Crandon, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crandon, Wisconsin
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Looking north at downtown Crandon
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Location of Crandon in Forest County, Wisconsin.
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 Crandon, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
Crandon, Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Forest |
| Founded | 19th century |
| Established | 1887 |
| Incorporated | 1909 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.19 sq mi (16.03 km2) |
| • Land | 5.22 sq mi (13.52 km2) |
| • Water | 0.97 sq mi (2.51 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,713 |
| • Density | 328.1/sq mi (126.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
54520
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| Area code | 715 & 534 |
| FIPS code | 55-17425 |
Crandon is a small city in Forest County, Wisconsin, in the United States. It's located in the northeastern part of Wisconsin. Crandon is about 100 miles (160 km) north of Green Bay. In 2020, about 1,713 people lived there. It's the main city and county seat of Forest County. Crandon is the only official city in the county.
Contents
History of Crandon
Crandon's story began in the 1880s. A businessman named Samuel Shaw bought land in what was then Oconto County. He worked with Major Frank P. Crandon to create a new county. This new county, Forest County, was officially formed in 1887. Frank Crandon helped so much that the main city was named after him.
Trains soon came to the area. A special train track reached Crandon around the year 1900. The city grew quickly because of the lumber industry. In 1891, a company bought a lot of hardwood trees nearby. By 1902, they built a huge sawmill. This mill helped Crandon's population grow from 800 to over 2,400 people very fast.
Many settlers and loggers came from Kentucky to work in the timber industry. The sawmill itself was even moved to Crandon from Glasgow, Kentucky. Today, some local traditions still reflect these early "Kentuck" ancestors. Crandon officially became a city in 1909. Many of the buildings you see today were built around that time. Even though the timber industry is smaller now, logging companies still work in the nearby Nicolet National Forest.
From the 1980s to 2003, there was a big discussion about building a mine near Crandon. This mine would have dug for copper. The debate was very strong. In 1998, Wisconsin passed a law that made it harder to build new mines. Eventually, the land for the mine was bought by the Mole Lake Sakaogon Chippewa and Forest County Potawatomi tribes. Their reservations were close to the proposed mine site. The mining project was stopped in October 2003.
In 2014, the people of Crandon voted to change their mayor.
Where is Crandon? (Geography)
Crandon covers about 6.19 square miles (16.03 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 0.97 square miles (2.5 square kilometers) is water. The city is located on the northern shore of Metonga Lake. Another lake, Lake Lucerne, is also just a few miles away. There is a large crater in the town's park, Culversinesis Park. This crater was caused by a large dairy truck accident in 1962.
Who Lives in Crandon? (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,833 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,632 | −11.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,679 | 2.9% | |
| 1940 | 2,000 | 19.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,922 | −3.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,679 | −12.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,582 | −5.8% | |
| 1980 | 1,969 | 24.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,958 | −0.6% | |
| 2000 | 1,961 | 0.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,920 | −2.1% | |
| 2020 | 1,713 | −10.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Crandon had a population of 1,713 people. The city had about 959 homes. Most residents were White (83.4%). About 7.6% were Native American. Other groups included Black or African American, Pacific Islander, and people of two or more races. About 2.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In 2010, there were 1,920 people living in Crandon. There were 771 households. About 30.6% of these households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 40 years old. About 23.1% of residents were under 18.
Getting Around Crandon (Transportation)
Major Roads
Crandon is connected by several important roads:
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U.S. 8 goes east to Laona, Wisconsin. If you go west, US 8 leads to Rhinelander, Wisconsin. |
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WIS 32 runs with U.S. 8. It goes north to Eagle River, Wisconsin. |
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WIS 55 travels north to Iron River, Michigan and south to Shawano, Wisconsin. |
Airports
Crandon has its own airport, the Crandon Municipal Airport (Y55). It's located three miles southwest of the city. The airport has a 3,550-foot asphalt runway.
The Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (KRHI) also serves Crandon and nearby towns. This airport has flights for both commercial jets and smaller planes.
What Crandon Does (Economy)
The main industries in Crandon are logging, tourism, and light industry. Tourism is very important, especially for outdoor activities and camping. Crandon is also home to the World Championship Off-Road Races.
Downtown Crandon has restaurants, shops, and services for its residents and visitors. Because of tourism, there are also many hotels and inns. Crandon has two casinos nearby: the Mole Lake casino and Potawatomi Bingo and Northern Lights Casino. CoVantage Credit Union is a large financial company in the area.
Fun Things to Do (Arts and Recreation)
Crandon is a great place for outdoor recreation. You can go fishing, hunting, and snowmobiling. There are many lakes and hundreds of miles of trails nearby.
Crandon is famous for the Crandon International Off-Road Raceway. This track hosts exciting world championship off-road races.
The city also has an annual event called the Kentuck Days Festival. This festival celebrates the area's history and its connections to Kentucky.
Notable People from Crandon
- Jack Flannery, off-road racing driver
- Amos E. Germer, Wisconsin State Representative
- Lloyd H. Kincaid, Wisconsin State Senator
- Herman L. Kronschnabl, Wisconsin State Representative
- Kathleen A. Krosnicki, Wisconsin State Representative
- Alexander H. Smith, mycologist
See also
In Spanish: Crandon (Wisconsin) para niños
