.

Minocqua is home to one of the world's oldest amateur water ski teams, the Min-Aqua Bats. The Min-Aqua bats have been performing at the Aqua Bowl for 70 summers now, as a nonprofit organization and will open up the 71st season in June 2020. [14]

Arts activities include the Campanile Center for the Arts which operates year-round, offering an array of high quality artists to captivate, intrigue and inspire audiences. The Campanile also provides music, theater, and visual art instruction.

Museums

The Minocqua Museum is located in Minocqua. [15] Its exhibits portray Minocqua’s early days.

The U.S. flag that was lowered by the last U.S. soldiers to depart from the Vietnam War is on exhibit at the American Legion Post in Minocqua. [16]

View of the old railroad trestle over Lake Minocqua - Now the Bearskin Trail Lake minocqua trestle.jpg
View of the old railroad trestle over Lake Minocqua – Now the Bearskin Trail

Images

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vilas County, Wisconsin</span> County in Wisconsin, United States

Vilas County is a county in the state of Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,047. Its county seat is Eagle River. The county partly overlaps the reservation of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oneida County, Wisconsin</span> County in Wisconsin, United States

Oneida County is a county in the state of Wisconsin, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 37,845. Its county seat is Rhinelander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhinelander, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Rhinelander is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,285 at the 2020 census.

Three Lakes is a town in Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,131 at the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Three Lakes is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Clearwater Lake is also located in the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiocton, Wisconsin</span> Village in Wisconsin, United States

Shiocton is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 921 at the 2010 census. It is wholly surrounded by the Town of Bovina.

Boulder Junction is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 958 at the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle River, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Eagle River is a city in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,628 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Vilas County. Because of the many lakes in the area, the city is a popular vacation and retirement destination. The area contains many condominiums, seasonal vacation homes, and hunting cabins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomahawk, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Tomahawk is a city in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayward, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. Its population was 2,533 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sawyer County. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward. The City of Hayward was formally organized in 1883.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin</span> Town in Wisconsin, United States

The Town of Lac du Flambeau is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,004 at the 2000 census. The land base of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is located within the town and also consists of a large portion of the town. The Lac du Flambeau census-designated place is located within the town. The unincorporated community of Marlands is also located in the town. Lac du Flambeau, situated around Flambeau Lake, is a year-round vacation destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa</span> Ojibwa Native American tribe

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is a federally recognized Ojibwa Native American tribe. It had 3,415 enrolled members as of 2010. The Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation lies mostly in the Town of Lac du Flambeau in south-western Vilas County, and in the Town of Sherman in south-eastern Iron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It has a land area of 107.1 square miles (277.4 km2) and a 2020 census resident population of 3,518 persons. Its major settlement is the unincorporated Lac du Flambeau, which had a population of 1,845 persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians</span>

The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe is one of six federally recognized bands of Ojibwe people located in present-day Wisconsin. It had 7,275 enrolled members as of 2010. The band is based at the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation in northwestern Wisconsin, which surrounds Lac Courte Oreilles. The main reservation's land is in west-central Sawyer County, but two small plots of off-reservation trust land are located in Rusk, Burnett, and Washburn counties. The reservation was established in 1854 by the second Treaty of La Pointe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kettle Moraine State Forest</span> State forest in Wisconsin, United States

The Kettle Moraine State Forest is a state forest in southeastern Wisconsin. The chief feature of the reserve is the Kettle Moraine, a highly glaciated area. The area contains very hilly terrain and glacial landforms, such as kettles, kames and eskers. The 56,000-acre (23,000 ha) forest is divided into two large and three small units, which are spread across a hundred miles.

The Lake Superior Chippewa are a large number of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) bands living around Lake Superior; this territory is considered part of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in the United States. They migrated into the area by the seventeenth century, encroaching on the Eastern Dakota people who had historically occupied the area. The Ojibwe defeated the Eastern Dakota, who migrated west into the Great Plains after the final battle in 1745. While they share a common culture including the Anishinaabe language, this highly decentralized group of Ojibwe includes at least twelve independent bands in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Minocqua</span>

Lake Minocqua is a freshwater natural drainage lake in northern Oneida County, Wisconsin. It is 1360 acres (5.5 km2) in area, with an average depth of 23 feet (7 m) and a maximum depth of 60 feet (18.3 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercer (CDP), Wisconsin</span> Census-designated place in Wisconsin, United States

Mercer is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the town of Mercer, Iron County, Wisconsin, United States. Mercer is located on US Highway 51 20.5 miles (33.0 km) south-southeast of Hurley. Mercer has a post office with ZIP code 54547. As of the 2010 census, its population is 516.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minocqua (CDP), Wisconsin</span> Census-designated place in Wisconsin, United States

Minocqua is a census-designated place located in the town of Minocqua, Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. Minocqua is located on a peninsula on Minocqua Lake, 21.5 miles (34.6 km) northwest of Rhinelander. The community is served by U.S. Route 51. Minocqua has a post office with ZIP code 54548. As of the 2010 census, its population is 451.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turtle-Flambeau Flowage</span> Lake of the United States of America

The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage is a 12,942 acres (52.37 km2) lake in Iron County, Wisconsin. It has a maximum depth of 15 meters and is the seventh largest lake in the state of Wisconsin by surface area. The flowage is home to unique wetland patterns and plant species as well as several species of sport and game fish, including Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye and Sturgeon. The lake's water clarity is low, but can vary in different locations in the lake. Fishing, camping, boating, and hunting are popular activities on the flowage, and Ojibwe people traditionally harvest fish and game on the lake. Environmental concerns on the flowage include mercury contamination, algal blooms, and several types of invasive species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau</span> United States historic place

The Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin was a school where Native American children of the Ojibwe, Potowatomi and Odawa peoples were taught mainstream American culture from 1895 to 1932. It served grades 1-8, teaching both academic and practical subjects, intended to give children skills needed for their rural societies. The school was converted in 1932 to a day school, serving only Ojibwe children and those nearby of other tribes.

Kate Pelham Newcomb, or "Dr. Kate" as she was known to her community, was a physician in northern Wisconsin. She practiced medicine in and around Boulder Junction and Woodruff, Wisconsin, in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In 1954 she gained national recognition from television producer Ralph Edwards and the NBC program This Is Your Life for inspiring the "Million Penny Parade", to raise funds for a new hospital.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Minocqua, WI | History of Minocqua, Woodruff, and Arbor Vitae".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Departments | Town of Minocqua".
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Minocqua
  4. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Translate Ojibwe", English-Ojibwe Dictionary, "Minocqua"
  6. ↑ Bureau, US Census. "Data". Census.gov. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Town of Minocqua | the Island City".
  8. ↑ Minocqua History. Town of Minocqua.
  9. ↑ Wisconsin Blue Book
  10. ↑ "Minocqua, Wisconsin 1991-2020 Monthly Normals" . Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  11. ↑ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Town of Minocqua - The Island City". www.townofminocqua.org. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Trinity Lutheran School & Preschool".
  14. ↑ "History". June 10, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  15. ↑ Minocqua Museum opens for summer season June 7
  16. ↑ American Legion Post 89 home to significant national artifact
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.