Editing Minocqua, Wisconsin

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Minocqua, Wisconsin
| native_name                     = Minwaakwaa
| settlement_type                 = [[Town]]
| nickname                        = The Island City
| motto                           = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline                   = 15-08-04-Minocqua-Daniela-Kloth-IMG 1367.JPG
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = Downtown Minocqua

<!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map                     = Wisconsin#USA
| pushpin_relief                  = yes
| pushpin_label                   = Minocqua
| pushpin_label_position    = left
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in Wisconsin##Location in the United States
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Wisconsin]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Wisconsin|County]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Oneida County, Wisconsin|Oneida]]

<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes            = 
| government                      = 
| leader_title                    = Chairman<ref name="minocqua.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.minocqua.org/minocqua-wi.html|title = Minocqua, WI &#124; History of Minocqua, Woodruff, and Arbor Vitae}}</ref>
| leader_name                     = Mark Hartzheim<ref name="townofminocqua.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.townofminocqua.org/departments|title = Departments &#124; Town of Minocqua}}</ref>
| leader_title1                   = Town Clerk<ref name="townofminocqua.org"/>
| leader_name1                    = Roben Haggart<ref name="townofminocqua.org"/>
| leader_title2                   = Town Treasurer<ref name="townofminocqua.org"/>
| leader_name2                    = Kim Strasburg<ref name="townofminocqua.org"/>
| leader_title3                   = Town Secretary<ref name="townofminocqua.org"/>
| leader_name3                    = Karla Wotruba<ref name="townofminocqua.org"/>
| established_title               = 
| established_date                =

<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = 
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_km2                  = 435.3
| area_land_km2                   = 390.6
| area_water_km2                  = 44.8
| area_total_sq_mi                = 168.1
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 150.8
| area_water_sq_mi                = 17.3

<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of                = [[United States Census, 2000|2000]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 4859
| population_density_km2          = 12.4
| population_density_sq_mi        = 32.2

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                        = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset                      = -6
| timezone_DST                    = CDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -5
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name="GR3">{{gnis|1583727|Minocqua}}</ref>
| elevation_m                     = 487
| elevation_ft                    = 1598
| coordinates                     = {{coord|45|52|14.3|N|89|42|33.0|W|region:US-WI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type                = 
| postal_code                     = 
| area_code                       = [[Area codes 715 and 534|715 & 534]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 55-53225<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 1583727<ref name="GR3" />
| website                         = 
| footnotes                       = 
| name                            = 
}}

'''Minocqua''' ({{langx|oj|'''Minwaakwaa'''}}<ref>[https://www.translateojibwe.com/en/dictionary-english-ojibwe/Minocqua "Translate Ojibwe", English-Ojibwe Dictionary, "Minocqua"]</ref>) is a town in northwestern [[Oneida County, Wisconsin]], United States. The population was 4,414 as of 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/data.html|title=Data|publisher=United States Census Bureau|newspaper=Census.gov|language=EN-US|access-date=May 28, 2019}}</ref> The [[census-designated place]] of [[Minocqua (CDP), Wisconsin|Minocqua]] and the unincorporated community of [[Rantz, Wisconsin|Rantz]] are both located in the town. Minocqua is commonly referred to as "The Island City."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.townofminocqua.org/.|title = Town of Minocqua &#124; the Island City}}</ref>

==History==
Minocqua was officially organized in the year 1889. Although there are varying explanations regarding the meaning of the word "Minocqua", most credit its origin to the Island's first inhabitants, the [[Ojibwe]].<ref>[https://www.townofminocqua.org/town/minocqua-history/ Minocqua History]. Town of Minocqua.</ref> The town Minocqua is named after, "Ninocqua", the Ojibwe name that is defined as "noon-day-rest".<ref name="minocqua.org"/>

In the late 1800s, Minocqua was a logging town. Minocqua Clawson was the first child born in the town. Clawson Hill was a famous landmark in town, and it is now the current location of the Pointe Resort & Hotel at the south end of the Highway 51 bridge.

The construction of railroads was a critical component of Minocqua's early growth. The [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad|Milwaukee Road]] originally came to the area to provide access to timber. Later, railroads catered to sportsmen and tourists, transforming Minocqua into the vacation getaway it remains to this day. The two railroad trestles that brought trains to the Island are still intact and serve as the trailhead for the Bearskin State Trail that provides hiking and biking in summer, and snowmobiling in winter.

Much of the town's business district was destroyed by a major fire in 1912. Many of the buildings on the main street today were designed and built after the fire. Although the last several decades have brought a higher percentage of visitor-oriented retail stores, the downtown still retains a U.S. post office, banks, restaurants, and a barbershop. The Island, Minocqua's city center, contains the Campanile Center for the Arts, the Minocqua Police Department, Minocqua Fire Department, and the Minocqua Community Center, which houses the town offices and public library.

