Laona, Wisconsin
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| Laona, Wisconsin | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Forest |
| Area | |
| - Total | 107.5 sq mi (278.5 km²) |
| - Land | 103.4 sq mi (267.8 km²) |
| - Water | 4.1 sq mi (10.7 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 1,572 ft (479 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 1,367 |
| - Density | 13.2/sq mi (5.1/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 55-42500[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1583528[1] |
Laona is a town in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,367 at the 2000 census.
The town was established in 1903, although settlement had begun in 1896 by William D. Connor, a lumberman working for his father's R. Connor Lumber and Land Company. The community was named for the daughter of Norman Johnson, an early resident; the first child born to a settler.
A classic company town, Laona's hospital, store, school, library, and housing were all built by the Connor company. The town's economy revolved around the company's lumber mill. During business downturns of the 19th and early 20th century, "company scrip" or privately issued company money was issued and used as currency in the town.
Laona remains a foundation of Wisconsin's lumber history. The private forestland surrounding the town has been selectively managed for the past 100 years and the town is an example of sustainable management.
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[edit] Business
Nicolet Hardwoods Corporation is one of the midwest's largest hardwood sawmills. Totally optimized and running the most sophisticated, technologically advanced equipment available, the sawmill claims zero waste product.
W•D Flooring, LLC, the region's largest flooring mill, manufactures residential and commercial flooring, including gymnasium and sport flooring. They have made flooring for landmarks including the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. W•D Flooring also claims to produce zero waste product.
[edit] Recreation
The town is the site of the Lumberjack Steam Train, an operating turn-of-the-century passenger train. 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 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.
[edit] Education
Laona also claims the world's first School Forest. Land was donated by W.D. Connor for the education and benefit of children, with the belief that a school forest would provide them with a keen understanding of solid stewardship and the benefits a forest can provide if properly managed for generations.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 107.5 square miles (278.5 km²), of which, 103.4 square miles (267.8 km²) of it is land and 4.2 square miles (10.7 km²) of it (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 1,572 feet.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,367 people, 564 households, and 395 families residing in the town. The population density was 13.2 people per square mile (5.1/km²). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 8.2/sq mi (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, 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 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 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.
[edit] References
- ^ a b US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
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