Minocqua, Wisconsin
| Minocqua, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
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| Nickname(s): The Island City | |
 Location of Minocqua, Wisconsin |
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| Coordinates: 45°50′48″N 89°49′50″W / 45.84667°N 89.83056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Oneida |
| Government | |
| • Chairman | Mark Hartzheim |
| • Town Clerk | Roben Haggart |
| • Town Treasurer | Laura Mendez |
| • Town Secretary | Abby Trapp |
| Area | |
| • Total | 168.1 sq mi (435.3 km2) |
| • Land | 150.8 sq mi (390.6 km2) |
| • Water | 17.3 sq mi (44.8 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,598 ft (487 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 4,859 |
| • Density | 32.2/sq mi (12.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code(s) | 715 & 534 |
| FIPS code | 55-53225 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1583727 |
Minocqua is a town in northwestern Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,385 as of the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Minocqua and the unincorporated community of Rantz are both located in the town. Minocqua is commonly referred to as "The Island City."
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 Indians. The town Minocqua is named after, "Ninocqua", the Ojibwe name that is defined as "noon-day-rest".
In the late 1800s, Minocqua was a logging town. Minocqua Clawson was the first white 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 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, the Minocqua Community Center, Bosacki's Boathouse (now The Boathouse), T Murtaugh's Pub, and the Thirsty Whale. 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 DNR to allow it to be rebuilt where it had originally stood.
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