Landmarks on the Island include Torpy Park, the Belle-Isle building and the Minocqua Community Center. Town offices and the Minocqua Public Library are located in the Minocqua Community Center. Bosacki's Boat House burned to the ground in 1972. Although state regulations prohibited the structure being rebuilt over water, a public outcry convinced the [[Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources|DNR]] to allow it to be rebuilt where it had originally stood.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 168.1&nbsp;square miles (435.4&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), of which, 150.8&nbsp;square miles (390.6&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}) of it is land and 17.3&nbsp;square miles (44.8&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}) of it is water. The total area is 10.29% water.

Termed the "Island City," a portion of the town is situated on what was an actual island, which is accessible by bridge on [[U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin|Highway 51]] and "the fill" to the north. Much of Minocqua has sandy soil, although areas of the far northwest and the northeast are clay. The majority of the soil is highly acidic and many areas are covered by forests.

The highest point in Minocqua is Squirrel Hill, located near Winter Park (1735&nbsp;ft).<ref>Wisconsin Blue Book</ref> The highest structure in Minocqua is the Lakeland Sanitary District water tower, a steel tank on Hwy 51 North put in place in the 1960s during the winter.

The community of Bo-di-Lac (short for "Booth-Diamond-Lac du Flambeau) is located in the western portion of the town bordered by Squirrel Lake, Diamond Lake, Booth Lake, and the town of [[Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin|Lac du Flambeau]].

===Climate===
Minocqua has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfb'') with long, cold winters and mild, humid summers.
{{Weather box
|location = Minocqua, Wisconsin, 1991–2020 normals, 1903-2020 extremes: 1601ft (488m)
|single line = Yes

| Jan record high F = 56
| Feb record high F = 60
| Mar record high F = 78
| Apr record high F = 90
| May record high F = 99
| Jun record high F = 99
| Jul record high F = 106
| Aug record high F = 99
| Sep record high F = 95
| Oct record high F = 86
| Nov record high F = 75
| Dec record high F = 57
| year record high F =	

|Jan avg record high F = 38.3
|Feb avg record high F = 44.9
|Mar avg record high F = 57.3
|Apr avg record high F = 72.7
|May avg record high F = 82.7
|Jun avg record high F = 87.3
|Jul avg record high F = 87.8
|Aug avg record high F = 87.0
|Sep avg record high F = 82.4
|Oct avg record high F = 73.6
|Nov avg record high F = 56.4
|Dec avg record high F = 41.4
|year avg record high F = 90.1

|Jan high F = 19.7
|Feb high F = 25.1
|Mar high F = 36.8
|Apr high F = 49.2
|May high F = 63.8
|Jun high F = 73.1
|Jul high F = 76.7
|Aug high F = 74.6
|Sep high F = 66.5
|Oct high F = 52.3
|Nov high F = 36.6
|Dec high F = 24.7
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 10.5
|Feb mean F = 14.0
|Mar mean F = 24.7
|Apr mean F = 37.4
|May mean F = 51.6
|Jun mean F = 61.9
|Jul mean F = 65.5
|Aug mean F = 63.2
|Sep mean F = 55.6
|Oct mean F = 42.9
|Nov mean F = 29.2
|Dec mean F = 17.0
|year mean F = 

|Jan low F = 1.2
|Feb low F = 2.8
|Mar low F = 12.6
|Apr low F = 25.7
|May low F = 39.4
|Jun low F = 50.8
|Jul low F = 54.4
|Aug low F = 51.7
|Sep low F = 44.8
|Oct low F = 33.5
|Nov low F = 21.9
|Dec low F = 9.4
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -22.2
|Feb avg record low F = -20.8
|Mar avg record low F = -12.9
|Apr avg record low F = 9.8
|May avg record low F = 25.6
|Jun avg record low F = 35.3
|Jul avg record low F = 42.7
|Aug avg record low F = 40.1
|Sep avg record low F = 29.5
|Oct avg record low F = 20.2
|Nov avg record low F = 3.3
|Dec avg record low F = -14.9
|year avg record low F = -25.7

| Jan record low F = -48
| Feb record low F = -48
| Mar record low F = -36
| Apr record low F = -18
| May record low F = 15
| Jun record low F = 25
| Jul record low F = 30
| Aug record low F = 30
| Sep record low F = 19
| Oct record low F = 3
| Nov record low F = -18
| Dec record low F = -36
| year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.27
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.07
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.72
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.88
|May precipitation inch = 3.76
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.36
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.10
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.65
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.56
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.67
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.08
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.67
|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 20.40
|Feb snow inch = 16.50
|Mar snow inch = 16.90
|Apr snow inch = 8.80
|May snow inch = 0.70
|Jun snow inch = 0.00
|Jul snow inch = 0.00
|Aug snow inch = 0.00
|Sep snow inch = 0.00
|Oct snow inch = 2.90
|Nov snow inch = 12.80
|Dec snow inch = 19.70
|year snow inch =

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA1>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00475516&format=pdf
|title = Minocqua, Wisconsin 1991-2020 Monthly Normals 
|access-date = December 20, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = XMACIS (records & monthly max/mins)<ref name = XMACIS>
{{cite web
|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = xmACIS
|access-date = December 20, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]],<ref name="GR2" /> there are 4,385 people living in the town occupying 2,079 households. There are a total of 4,835 housing units in town of which 2,493 are seasonal in nature.

