Histories

County History

Price County History

 

Price County was created from parts of Chippewa and Lincoln counties   on March 3^rd, 1879. The county was named after W. T. Price, President of the Wisconsin Senate and one of the first loggers in the county.

 

Price County is the fifth largest county in Wisconsin measuring thirty-one miles east to west and forty-two miles north to south. It has a land area of 1,253 square miles of which 28,500 acres are state-owned; 90,000 acres are county owned; and 147,000 acres make up the Chequamegon National Forest. It has a water area of 25.9 square miles. Prior to the 1860’s, the area that would become Price County was a pristine wilderness rich in pine and hardwoods.  

The area was originally homelands to the Santee Dakota (Sioux) and later to the Anishinabe (Ojibwe). Between 1842 and 1854, after pushing the Santee Dakota westward, the Ojibwe ceded millions of acres of the land (including the area of present day Price County) in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota to the federal government but retained exclusive hunting and fishing rights.  

In 1864 the voices of government surveyors broke the silence in the forests as they began to platte the area. Lumber was in great demand at the time and by the 1870’s lumber companies had moved into the area. As the land was stripped of its valuable timber, immigrant settlers began to move into the area purchasing the cut-over lands that had become tax burdens to the lumber companies. The first settlements were the Town of Brannan located in the southern third of the County and the Spirit River Settlement along the Spirit River.

The community of Elk Lake formed in 1876 as shanties were erected around the passenger depot built by the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company. As the community grew, it was platted by the railroad company and on 23 September 1876 Elk Lake was renamed Phillips in honor of Elijah B. Phillips who was one of the town’s builders. Phillips later became the county seat. 

During the winter of 1883-1884, surveyors for the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railroad plotted a right-of-way through Wisconsin with the intent to connect Minneapolis, MN with Sault Ste. Marie, MI and thus reduce transportation costs of Minneapolis merchant goods. The railroad line was plotted to intersect with the Wisconsin Central Railroad in Prentice cutting through Price County. The first train to run between Minneapolis and Sault Ste Marie was in January 1888. In later railroad mergers, the railroad became better known as the Soo Line. 

As more and more settlers moved into the area, the need for schools and roads increased along with an increase in taxes. Disputes over tax assessments led to changes in the boundaries of the settlements resulting in the formation of new townships. 

Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish immigrants from Iowa and Minnesota were lured to the area by ads published by the railroad agents and lumber companies advertising rich farm land at reasonable prices. 

Once the land had been depleted of timber, farming became a predominant livelihood along with logging and millwork. Many of the early settlements grew into villages, towns and cities while others disappeared with the lumberjacks. 

In 1933, three Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps were established in the county. The men employed in these camps played a big role in the recovery of the land. 

Today, Price County’s major industries are wood & paper products, tourism and manufacturing in addition to farming, transportation and health care. According to the 2000 U. S. Census the County’s population was 15,822. There were a reported 7,949 males and 7,873 females. By 2005, the population was estimated at 15,220. Between 2000 and 2005 there were an estimated 630 births and 983 deaths. For more information on the county’s demographics, visit City-Data.com.  

Price County Census Counts: 1880 - 2000

 

Data from New York Times Immigration Explorer

 

Price County has a rich history! For more information on the various historical sites, people and places visit the Price County Historical Society located in Fifield.

Civilian Conservation Corps

(CCC Camps)

 

The Civilian Conservation Corps, more commonly referred to as the CCC's, was established on 21 March 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was part of Roosevelt's New Deal legislation and was designed to reduce the number of men unemployed as a result of the Great Depression.

 

The CCC soon became one of the most successful programs of the New Deal due to its popularity among the general public. The CCC operated in every US state and some US territories. It included an Indian Division that provided some relief to the Native American Reservations in western states.

 

The Civilian Conservation Corps was operated by the United States Department of the Army and sponsored by various other government departments. The CCC's in Price County were sponsored by the Department of Forestry. Their primary objectives were road building, tree planting, stream improvement and reduction of the rabbit population.

 

The men who joined the CCC lived in camps (tents and rustic cabins); wore uniforms and followed a quasi-military discipline regime. It was a requirement that they send $25 of their $30 monthly salary back home to their family. 

 

There were several CCC camps scattered throughout the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest between 1933 to 1942. 

 

Civilian Conservation Corps - Price County

 

Camp Name	Date Established	Project No.	Company No.	Location
Riley Creek	14 May 1933	F-3	642	Fifield: sixteen (16) miles east of Fifield on Highway 70.
Sheep Ranch	19 May 1933	F-4	644	Phillips: Sheep Ranch was often called "Skookum Valley" and was located on Jacob Steiger Road (four miles east of Joseph Loula, Sr's homestead.
Connors Lake	23 Jun 1933	S-56	1610	The camp named Connors Lake was located twenty-six (26) miles west of Phillips. It was established with 30 men but soon grew to house over 300 men. It was so large it had side camps at Park Falls and Loretta.

 

All three CCC camps in Price County were closed by 1940..

 

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