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VILAS COUNTYWIGenWeb Project
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VILAS COUNTYWIGenWeb Project
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WISCONSIN MUNICIPALITIES: Cities Towns, and Villages, often referred to as 'municipalities' in Wisconsin law, are the governmental units that relate most directly to citizens' everyday lives.
TOWNS, like counties, were created by the state to provide basic municipal services. Rooted in New England and New York tradition, town government came to Wisconsin with the settlers, but Wisconsin towns were not like their Eastern counterparts that reflected the existing patterns of local settlement. In Wisconsin, towns are geographical subdivisions of counties. Towns originally served (and for the most part they continue to serve) rural areas. Towns govern those areas of Wisconsin not included in the corporate boundaries of cities and villages. The difference between "township" and "town" often confuses the public. In Wisconsin, "township' refers to the surveyor's township which was laid out to identify land parcels within a county. Theoretically. a township is a square tract of land, measuring six miles on a side for a total of 36 square miles in the unit. Each township is divided into 36 sections. "Town", as the word is used in Wisconsin, denotes a specific unit of government. It's boundaries may coincide with the surveyor's township or it may look quite different. A Town may include one township, parts of townships or several townships. CITIES and VILLAGES, often referred to as "incorportated areas", govern territory where population is more concentrated. In general, minimum population for incorporation as a village is 150 residents for an isolated village and 2,500 for a metropolitan village located in a more densely settled area. For cities, the minimums are 1,000 and 5,000 respectively. As cities and villages are incorporated, they are carved out of the town territory and become independent units no longer subject to the town's control. The remainder of the town may take on a 'Swiss cheese" configuration as its area is reduced. [Information above taken from "State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1997-1998"] |
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SMALL SETTLEMENTS & GHOST TOWNS: There were many small settlements that sprung up around logging camps of the early 1900's and were not much more than a grocery store, post office, railroad stations or rail junction. Some of these develped into larger communities, others have dissappeared along with the lumber camps and the railroads.
* Information on community post offices was taken from "Hale, James B. Wisconsin Post Office Handbook. Bulletin No. 20. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Postal History Society, 1988." Post offices with a beginning date followed by a " +" were still in existance at the time the book was written. Some post offices may have ceased operation after 1988. **Information on railroad stations, junctions and railroad lines taken from a map of Railroads in the Northwoods. The dates are for the railroad lines only, the stations may or may not have been operating during that entire time frame. This list is by no means anywhere near completion, more informatin will be added. 
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| Municipality or Community |
Town Hall/Clerk address or location of community |
*Post Office and ** Train Stations & Jcts |
|---|---|---|
| Arbor Vitae, Town of established about 1899 |
Arbor Vitae Town Office 10672 Big Arbor Vitae Dr, Arbor Vitae WI 54568 715 356-3120 |
Post Office 1893-1973 Train Station; C.M.& St. Paul RR 1895-1944; Chicago & Norwestern RR 1893-1913 |
| Bolton | Town of Lac du Flambeau | railroad station dates unknown, Chicago & Northwester RR 1889-1982 |
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Boulder Junction, Town of established in 1928 from the town of Arbor Vitae |
Town Office PO Box 616 Boulder Jct, WI 54512 715 385-2220 |
Post Office est. Oxely 1906- cgd Boulder Jct. 1912+, Train Station C.M. & St.Paull RR 1908-1926 |
| Buswell | Town of Boulder Junction | Post Office 1905-1914, Train Station, C.M. & St.Paul RR 1905-1919 |
| Cisco | Town of Land O'Lakes | Post Office 1908-1914 |
| Cloverland, Town of created in 1921 from territory in Conover, Farmington and Lincoln |
Cloverland Town offices PO Box 355 Eagle River WI 54521 | . |
| Conover, Town of est. 1907 from town of Eagle River |
Conover Town Hall PO Box 151 Conover WI 54519 715 479-8688 Email: tconover@newnorth.net | Post Office 1894+ |
| Cutter Jct. | Town of Boulder Junction | railroad junction, C.M. & St.Paul RR 1905-1931 |
| Divide | Town of Winchester | Post Office 1905-1908 |
| Donaldson | Town of Land O'Lakes | Post Office 1907-cgd State Line 1919-cgd Land O'Lakes 1923+ |
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Eagle River, City of est. 1893 | Eagle River City Hall
