Prentice, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prentice
Village
At the railroad junction, looking north toward the downtown
Location of Prentice in Price County, Wisconsin
Prentice, Wisconsin Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin Prentice, Wisconsin Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Price
Area
• Total	2.04 sq mi (5.29 km2)
• Land	2.02 sq mi (5.23 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	1,539 ft (469 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	660
• Estimate  (2019)	597
• Density	295.69/sq mi (114.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip Code	54556
Area code(s)	715 & 534
FIPS code	55-65325
GNIS feature ID	1571914

Prentice is a small village located in Price County, Wisconsin, in the United States. It's found near where Highway 13 crosses the Jump River. In 2010, about 660 people lived there. The village is part of the larger Town of Prentice.

History of Prentice

Early Days and the Railroad

The area where Prentice now stands was once a thick forest. In 1873, the Wisconsin Central Railroad built its tracks through this forest. The railroad was heading from Stevens Point to Ashland.

They built train stations at regular spots along the way. The place where the tracks crossed the Jump River was the right distance from the previous station. This spot was first called Malden by the railroad.

Founding of the Lumber Town

In 1881, two men named Alexander Prentice and George Greenman came from Portage. They were looking for a good place to build a sawmill. They found lots of trees around the Malden station.

They chose a spot just south of where the railroad crossed the river. Soon, workers joined them to build a sawmill. They also built an 8-foot high dam across the Jump River.

In 1882, they officially started the Jump River Lumber Company. In September of that year, they began sawing wood. At first, they cut 50,000 feet of lumber each day. This quickly grew to 100,000 feet daily. The company soon added a planing mill and a drying shed.

Naming the Village

The lumber company thought about naming their new mill-town Jump River. However, railroad officials wanted to name it Prentice. This was to honor Alexander Prentice, one of the company's founders.

In 1882, the lumber company built the Jump River House. This was a large 50-room hotel mainly for its workers. It cost $2 per day to stay there. The company also built the Jump River Store. It was known as the "finest in Price County" at the time. It had 12 clerks selling many things like clothes, hats, shoes, furniture, and stoves. The store also had a dance hall for the community.

Challenges and Growth

In 1884, a forest fire came close to the small settlement. It was so serious that some people buried their valuable items. Women and children were sent to safety on a train to Ogema.

That same year, a village layout was planned near the train station and the mill. A two-room school was also started. By 1887, the school had 50 students.

By 1889, the best pine trees nearby were running out. So, Jump River Lumber built its own logging railroad. This spur went about 5 miles southeast to a good timber area called the Ward Tract. The mill used its own train with 30 cars to bring logs from there. At this time, the mill employed 450 men.

New Businesses and Industries

The original land sales in town had a rule. Buyers could not open businesses until 1890. This was to prevent competition with Jump River Lumber's store and hotel. In 1890, this rule ended. A.P. Morner then opened a general store in town. The first newspaper, The Prentice Journal, started in 1891.

In the early 1890s, Fayette Shaw opened a tannery on the west side of town. Tanneries use tree bark to make leather. Hemlock bark was used then. It was easier to bring animal hides to forests with hemlock trees than to move large amounts of bark.

With the tannery, Prentice's population grew to 1,050 people. The Prentice tannery was one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. It produced a lot of sole leather. This was good news because the pine timber was becoming scarce.

Around 1893, another railroad, the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad, built a line. It crossed the south end of Prentice and connected with the Wisconsin Central line.

Village Incorporation and Fires

Prentice officially became a village in 1899. At the first meeting of the village board, they only talked about building sidewalks. A volunteer fire department was set up by 1905. It had two hose companies and one hook and ladder company.

In 1906, the tannery caught fire. The United States Leather Company owned it then. A fire started in the dry loft. The fire department saved most of it, but the dry loft and hide house were destroyed. U.S. Leather quickly rebuilt. But four months later, another fire broke out, destroying more of the complex. U.S. Leather decided not to rebuild again, and the tannery closed for good. Many people lost their jobs. Some left, while others started farming.

As timber ran out, more settlers created farms from the logged lands. Price County had 380 farms in 1890. By 1910, this number grew to 1352. In 1903, the Prentice Creamery started buying milk from local farmers and selling butter. In 1915, a new Prentice Co-operative Creamery was formed. This one was owned by the farmers.

A fire in 1911 destroyed several buildings. These included the post office, a saloon, a store, a hotel, and other buildings. In the early days, some streets were lit by kerosene lamps at night. In 1912, the Ziegler brothers tried using an electric plant powered by the Jump River. But it only worked for one night. In 1915, the Feeleys installed two electric generators. These powered lights at night, though they sometimes went out.

Geography of Prentice

Prentice is located at 45°32′43″N 90°17′21″W / 45.54528°N 90.28917°W / 45.54528; -90.28917.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village covers about 2.02 square miles (5.23 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Looking west on Main Street

Population Data

Prentice Population in 2010

Based on the census from 2010, Prentice had 660 people living in 293 households. About 180 of these were families. The village had about 331.7 people per square mile. There were 340 housing units in total.

Most of the people in the village (97.1%) were White. A small number were African American (0.9%) or Native American (0.9%). About 1.1% were from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 1.1% of the population.

About 31.7% of households had children under 18 living with them. 42.0% were married couples. 14.3% had a female head of household with no husband. 5.1% had a male head of household with no wife. About 38.6% were not families.

Around 33.8% of all households had only one person living in them. 14.7% had someone aged 65 or older living alone. The average household had 2.25 people. The average family had 2.87 people.

The average age in the village was 39.4 years. 25.6% of residents were under 18. 7.5% were between 18 and 24. 22.3% were from 25 to 44. 27.9% were from 45 to 64. And 16.8% were 65 years or older. The village had 45.8% males and 54.2% females.

Transportation in Prentice

Prentice has its own airport, called the Prentice Airport (5N2). It is located one mile east of the village. The airport handles about 1,500 flights each year. Most of these (99%) are for general aviation, like private planes. About 1% are air taxis. The airport has one asphalt runway, which is 3134 feet (955 meters) long.

Notable People from Prentice

• Albin C. Bro, who was the President of Shimer College
• Leo Heikkinen, an entrepreneur
• Donal Hord, a sculptor
• Dennis Morgan, an actor and tenor
• Oscar V. Peterson, a recipient of the Medal of Honor

See also

In Spanish: Prentice (Wisconsin) para niños