Withee

History

James S. Boardman was the first settler in Withee, arriving in 1870. George Richards and David R. Goodwin arrived shortly after. A post office named Winneoka was established there in 1874 at the farm of Bernard Brown, who also sold small supplies. Before that, both mail and supplies had been hauled from Greenwood and Chippewa Falls. In 1880 the Wisconsin Central Railroad built the line through Withee connecting Abbotsford to Chippewa Falls. The initial village of Withee was platted the following year, La Crosse lumberman, and Wisconsin legislator. With the railroad came fast growth. E.A. Eaton built Withee's first store in 1881, then sold it to W.S. Tufts, who ran the post office there. Then William Valiquette added a saloon. Another general store soon followed, a grocery and confectionery, a hotel, a blacksmith, another saloon, and a lumber yard. a Danish Lutheran minister from Chicago, a follower of N. F. S. Grundtvig, moved with a few families into the Town of Hixon, north of Withee, to form a Danish community and church. Other Danes joined them from around the state, and by 1896 the congregation included thirty families. The Danish language was spoken, and in 1913 the community even hired a teacher of Danish folk-dancing and gymnastics. Gradually the Danish community blended with the surrounding English speakers, but Nazareth Lutheran church remains. The village water system was installed in 1907 and a volunteer fire department was established in 1908. Today, Withee is largely a farming community located one mile from the city of Owen. It includes one gas station, 5 churches, a post office and pharmacy, as well as a few smaller shops. Although the Village of Withee and the City of Owen are separate municipalities, they operate and communicate as one large…

Geography

Withee is located at (44.955168, -90.598908). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.

Largest nearby schools

• Thorp Elementary
  Elementary · Thorp · 362 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Owen-Withee Elementary
  Elementary · Owen · 213 students · 9.7:1 ratio
• Thorp High
  High · Thorp · 165 students · 10.3:1 ratio
• Owen-Withee High
  High · Owen · 123 students · 9.5:1 ratio
• Owen-Withee Junior High
  Middle · Owen · 106 students · 11.8:1 ratio