Editing Prairie Lake, Wisconsin

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Prairie Lake, Wisconsin
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Prairie Lake Town Hall.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Town hall
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
<!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = WIMap-doton-Prairie_Lake.png
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location of Prairie Lake, Wisconsin
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Wisconsin}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Wisconsin|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Barron County, Wisconsin|Barron]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 90.5
| area_land_km2      = 85.9
| area_water_km2     = 4.6
| area_total_sq_mi   = 
| area_land_sq_mi    = 
| area_water_sq_mi   = <!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2020 Census">{{cite web |date=May 2023 |title=Census Bureau profile: Prairie Lake town, Barron County, Wisconsin |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Prairie%20Lake%20town,%20Barron%20County,%20Wisconsin |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 29, 2024}}</ref>
| population_total   = 1648
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = <!-- 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">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| elevation_m        = 335
| elevation_ft       = 1099
| coordinates        = {{coord|45|20|46|N|91|42|54|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         = 55-65200<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1583977<ref name="GR3" />
| blank2_name        = [[Public Land Survey System|PLSS]] township
| blank2_info        = T33N R11W
| website            = {{URL|www.townofprairielake.com}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Prairie Lake''' is a town in [[Barron County, Wisconsin|Barron County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Wisconsin]]. The population was 1,648 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], up from 1,532 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5500565200| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212161718/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5500565200| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Prairie Lake town, Barron County, Wisconsin| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref> The unincorporated community of [[Wickware, Wisconsin|Wickware]] is located partially in the town.

==History==
Some of the early European Americans to walk the six mile square that would become Prairie Lake were the U.S. government's [[Surveying|surveyors]]. In 1852 they surveyed the outline of the [[survey township|township]] on foot with [[Gunter's chain|chain]] and compass. Then others returned in 1854 to survey all the [[Section (United States land surveying)|section lines]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Land Survey Information|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/SurveyInfo.html|publisher=Board of Commissioner s of Public Lands|accessdate=March 10, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Field Notes for T33N R11W|url=https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=PLSS&twp=T033NR011W|work=Original Field Notes and Plat Maps, 1833-1866|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=August 23, 2023}}</ref>  When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:
<blockquote>''This Township the Surface of which is mostly level or slightly rolling contains Several [[Tamarack|Tamarac]] Swamps Some of which are of considerable extent and all unfit for cultivation. The Soil is principally 3rd rate being of a very Sandy barren nature producing but little vegeta?. The Timber on the North and East Part of the Township consists of Black  Yellow and [[Eastern white pine|White Pine]]. The White Pine is mostly of good quality and valuable for lumber. The SW part of the Township is Timbered principally with [[Quercus macrocarpa|Burr Oak]] [[Sugar maple|Sugar]] [[Populus tremuloides|Aspen]] [[Quercus_subg._Quercus#Section_Lobatae|Red Oak]] [[Elm]] [[Basswood|Linden]] White Pine and [[Ostrya virginiana|Ironwood]]. The west part of the Township is well watered by numerous Small Streams of pure water which flow in an Easterly direction until they lose themselves in [[Red Cedar River (Wisconsin)|Red Cedar river]] which enters the Township in Section 2 and runs in a Southerly direction until it leaves the Township in Section 34. The banks of the river are generally high water Clear(?) and pure. There is also a Stream Called Vermilion river which Enters The Township in Section 6 and runs in a SE direction until it Empties into Red Cedar river in Section 8. There is also a Lake Situated in Sections 1 2 3 11 12 and 13. This Lake produces [[wild Rice]] very abundantly which is gathered annually by the [[Native Americans in the United States|Indians]] and by them very highly prized as an article of food. There are no Settlers in the Township.''<ref>{{cite web|last=Daugherty|first=William E.|title=Interior Field Notes (Sept. 1854)|url=https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=turn&entity=SurveyNotesINT093W000107&issueid=SurveyNotes.INT093W03&isize=L&twp=T033NR011W|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=2023-08-23}}</ref></blockquote>

==Geography==
[[File:Prairie Lake Barron County Wisconsin.jpg|thumb|right|The lake for which the town is named is ringed with cottages. August, with algae in bloom.]]
The town of Prairie Lake is located southeast of the center of Barron County. Its namesake lake runs from northwest to southeast across the northeast corner of the town and extends north into the town of [[Stanley, Barron County, Wisconsin|Stanley]] and southeast into the city of [[Chetek, Wisconsin|Chetek]], where it becomes Lake Chetek. The [[Red Cedar River (Wisconsin)|Red Cedar River]], a tributary of the [[Chippewa River (Wisconsin)|Chippewa River]], flows across the center of the town roughly parallel to and {{convert|2|mi|0}} west of Prairie Lake.

[[U.S. Route 53]], a four-lane expressway, crosses the town from northwest to southeast on land that is between the lake and the Red Cedar River. There are no exits within the town; the nearest access points are Exit 126 in [[Chetek (town), Wisconsin|Chetek]] and Exit 135 in [[Cameron, Barron County, Wisconsin|Cameron]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|90.5|sqkm|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|85.9|sqkm|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|4.6|sqkm|disp=flip}}, or 5.11%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,369 people, 528 households, and 412 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was 41.3 people per square mile (16/km<sup>2</sup>).  There were 739 housing units at an average density of 22.3 per square mile (8.6/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 99.27% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.22% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.15% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.07% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.29% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 0.44% of the population.

There were 528 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 15% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 101 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,048, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $31,000 versus $21,164 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $17,507. About 7.6% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.townofprairielake.com/}}

{{Barron County, Wisconsin}}

{{authority control}}

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