Rusk County, Wisconsin

County in Wisconsin, United States

U.S. county in Wisconsin

Rusk County

U.S. county

Former Ladysmith Carnegie Library, designed by Claude and Starck. It is now a bed and breakfast inn.

Former Ladysmith Carnegie Library, designed by Claude and Starck. It is now a bed and breakfast inn.

Map of Wisconsin highlighting Rusk County

Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin

Wisconsin's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Wisconsin
Founded| 1901
Named for| Jeremiah McLain Rusk
Seat| Ladysmith
Largest city| Ladysmith
Area

• Total| 931 sq mi (2,410 km2)
• Land| 914 sq mi (2,370 km2)
• Water| 17 sq mi (40 km2)  1.9%%
Population

(2020)[1]

• Total| 14,188
• Density| 15.5/sq mi (6.0/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 7th
Website| www.ruskcounty.org

Rusk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,188.[1] Its county seat is Ladysmith.[2]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Adjacent counties
* 2.2 Major highways
* 2.3 Railroads
* 2.4 Buses
* 2.5 Airport
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 2020 census
* 3.2 2000 census
* 4 Communities
* 4.1 City
* 4.2 Villages
* 4.3 Towns
* 4.4 Unincorporated communities
* 4.5 Ghost towns
* 5 Politics
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 Further reading
* 9 External links

## History

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Founded in 1901, Rusk County was originally named Gates County after Milwaukee land speculator James L. Gates.[3] It was renamed Rusk County in 1905 after Jeremiah M. Rusk, governor of Wisconsin and the first U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.[4] It was formed out of the northern portion of Chippewa County.[5]

## Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 931 square miles (2,410 km2), of which 914 square miles (2,370 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (1.9%) is water.[6]

### Adjacent counties

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* Washburn County \- northwest
* Sawyer County \- north
* Price County \- east
* Taylor County \- southeast
* Chippewa County \- south
* Barron County \- west

### Major highways

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* U.S. Highway 8
* Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
* Highway 40 (Wisconsin)
* Highway 73 (Wisconsin)

### Railroads

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* Canadian National
* Watco

### Buses

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* List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

### Airport

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* KRCX - Rusk County Airport serves the county and surrounding communities.

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1910| 11,160| | —
1920| 16,403| | 47.0%
1930| 16,081| | −2.0%
1940| 17,737| | 10.3%
1950| 16,790| | −5.3%
1960| 14,794| | −11.9%
1970| 14,238| | −3.8%
1980| 15,589| | 9.5%
1990| 15,079| | −3.3%
2000| 15,347| | 1.8%
2010| 14,755| | −3.9%
2020| 14,188| | −3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[1]

### 2020 census

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As of the census of 2020,[1] the population was 14,188. The population density was 15.5 inhabitants per square mile (6.0/km2). There were 8,560 housing units at an average density of 9.4 per square mile (3.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.6% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

### 2000 census

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File:USA Rusk County, Wisconsin age pyramid.svg2000 Census Age Pyramid for Rusk County

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 15,347 people, 6,095 households, and 4,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile (6/km2). There were 7,609 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.69% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.7% were of German, 13.6% Polish, 9.0% Norwegian, 6.8% Irish, 6.2% American and 5.6% English ancestry.

There were 6,095 households, out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.

In 2017, there were 134 births, giving a general fertility rate of 66.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 25th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[13] Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Rusk County residence in 2017.[14]

## Communities

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### City

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* Ladysmith (county seat)

### Villages

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* Bruce
* Conrath
* Glen Flora
* Hawkins
* Ingram
* Sheldon
* Tony
* Weyerhaeuser

### Towns

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* Atlanta
* Big Bend
* Big Falls
* Cedar Rapids
* Dewey
* Flambeau
* Grant
* Grow
* Hawkins
* Hubbard
* Lawrence
* Marshall
* Murry
* Richland
* Rusk
* South Fork
* Strickland
* Stubbs
* Thornapple
* True
* Washington
* Wilkinson
* Willard
* Wilson

### Unincorporated communities

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* Apollonia
* Bear Lake
* Imalone
* Island Lake
* Murry
* Port Arthur
* South Fork
* Strickland
* Thornapple