The racial makeup of the town is 96.1% White, 0.2% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 0.8% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

26.4% of the town's population is age 65 or older while 16.3% is below the age of 18. The median age is 51.6 years.

The average household size is 2.11 persons.

==Tourism==
Tourism plays a substantial role in the economy of Minocqua. As a forested lake community, there are many outdoor summer activities, such as fishing, camping, waterskiing, boating, hiking, bike riding, berry collecting, and swimming.

A business strip runs through the downtown ("The Island"), with tourist attractions and shopping. Minocqua's nightlife includes bars hosting live music in the summer. A Fourth of July parade is presented annually. Events include dancing, live music, fireworks, and a Min-Aqua Bat waterski and boat show.

During the fall, rifle and bow hunting draw many visitors, as does the annual downtown merchants' Beef-a-Rama held the last Saturday in September. Winter activities include snowmobile festivals, Nordic (cross country) skiing, ice fishing, downhill skiing in nearby hills, snow tubing, sleigh rides, and snowmobiling. Minocqua is home to Minocqua Winter Park, a cross-country skiing venue, as well as a sledding hill and ice-skating pond.

Minocqua is home to one of the world's oldest amateur water ski teams, the [[Min-Aqua Bat Water Ski Club|Min-Aqua Bats]]. The Min-Aqua bats have been performing at the Aqua Bowl for over 70 summers as a nonprofit organization, with regular shows starting in 1952.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://min-aquabats.com/history/ |title=History |date=June 10, 2016 |access-date=February 1, 2018 }}</ref><ref>https://www.minaquabats.org/about</ref>

Arts activities include the Campanile Center for the Arts which operates year-round, offering an array of high quality artists to captivate, intrigue and inspire audiences. The Campanile also provides music, theater, and visual art instruction.

===Museums===
The Minocqua Museum is located in Minocqua.<ref>[http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=14&SubSectionID=14&ArticleID=21037 Minocqua Museum opens for summer season June 7]</ref> Its exhibits portray Minocqua’s early days.

The U.S. flag that was lowered by the last U.S. soldiers to depart from the Vietnam War is on exhibit at the [[American Legion]] Post in Minocqua.<ref>[http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=15336&PollID=31&btnView=1 American Legion Post 89 home to significant national artifact]</ref>

[[File:Lake minocqua trestle.jpg|thumb|View of the old railroad trestle over Lake Minocqua – Now the Bearskin Trail]]

==Government==
The town board, consisting of a town chairman and four supervisors, is responsible for governing the citizens of Minocqua.<ref name="minocqua.org"/> There have been 30 town chairmen in the history of Minocqua. The list of early town chairmen include A.O. Dorwin, Lincoln Abraham, Jacob Huber, Thomas Bolger, William Schlecht, and Dr. Torpy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Town of Minocqua - The Island City |url=https://www.townofminocqua.org/ |access-date=January 23, 2023 |website=www.townofminocqua.org}}</ref>

Minocqua is entirely located in Wisconsin's 34th Assembly, 12th Senate, and 7th Congressional District.<ref name="minocqua.org"/>

==Education==
Minocqua has a public elementary school, [[Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk Elementary School]], a private [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod|Lutheran]] elementary/middle school, Trinity Lutheran School,<ref>{{cite web |title=Trinity Lutheran School & Preschool |url=http://www.trinityminocqua.org/school.html}}</ref> and a high school, [[Lakeland Union High School]].

==Transportation==
Bus service is provided by [[Bay Area Rural Transit]].

The [[Lakeland Airport]] (KARV) is located 3 miles northwest of the [[central business district]] of Minocqua. The [[Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport]] (KRHI) located 25 miles to the southeast serves Minocqua, Oneida county and surrounding communities with both scheduled commercial jet service and general aviation services.

Until the 1980s, a [[Milwaukee Road]] line went through the town. The line is now the Bear Skin State Trail.

==Images==
<gallery>
File:Minocqua Wisconsin Sign Looking north US51.jpg|Minocqua sign
File:Minocqua Wisconsin Welcome Sign.jpg|Welcome sign
File:Lake Minocqua Wisconsin Bridge in the Island City.jpg|Bridge over [[Lake Minocqua]] in [[Minocqua (CDP), Wisconsin|the Minocqua CDP]]
File:Minocqua-Aug2012_A.jpg|Downtown
File:Minocqua-Aug2012_B.jpg|Downtown
File:Blue Lake in Minocqua, Wisconsin.jpg|A view of Blue Lake from Camp Agawak
File:Camp Agawak.jpg|This is a view of Camp Agawak from the Waterfront
</gallery>

==See also==

* [[List of towns in Wisconsin]]

==References==

{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==

{{commons category|Minocqua, Wisconsin}}
* {{official website|http://www.townofminocqua.org}}
* [http://www.minocqualibrary.org Minocqua Public Library]
* [http://www.minocqua.org Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.minocqua.com Minocqua Tourism, Events and Business Directory]

{{Oneida County, Wisconsin}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Oneida County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Towns in Wisconsin]]

[[es:Minocqua (condado de Oneida, Wisconsin)]]