Rib Lake (town), Wisconsin
| Rib Lake, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Rustic Road #1, near James Lake
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|
 Location of Rib Lake, Taylor County, Wisconsin |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Taylor |
| Area | |
| • Total | 74.9 sq mi (193.9 km2) |
| • Land | 74.0 sq mi (191.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,581 ft (482 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 768 |
| • Density | 10.4/sq mi (2.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code(s) | 715 & 534 |
| GNIS ID | 1584017 |
| PLSS township | T33N R3E, eastern 2/3 of T33N R2E, and northern half of T32N R3E |
Rib Lake is a town in Taylor County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 768 at the 2000 census. The Village of Rib Lake is completely surrounded by the town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.9 square miles (193.9 km²), of which 74.0 square miles (191.7 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²) (1.14%) is water.
Much of Rib Lake is hilly, with small glacial lakes. It lies within the Perkinstown terminal moraine, which is described under Taylor County.
Most of the edges of the six by six squares that would become Rib Lake were surveyed in October 1861 by a crew working for the U.S. government. In early 1862, the same crew marked all the section corners in the township, walking through the woods and swamps, measuring with chain and compass. When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description for the six by six square that now contains the village of Rib Lake:
The Surface of this Township is generally rolling. Soil Fair 2nd Rate and good for agricultural purposes. Timber Hemlock Birch Sugar and White Pine of good quality. It is well watered by numerous Small Lakes and Streams of pure water.
The area was logged from the 1880s on, with a large mill on the banks of Rib Lake. Bark from the hemlock mentioned above was another important early product, supplying the tannery in the village of Rib Lake. A good portion of the town is still forest, much of it Taylor County Forest.
Rustic Road #1, a scenic drive that winds over hills and around lakes, was Wisconsin's first official Rustic Road, dedicated in 1975.
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