Rib Lake, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

This page is about the village. For the town, see Rib Lake (town), Wisconsin.

Quick facts for kids Rib Lake, Wisconsin
Village
Historic marker at public boat landing, Hwy 102.
Location of Rib Lake in Taylor County, Wisconsin.
Rib Lake, Wisconsin Location in Wisconsin
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Taylor
Area
• Total	2.21 sq mi (5.72 km²)
• Land	1.74 sq mi (4.51 km²)
• Water	0.47 sq mi (1.20 km²)
Elevation	1,581 ft (482 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	910
• Estimate (2019)	863
• Density	495.12/sq mi (191.21/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	54470
Area codes	715 & 534
FIPS code	55-67300
GNIS ID	1584017

Rib Lake is a small village in Taylor County, Wisconsin, in the United States. It is located where Wisconsin Highway 102 and Taylor County Highway D meet. In 2010, about 910 people lived there. The village is completely surrounded by the larger Town of Rib Lake.

History of Rib Lake
Geography of Rib Lake
People of Rib Lake
- Population in 2010
Images for kids
See also

History of Rib Lake

Early Days and Sawmills

The story of Rib Lake began in 1881. A man named J. J. Kennedy brought sawmill machines to the area. He used strong oxen to pull the heavy equipment from the railroad at Chelsea. He then built a sawmill, which was a factory for cutting wood, by the Rib Lake. This mill was called the Rib Lake Lumber Company.

The next year, a special railroad track was built. It connected the mill to the main Wisconsin Central Railway at Chelsea. The community was first known as Kennedy Mills. The first sawmill burned down about a year after it was built. It might have burned again in 1898. A big fire destroyed it completely on July 23, 1914.

The Tannery and Growth

In 1891, Fayette Shaw started a tannery in Rib Lake. A tannery is a place where animal hides are turned into leather. This tannery used a special liquid called tannic acid. This acid came from the bark of local hemlock trees. They used it to tan hides that came from as far away as South America. The tannery operated for many years, until 1923.

The 1890s were a time of great growth for Rib Lake. New churches were started, including Methodist, Catholic, and Lutheran groups. In 1897, the local newspaper, the Rib Lake Herald, began publishing. A doctor named Dr. Werner also started his medical practice in the village.

The village of Rib Lake officially became an incorporated village in 1902. This meant it had its own local government.

End of the Lumber Era

The Rib Lake Lumber Company continued to operate for many years. The very last pine trees cut for the company were harvested on February 26, 1948. After this, the company stopped its operations. This marked the end of a major part of Rib Lake's early economy.

Geography of Rib Lake

Rib Lake is located at coordinates 45.318834 degrees North and -90.206025 degrees West.

The village covers a total area of about 2.34 square miles (6.06 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.87 square miles (4.84 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 0.47 square miles (1.22 square kilometers) is water, which includes parts of Rib Lake itself.

People of Rib Lake

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	1,018	—
1920	1,020	0.2%
1930	1,180	15.7%
1940	1,042	−11.7%
1950	853	−18.1%
1960	794	−6.9%
1970	782	−1.5%
1980	945	20.8%
1990	887	−6.1%
2000	878	−1.0%
2010	910	3.6%
2019 (est.)	863	−5.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population in 2010

According to the census from 2010, there were 910 people living in Rib Lake. These people lived in 371 households, and 220 of these were families. The village had about 486.6 people per square mile (187.9 people per square kilometer).

Most of the people living in the village were White (98.7%). A small number were from other racial backgrounds. About 1.0% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

About 30.7% of the households had children under 18 years old living with them. Many households (43.1%) were married couples living together. About 18.1% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The average age of people in the village was 39.7 years. About 25.1% of residents were under 18. About 21.3% were 65 years old or older. The population was slightly more female (52.9%) than male (47.1%).