Tonet, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tonet, Wisconsin
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Looking east at downtown Tonet
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 Tonet, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
Tonet, Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Kewaunee |
| Towns | Red River, Luxemburg |
| Elevation | 219 m (718 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 920 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1575506 |
Tonet (/toʊˈnɛt/ TOH-net) is a small, unincorporated community located in Kewawaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. It's found where County Trunk K and Tonet Road meet. An "unincorporated community" means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city or town with its own local government. It's part of the larger towns of Red River and Luxemburg.
Tonet's Early Days
Tonet began to grow as a nearby community called Champion became bigger. In 1874, a log church in Champion was destroyed by fire. After this, people from two different Belgian groups, the Flemish and the Walloons, disagreed about where to rebuild the church.
Building a New Church
Because of this disagreement, the Flemish Belgians decided to build their own church. They built it at the spot where St. Martin Catholic Church in Tonet stands today. This is how the community of Tonet started to form.
How Tonet Got Its Name
When the community first began, it was known as Martinsville. This name came from the St. Martin's church. Before that, people sometimes called it "Aux Flamands" in letters. This French phrase means "To the Flemish," referring to the Flemish Belgian settlers.
The name "Tonet" came about in a funny way. In 1887, a post office was planned for the area. It was supposed to be named Jonet, after Peter Jonet, who was going to be the first postmaster. However, the clerk in charge of post office appointments made a mistake. They thought the "J" in Jonet was a "T," and so the name became Tonet!
