Sheldon, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheldon, Wisconsin
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Village
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On main street, facing east
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Location of Sheldon, Rusk County, Wisconsin
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Rusk |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.66 sq mi (1.71 km2) |
| • Land | 0.66 sq mi (1.71 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,122 ft (342 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 237 |
| • Estimate
(2012)
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229 |
| • Density | 359.1/sq mi (138.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 715 & 534 |
| FIPS code | 55-73175 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1574003 |
- For the Town of Sheldon in Monroe County, Wisconsin, see Sheldon, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Sheldon is a small village located in Rusk County, Wisconsin, in the United States. In 2010, about 237 people lived there. Sheldon started as a logging town and later became a center for local dairy farms.
Contents
Sheldon's Early Days
Around 1885, some of the first families, like the Marshals and Sergeants, settled in an area called "Fern." This was about a mile west of where Sheldon is today. A man named Anton Corbine would deliver mail to them by walking or riding a horse from a place called Flambeau.
The first cemetery, Woodlawn Cemetery, was started in 1903. A small log schoolhouse was also built nearby. Sometimes, a Reverend Willam would visit from Huron to lead church services in the school. In 1905, a general store opened east of the cemetery. Supplies for the store were brought by wagon from towns like Holcombe or Chippewa. A sawmill was built on the Little Jump River in 1906.
How Sheldon Grew
Sheldon really began to form in 1906. This was when the Wisconsin Central Railroad built its train line about a mile east of Fern. The railroad built a train station, a section house, and a water tank for its trains. They named the station "Sheldon" after one of their officials. This train line is still used today by the Canadian National company.
Soon after, a general store opened across from the train station. Other businesses, like a saloon and another general store, moved from Fern into the new town of Sheldon. Eventually, all the businesses and schools moved to Sheldon. Today, only farms, homes, and the cemetery remain where Fern used to be.
Life in Early Sheldon
In 1908, Sheldon was officially mapped out. By 1910, a new school with eight grades was built. The town had a barber shop and two saloons, one with a dance hall upstairs! There were also two hotels, mainly for lumber workers.
Logging was the main business back then. Many mills in town cut wood into boards. One large mill, the Jump River Lumber Company, employed over forty men until it burned down in 1912. Some mills shipped their products out by train. Trains stopped once a day, carrying both goods and people, because the roads were very bad. The first telephones came to Sheldon in 1910, and the first car, a 1909 Ford, arrived that same year. In 1917, Sheldon officially became a village, with 123 people living there.
Sheldon's Development and Challenges
By 1923, Sheldon had a factory that made hoops for butter tubs from local ash wood. There was also a creamery that used milk from local farms. Sidewalks were built along Main Street. Electricity came to town in 1930. In 1938, the WPA helped build more sidewalks.
Sheldon faced some tough times too. Logging slowly became less important, but dairy farming grew. In 1920, a pool hall and other buildings burned down. The school also burned in 1923, but classes continued in other buildings. A new school was ready by 1925. The village library, started in 1933, burned in the 1940s but was later rebuilt. In 1941, a big flood damaged bridges and buildings, but the bridges were rebuilt.
By 1959, the Soo Line trains stopped in Sheldon twice a day, bringing passengers, freight, and mail. Sheldon's population grew to 300. The town had grocery stores, garages, the creamery, and other businesses that helped the surrounding dairy farms. Sheldon had changed from a logging town to a service center for farmers.
Where is Sheldon?
Sheldon is located in Rusk County, Wisconsin. It sits on the north bank of the Jump River. The village covers about 0.66 square miles (1.71 square kilometers) of land.
45°18′37″N 90°57′32″W / 45.31028°N 90.95889°W
Sheldon's Population
The number of people living in Sheldon has changed over the years. Here's a look at the population counts from different years:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 123 | — | |
| 1930 | 161 | 30.9% | |
| 1940 | 199 | 23.6% | |
| 1950 | 271 | 36.2% | |
| 1960 | 240 | −11.4% | |
| 1970 | 218 | −9.2% | |
| 1980 | 292 | 33.9% | |
| 1990 | 268 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 256 | −4.5% | |
| 2010 | 237 | −7.4% | |
| 2015 (est.) | 224 | −5.5% | |
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Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 237 people living in Sheldon. There were 116 households and 67 families. Most residents, about 96.2%, were White. A small number were Native American or from other races. About 5.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 17.2% of households had children under 18. The average age in the village was 48.4 years old.
