La Pointe County, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Pointe County, Wisconsin
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
La Pointe County was a very early county in the Wisconsin Territory. It was created a long time ago, even before Wisconsin became a state! This county helped shape the maps of both Wisconsin and Minnesota as we know them today.
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How La Pointe County Began
La Pointe County was officially formed on February 19, 1845. It was created by the Wisconsin Territory. The land for this new county came from the northern part of an older county called St. Croix County, Wisconsin.
La Pointe County was huge! It covered a large area that was once part of the Northwest Territory. This land stretched across what is now northern Wisconsin and even into parts of present-day Minnesota. The county was named after the community of La Pointe, Wisconsin. This town is located on Madeline Island. La Pointe served as the main town, or county seat, for La Pointe County from 1858 until 1866.
When Wisconsin Became a State
A big change happened on May 29, 1848. This is when Wisconsin officially became a state! When this happened, La Pointe County was split. Part of it became part of the new state of Wisconsin. The other part became land that would soon be part of Minnesota.
The Minnesota Connection
The part of La Pointe County that was between the Mississippi River and the St. Croix River became part of what was called 'de facto Wisconsin Territory'. This means it was still technically Wisconsin land. However, it was soon joined with other federal land north of Iowa. Together, this area formed the new Minnesota Territory on March 3, 1849.
After the Minnesota Territory was created, it formed several new counties. On October 27, 1849, Itasca, Washington, Ramsey, and Benton Counties were all created. These new counties were made from the land that used to be part of La Pointe County in the Wisconsin Territory.
Changes in Wisconsin
The rest of La Pointe County stayed part of Wisconsin. Over time, this remaining part of La Pointe County was also divided. It became the "parent" county for other new counties in Wisconsin.
New Counties Emerge
- In 1854, Douglas County was created from part of La Pointe County.
- In 1860, Ashland County was also formed from La Pointe County.
By this time, the town of La Pointe itself was located within the new Ashland County. Because of these changes, La Pointe County was renamed. On May 1, 1866, it officially became Bayfield County. The county seat was then moved to the town of Bayfield.