PO Box 1269 Eagle River WI 54521 phone: 715 479-8682 Fax: 479-9674 | Post Office 1883+ |
| Fosterville name cgd Winegar then Presque Isle |
Town of Presque Isle. | Post Office 1906-cgd Winegar 1913-cgd Presque Isle 1956+ |
| Graceland | . | Post Office 1912-1913 |
| Hackley | Town of Phelps | Post Office 1902-cgd Phelps 1912+ |
| Katinka | . | Post Office 1917-1921 |
| Knudson | . | Post Office 1927-1931; railroad station; C.M. & St.Paul RR 1923-1937 |
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Lac du Flambeau, Town of town est.1900. | LdF Town Office PO Box 68, 109 Old Abe Rd Lac du Flambeau WI 54538 phone: 715 588-3358 | Post Office 1890+; Railroad Station; Chicago & Northwester RR 1889-1982 |
| Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Reservation permanent settlement in 1745 reservation established by treaty in 1854 |
Lac du Flambeau Tribal Offices PO Box 67 Lac du Flambeau WI 54538 phone (715) 588-3303 Fax (715) 588-7930 LdF Band of Ojibwa |
The boundaries of the LdF Reservation includes a small amount of land in Iron County (about 18 sq. miles) and the Town of LdF boundaries include a portion (about 18 sq. miles) of Chequamegon National Forest that is not part of the Reservation. |
| .Lakota | Town of Conover | Post Office 1902-1914 |
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Land O'Lakes, Town of est. in 1907, original name Stateline | Town Office
PO Box 660, 4331 Hwy B Land O'Lakes WI 54540 Town Clerk phone: 715 547-3255 | Post Office est Donaldson 1907-cgd State Line 1919-cgd Land O'Lakes 1923+. |
| Lincoln, Town of | Lincoln Town Hall PO Box 9, 1205 Sundstein Rd Eagle River WI 54521 town Clerk 715 479-7000 | . |
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Manitowish Waters, Town of was Spider Lake until 1937 | PO Box 267 Manitowish Waters WI 54545 715 543-8400 |
Post Office 1948+ |
| Mishike | Town of Boulder Junction | Post Office 1923-1931 |
| Oxley | Town of Boulder Junction | Post Office 1906 -1912 cgd BoulderJct 1912+; C.M. & St.Paul RR 1905-1919 |
| Papose Lake | Town of Boulder Junction | Post Office 1917 only; C.M. & St.Paul RR. 1905-1919 |
| Phelps, Town of created in 1905, original name Hackley |
Phelps Town Hall PO Box 157 Phelps WI 54554 715 545-2236 |
Post Office, est. Hackley 1902 cgd Phelps 1912+ |
| Plum Lake, Town of created in 1910 from Arbor Vitae |
Plum Lake Town Hall 8641 Golf Course Rd Sayner WI 54560 Town Clerk: 542-4531 | train station; C.M. & St.Paul RR 1895-1944 |
| Powell | . | railroad station; Chicago & Northwester RR 1889-1982 |
| Presque Isle, Town of created in 1907, formerly called Fosterville, then Winegar | Presque Isle Town Hall School Loop Rd Presque Isle WI 54557 phone: 715 686-2473 Town Clerk: 715 686-2725 | Post Office est. Fosterville 1906-cgd Winegar 1913-cgd Presque Isle 1956+ |
| Rest Lake | . | Post Office 1928-1929 |
| Reynolds | . | Post Office 1891-?? |
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Saint Germain, Town of created in 1907, original name Farmington |
Saint Germain Town Hall PO Box 7, State Rd 155 Saint Germain WI 54558 Town Clerk: 715 542-3668 | Post Office 1952+ |
| Sayner | Town of Plum Lake | Post Office 1898+; railroad station; C.M. & St.Paul RR 1895-1944 |
| Spider Lake | Town of Manitowish Waters | Post Office 1904-mvd Iron Co.1908-19?? |
| Star Lake | Town of Plum Lake | Post Office 1895+; railroad station; C.M. & St.Paul RR 1895-1944 |
| State Line name chg Land O'Lakes |
Town of Land O'Lakes | Post Office est. in Donaldson 1887 cgd Stateline 1907-cgd Land O'Lakes 1923+ |
| Trout Lake | Town of Arbor Vitae | Post Office 1916-1947 Station; C.M. & St.Paul RR 1905-1931 |
| Vudesare | . | Post Office 1908-1916 |
| Velasco Jct. | Town of Arbor Vitae. | railroad junction |
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Washington, Town of created 1910 from territory detached from Eagle River |
Washington Town Hall 1654 Rangeline Rd, Eagle River WI 54521 Phone: 715 479-8886 town clerk 715-479-1669 or email: michele.townofwashington@gmail.com | . |
| Winchester, Town of created in 1921 from territrory in Presque Isle |
Winchester Town Hall HC2, Box 417 Winchester WI 54557 | Post Office 1907-1966; Chicago & Northwester RR |
| Winegar name chg Presque Isle |
Town of Presque Isle | Post Office est. Fosterville 1906-cgd Winegar 1913-cgd Presque Isle 1956+; Chicago & Northwester RR |
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© Copyright: All files on this website are protected by the US Copyright Law, Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, they are not to be copied or altered in any way for commercial use. Individuals may copy the information for their personal use. All persons contributing material for posting on these pages does so in recognition of their free, non-commercial distribution, and further, is responsible to assure that no copyright is violated by their submission. WIGenWeb Vilas County Coordinator Judy Groh |
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| . | This page was last updated on -- Tuesday, 22-Feb-2022 12:33:49 CST |