Rusk County

History

The forested wilderness that would become Rusk County was home to different Indian nations over the years. Some used the rivers to pass through, some camped, some buried their dead there. In 1767, English explorer Jonathan Carver was the first recorded European to visit what would become Rusk County, ascending the Chippewa River on his way from the Mississippi to Lac Courte Oreilles and Lake Superior. In 1790 Lakota warriors came up the Chippewa to attack the Ojibwe, but they were defeated, leaving the Ojibwe in control through the fur trade era.

The first loggers and settlers came up the Chippewa River from the south, entering what would become Rusk County north of modern Holcombe, where the Flambeau River joins the Chippewa. An Indian settlement lay on the bank of the Chippewa near where St. Francis of Assisi Mission Church stands.

European-American settlement began near that Indian village in 1847, when Adolph La Ronge and his wife came from Canada. By the 1860s the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company had a farm two miles west (across from modern Flater's Resort) to support their operations.

Loggers initially went up the rivers and cut the choicest pine in winter, then drove masses of logs down to sawmills in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire on the spring and early summer floods. At first they poled supplies up the rivers in bateaux, but later cut "tote roads" to haul supplies with oxen and horses to their remote logging camps.

One of these early tote roads was the Chippewa Trail, which followed west of the Chippewa from the south end of the county to the north end near Exeland, and beyond. Another trail called "The 101 Tote Road" followed up the Flambeau River. In 1872 there was no Ladysmith, but by then the trail reached Bruno Vinette's farm on the river a mile above the future Ladysmith, and another logging outpost called Hackett's Farm 20 miles beyond, on the Flambeau north of modern Hawkins. Another tote road reached Vinette's farm from the south, through what would become the Town of Grow. By 1880 the Chippewa Trail was developed into a stage road, with a horse-drawn stage running up it one day and back down the next. Stopping places (rough inns) were located about every five miles, where lumberjacks could rest and carouse on their way to and from the camps. An 1888 map of Chippewa County shows more roads, including one to Flambeau Falls (Ladysmith).

Geography

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.

Adjacent counties

Washburn County – northwest

Sawyer County – north

Price County – east

Taylor County – southeast

Chippewa County – south

Barron County – west

Major highways

U.S. Highway 8

Highway 27 (Wisconsin)

Highway 40 (Wisconsin)

Highway 73 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

Canadian National

Watco

Airport

KRCX – Rusk County Airport serves the county and surrounding communities.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 14,188, the population density was 15.5 people per square mile (6.0 people/km2), and there were 8,560 housing units at an average density of 9.4 units per square mile (3.6 units/km2).

The median age was 49.8 years; 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.3 males age 18 and over.

There were 6,224 households in the county, of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.5% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

Among the 8,560 housing units, 27.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.0% were owner-occupied and 23.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%.

2000 census

As of the census 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 (6.6 people/km2). There were 7,609 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/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.

Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Rusk County residence in 2017.

Communities

City

Ladysmith (county seat)

Politics

Between 1928 and 2008, Rusk County backed the nationwide winner on all but two occasions (1972 and 1988). In 2012, Mitt Romney defeated Barack Obama in the county by a margin of less than 4%, after Obama had won the county by more than 8% in 2008 over John McCain. Rusk County moved significantly to the right in 2016, as Donald Trump took over 64% of the county's vote and won by a margin of nearly 34%, the best margin of victory for any candidate in the county since 1920. He further increased his margin of victory to nearly 35% in 2020 while turning in the best vote share for a Republican in the county in a century at nearly 67%. Trump once again improved on his previous results in 2024, winning more than 68% of the county's vote and grew his margin of victory to over 38%, tops for a Republican in Rusk County since Warren G. Harding.