Minocqua

History

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. The town Minocqua is named after "Ninocqua", the Ojibwe name that is defined as "noon-day-rest".. Landmarks on the Island include Torpy Park, the Belle-Isle building and the Minocqua Community Center. 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.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 168.1 square miles (435.4 km), of which 150.8 square miles (390.6 km) is land and 17.3 square miles (44.8 km) is water for a total area of 10.29% water. Termed the "Island City," a portion of the town is situated on what was an actual island, which is accessible by bridge on Highway 51 and "the fill" to the north. Much of Minocqua has sandy soil, although areas of the far northwest and the northeast are clay. The majority of the soil is highly acidic, and many areas are covered by forests. The highest point in Minocqua is Squirrel Hill, located near Winter Park (1735 ft). The highest structure in Minocqua is the Lakeland Sanitary District water tower, a steel tank on Hwy 51 North put in place in the 1960s during the winter. The community of Bo-di-Lac (short for "Booth-Diamond-Lac du Flambeau) is located in the western portion of the town bordered by Squirrel Lake, Diamond Lake, Booth Lake, and the town of Lac du Flambeau. Minocqua has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with long, cold winters and mild, humid summers.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,487
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,211
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta canadensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,626
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  2,553
• Bald Eagle

  Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,453
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  2,336
• Hairy Woodpecker

  Leuconotopicus villosus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,251
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,233

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2024-01-07
  3 km NE of Mole Lake, Wisconsin