Vilas County, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Vilas County
U.S. county
Vilas County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	April 12, 1893
Named for	William Freeman Vilas
Seat	Eagle River
Largest city	Eagle River
Area
• Total	1,018 sq mi (2,640 km²)
• Land	857 sq mi (2,220 km²)
• Water	161 sq mi (420 km²) 16%%
Population (2020)
• Total	23,047
• Estimate (2023)	23,855
• Density	22.639/sq mi (8.741/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th

Vilas County is a county in the state of Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, about 23,047 people lived there. Its main city and government center is Eagle River. Part of the county is also home to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation.

History of Vilas County

Early Native American Life

Native Americans have lived in the area now known as Vilas County for thousands of years. Scientists have found old sites from the prehistoric Woodland period here. In the 1700s, the Dakota and Ojibwe people had disagreements over the land.

Oral stories say that the Ojibwe won a big battle on Strawberry Island in Flambeau Lake around 1745. Ojibwe people have lived in the area ever since. They secured their land, known as the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, with the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe.

First Settlers and County Formation

The first known white settler was a man named Ashman. He started a trading post in Lac du Flambeau in 1818.

In the 1850s, people from New England, mostly Vermont and Connecticut, built roads and trails through Vilas County. These included the Ontonagan Mail Trail.

Vilas County was officially created from Oneida County on April 12, 1893. It was named after William Freeman Vilas. He was from Vermont and served as a senator for Wisconsin from 1891 to 1897.

The Logging Era

Logging, which is cutting down trees for wood, began in the late 1850s. Loggers came from states like New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Many dams were built across the county's rivers. These dams helped loggers float their timber downstream to sawmills and paper mills.

After the county was founded in 1893, logging became less important. People then moved to Vilas County looking for other jobs. These new immigrants mostly came from Germany, Ireland, and Poland.

Geography and Nature

Sign for Vilas County on U.S. Route 45

Vilas County covers about 1,018 square miles. About 857 square miles are land, and 161 square miles (16%) are water. The county is famous for its many lakes. There are 1,318 lakes here!

Much of Vilas County is covered by large forests. These include parts of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. The county also has its own large forest lands.

The waters in Vilas County flow into three major bodies of water: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and the Mississippi River. Important rivers like the Wisconsin, Flambeau, and Presque Isle River all start in Vilas County.

Neighboring Counties

Forest County - southeast
Iron County - west
Oneida County - south
Price County - southwest
Gogebic County, Michigan - north
Iron County, Michigan - northeast

Main Roads

U.S. Highway 45
U.S. Highway 51
Highway 17 (Wisconsin)
Highway 32 (Wisconsin)
Highway 47 (Wisconsin)
Highway 70 (Wisconsin)
Highway 155 (Wisconsin)

Airports

KARV - Lakeland Airport / Noble F. Lee Memorial Field
KEGV - Eagle River Union Airport
KLNL - Kings Land O' Lakes Airport
D25 - Manitowish Waters Airport

Protected Natural Areas

Vilas County includes parts of two important national forests:

Chequamegon National Forest (part)
Nicolet National Forest (part)

These two forests are now managed together as the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	4,929	—
1910	6,019	22.1%
1920	5,649	−6.1%
1930	7,294	29.1%
1940	8,894	21.9%
1950	9,363	5.3%
1960	9,332	−0.3%
1970	10,958	17.4%
1980	16,535	50.9%
1990	17,707	7.1%
2000	21,033	18.8%
2010	21,430	1.9%
2020	23,047	7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the population of Vilas County was 23,047 people. This means there were about 26.9 people living in each square mile.

Most people in the county, about 85.5%, were White. About 9.8% were Native American. Smaller groups included Black or African American (0.3%) and Asian (0.3%). About 2.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Economy and Jobs

The main part of Vilas County's economy is tourism. This is because of its many lakes and forests. In the fall, hunting and sport fishing are very popular. In the winter, ice fishing and especially snowmobiling bring many visitors.

Other important jobs in the area include logging, forestry, construction, and government work.

Cities, Towns, and Communities

Here are the different places where people live in Vilas County:

City

Eagle River – 1,398 people (This is the county seat)

Towns

Arbor Vitae – 3,316
Boulder Junction – 933
Cloverland – 1,029
Conover – 1,235
Lac du Flambeau – 3,441
Land O' Lakes – 861
Lincoln – 2,423
Manitowish Waters – 566
Phelps – 1,200
Plum Lake – 491
Presque Isle – 618
St. Germain – 2,085
Washington – 1,451
Winchester – 383

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.

Boulder Junction – 183
Lac du Flambeau – 1,969
Sayner – 207

Other Small Communities

Notable People from Vilas County

Herman Finger was the Treasurer of Vilas County in the 1890s. He also helped run the Gerry Lumber Company.
Screenwriter Winifred Dunn was born in Vilas County.

Images for kids

Cars parked by the entrance to the Vilas County Fairgrounds during the 2015 fair
Rides during the 2015 county fair
The Vilas County Highway Department near Eagle River

Vilas County, Wisconsin facts for kids

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