Vilas County, Wisconsin

Infobox U.S. County
county = Vilas County
state = Wisconsin


founded year =
founded date =
seat wl = Eagle River
largest city wl = Eagle River
area_total_sq_mi = 1018
area_total_km2 = 2636
area_land_sq_mi = 874
area_land_km2 = 2263
area_water_sq_mi = 144
area_water_km2 = 373
area percentage = 14.16%
census yr = 2000
pop = 21033
density_sq_mi = 24
density_km2 = 9
time zone = Central
UTC offset = -6
DST offset = -5
footnotes =
web = www.co.vilas.wi.us
named for = William Freeman Vilas

Vilas County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 21,033. Its county seat is Eagle RiverGR|6. Vilas County was named for William Freeman Vilas. [ [http://www.co.vilas.wi.us/history.html Vilas County History] .]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,018 square miles (2,636 km²), of which, 874 square miles (2,263 km²) of it is land and 144 square miles (373 km²) of it (14.16%) is water. There are 1,318 lakes in the county.

Adjacent counties

*Gogebic County, Michigan - north
*Iron County, Michigan - northeast
*Forest County - southeast
*Oneida County - south
*Price County - southwest
*Iron County - west

Demographics

USCensusPop
1900= 4929
1910= 6019
1920= 5649
1930= 7294
1940= 8894
1950= 9363
1960= 9332
1970= 10958
1980= 16535
1990= 17707
2000= 21033
footnote= [http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/wi190090.txt WI Counties 1900-1990] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 21,033 people, 9,066 households, and 6,300 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 22,397 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.69% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 9.08% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 37.8% were of German, 7.9% Polish, 6.6% Irish and 5.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.9% spoke English, 1.3% Spanish and 1.2% German as their first language.

There were 9,066 households out of which 23.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the county, the population was spread out with 20.70% under the age of 18, 5.00% from 18 to 24, 23.10% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 22.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.

History

Governor Tommy Thompson was ordered by a federal court to mobilize hundreds of policemen to keep the peace in Vilas County in 1989 during the Wisconsin Walleye War. Vilas County residents massed in angry throngs to interfere with long-time residents who had gained recognition for their natural resource management jurisdiction off of a federal ethnic reservation, throwing rocks and trying to capsize boats from which families gathered their annual quota of fish.

Cities and towns

Cities

*Eagle River

Towns

*Arbor Vitae
*Boulder Junction
*Cloverland
*Conover
*Lac du Flambeau (CDP)
*Lac du Flambeau (town)
*Land O' Lakes
*Lincoln
*Manitowish Waters
*Phelps
*Plum Lake
*Presque Isle
*St. Germain
*Washington
*Winchester

Unincorporated communities

*Sayner

References

External links

* [http://co.vilas.wi.us/ Vilas County official website]
* [http://www.vilas.org/ Vilas County Chamber of Commerce]