Laona, Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
Forest County, Wisconsin
Forest County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,304. Its county seat is Crandon.-Indian Reservations:...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,212 at the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Laona is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Blackwell Junction
Blackwell Junction, Wisconsin
Blackwell Junction is an unincorporated community in the towns of Blackwell and Laona, Forest County, Wisconsin, United States. Blackwell Junction is east-southeast of Crandon....
is also located partially in the town.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 107.5 square miles (278.4 km²), of which 103.4 square miles (267.8 km²) is land and 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), or 3.86%, is water. The latitude of Laona is 45.564N. The longitude is -88.673W. It is in the Central Standard time zone. Elevation is 1572 feet (479.1 m).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,367 people, 564 households, and 395 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 13.2 people per square mile (5.1/km²). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 8.2 per square mile (3.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.90% White, 0.44% African American, 2.41% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 564 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,852, and the median income for a family was $41,042. Males had a median income of $29,674 versus $21,154 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $15,652. About 8.7% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Laona claims the world's first school forest. The late H. L. Russell, Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, conceived the idea of school forests when he came upon them while traveling in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. His suggestion was supported by the land use planning committee of Forest County,and in 1927 a tract of land was purchased for the Laona school forest, the first in Wisconsin. The land had been owned by the state until 1896, and changed hands three times before it was purchased for $1,100 from Anton Kokot by the town board, which then presented the 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) to the Laona school board.
Recreation
The community is the site of the Lumberjack Steam TrainLumberjack Steam Train
The Laona and Northern Railway is a heritage railroad and former freight railroad in Laona, Wisconsin. It operates the famous Lumberjack Steam Train as part of the Camp 5 Museum which depicts the history of the forest industry in the region....
, an operating turn-of-the-century passenger train and award-winning museum. This operates during the summer months.
In the winter, Laona is home to the 100 Mile Snow Safari or "100 miler", one of Wisconsin's oldest and most distinctive snowmobiling trails. It offers nearly 100 miles (160.9 km) of undeveloped trail riding in a pristine and well-managed trail system. With dozens of undeveloped lakes and miles of undeveloped timberland to ride through, it is one of Wisconsin's most popular snowmobiling trails.