### Ghost towns

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* Atlanta
* Big Bend
* Crane
* Egypt
* Horseman (Varner)
* Jerome
* Kalish
* Mandowish (Manedowish)
* Poplar / Beldonville
* Pre Bram
* Shaws Farm
* Teresita
* Tibbets
* Vallee View / Walrath
* West Ingram
* Wilson Center / Dogville (Starez)

## Politics

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United States presidential election results for Rusk County, Wisconsin[15] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 5,257  | 66.66% | 2,517  | 31.92%  | 112  | 1.42%
2016 | 4,564  | 64.39% | 2,171  | 30.63%  | 353  | 4.98%
2012 | 3,676  | 51.12% | 3,397  | 47.24%  | 118  | 1.64%
2008 | 3,253  | 44.73%  | 3,855  | 53.01% | 164  | 2.26%
2004 | 3,985  | 50.27% | 3,820  | 48.19%  | 122  | 1.54%
2000 | 3,758  | 51.02% | 3,161  | 42.91%  | 447  | 6.07%
1996 | 2,219  | 33.40%  | 2,941  | 44.27% | 1,483  | 22.32%
1992 | 2,430  | 30.50%  | 3,376  | 42.37% | 2,161  | 27.12%
1988 | 3,063  | 43.73%  | 3,888  | 55.51% | 53  | 0.76%
1984 | 4,061  | 50.90% | 3,843  | 48.16%  | 75  | 0.94%
1980 | 3,704  | 47.52% | 3,584  | 45.98%  | 507  | 6.50%
1976 | 2,724  | 39.15%  | 4,050  | 58.21% | 183  | 2.63%
1972 | 3,007  | 47.89%  | 3,075  | 48.97% | 197  | 3.14%
1968 | 2,666  | 44.74% | 2,559  | 42.94%  | 734  | 12.32%
1964 | 2,214  | 34.57%  | 4,176  | 65.20% | 15  | 0.23%
1960 | 3,094  | 45.48%  | 3,692  | 54.27% | 17  | 0.25%
1956 | 3,433  | 53.68% | 2,929  | 45.80%  | 33  | 0.52%
1952 | 4,134  | 59.36% | 2,777  | 39.88%  | 53  | 0.76%
1948 | 2,623  | 42.04%  | 3,401  | 54.51% | 215  | 3.45%
1944 | 3,092  | 48.40%  | 3,238  | 50.69% | 58  | 0.91%
1940 | 3,484  | 48.66%  | 3,578  | 49.97% | 98  | 1.37%
1936 | 2,453  | 36.18%  | 3,877  | 57.18% | 450  | 6.64%
1932 | 1,942  | 35.90%  | 3,194  | 59.04% | 274  | 5.06%
1928 | 3,524  | 63.62% | 1,925  | 34.75%  | 90  | 1.62%
1924 | 1,932  | 39.11%  | 272  | 5.51%  | 2,736  | 55.38%
1920 | 2,609  | 77.60% | 441  | 13.12%  | 312  | 9.28%
1916 | 989  | 47.59% | 926  | 44.56%  | 163  | 7.84%
1912 | 575  | 33.78% | 522  | 30.67%  | 605  | 35.55%
1908 | 1,431  | 67.82% | 532  | 25.21%  | 147  | 6.97%
1904 | 1,415  | 81.51% | 247  | 14.23%  | 74  | 4.26%

## See also

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* Flambeau Mine
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Rusk County, Wisconsin

## References

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1. ^ a b c d "2020 Decennial Census: Rusk County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 135.
4. ^ "Here's How Iron Got Its Name". The Rhinelander Daily News. June 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2014 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ Rusk County Museum Archived October 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
9. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
11. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
13. ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
14. ^ Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin, Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18
15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 8, 2021.

## Further reading

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* Dresden, Katharine Woodrow. History of Rusk County, Wisconsin. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1931.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rusk County, Wisconsin.

* Rusk County government website
* Rusk County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
* Plat maps, 1915-1920

Places adjacent to Rusk County, Wisconsin

| Washburn County | Sawyer County |

|
|

|  |
Barron County |

File:Pfeil links.svgRusk County, Wisconsin

| Price County
|  |
| Chippewa County | Taylor County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Rusk County, Wisconsin, United States

County seat: Ladysmith

City|

* Ladysmith

File:Map of Wisconsin highlighting Rusk County.svg

Villages|

* Bruce
* Conrath
* Glen Flora
* Hawkins
* Ingram
* Sheldon
* Tony
* Weyerhaeuser

Towns|

* Atlanta
* Big Bend
* Big Falls
* Cedar Rapids
* Dewey
* Flambeau
* Grant
* Grow
* Hawkins
* Hubbard
* Lawrence
* Marshall
* Murry
* Richland
* Rusk
* South Fork
* Strickland
* Stubbs
* Thornapple
* True
* Washington
* Wilkinson
* Willard
* Wilson

Unincorporated
communities|

* Apollonia
* Bear Lake
* Imalone
* Island Lake
* Murry
* Port Arthur
* South Fork
* Strickland
* Thornapple

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Wisconsin

Madison (capital)

Topics|

* Outline
* Agriculture
* Dairy industry
* Geography
* Islands
* Lakes
* Governors
* Delegations
* History
* People
* Sports
* Symbols
* Tourist attractions

Society|

* Administrative divisions
* Crime
* Culture
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Politics

Regions|

* Apostle Islands
* Central Plain
* Chippewa Valley
* Door Peninsula
* Driftless Area
* Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
* Fox River Valley
* Great River Road
* Lake Superior Lowland
* Northern Highland
* Western Upland

Major metropolitan areas
(pop. over 500,000)|

* Chicago metropolitan area
* Madison metropolitan area
* Milwaukee metropolitan area
* Twin Cities metropolitan area

Largest cities
(pop. over 50,000)|

* Appleton
* Eau Claire
* Green Bay
* Janesville
* Kenosha
* La Crosse
* Madison
* Milwaukee
* Oshkosh
* Racine
* Waukesha
* West Allis

Smaller cities
(pop. 15,000 to 50,000)|

* Beaver Dam
* Beloit
* Brookfield
* Cudahy
* De Pere
* Fitchburg
* Fond du Lac
* Franklin
* Greenfield
* Hartford
* Hudson
* Kaukauna
* Manitowoc
* Marshfield
* Menasha
* Menomonie
* Mequon
* Middleton
* Muskego
* Neenah
* New Berlin
* Oak Creek
* Oconomowoc
* Onalaska
* River Falls
* Sheboygan
* South Milwaukee
* Stevens Point
* Sun Prairie
* Superior
* Watertown
* Wausau
* Wauwatosa
* West Bend
* Wisconsin Rapids

Largest villages
(pop. over 15,000)|

* Ashwaubenon
* Bellevue
* Caledonia
* Fox Crossing
* Germantown
* Howard
* Menomonee Falls
* Mount Pleasant
* Pleasant Prairie

Counties|

* Adams
* Ashland
* Barron
* Bayfield
* Brown
* Buffalo
* Burnett
* Calumet
* Chippewa
* Clark
* Columbia
* Crawford
* Dane
* Dodge
* Door
* Douglas
* Dunn
* Eau Claire
* Florence
* Fond du Lac
* Forest
* Grant
* Green
* Green Lake
* Iowa
* Iron
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Juneau
* Kenosha
* Kewaunee
* La Crosse
* Lafayette
* Langlade
* Lincoln
* Manitowoc
* Marathon
* Marinette
* Marquette
* Menominee
* Milwaukee
* Monroe
* Oconto
* Oneida
* Outagamie
* Ozaukee
* Pepin
* Pierce
* Polk
* Portage
* Price
* Racine
* Richland
* Rock
* Rusk
* Sauk
* Sawyer
* Shawano
* Sheboygan
* St. Croix
* Taylor
* Trempealeau
* Vernon
* Vilas
* Walworth
* Washburn
* Washington
* Waukesha
* Waupaca
* Waushara
* Winnebago
* Wood

Coordinates: 45°29′N 91°08′W﻿ / ﻿45.48°N 91.14°W﻿ / 45.48; -91.14
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