The Greater Northwoods

Town in Vilas County

Town of Plum Lake

Population
553
County
Vilas County
Location
46.050, -89.501

Plum Lake is a civil town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, created in 1911 and encompassing the communities of Sayner and Star Lake. It is a small, tourism-and-second-home Northwoods community set largely within Vilas County Forest and the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, and it markets itself as the birthplace of the snowmobile (Carl Eliason built his first motor toboggan in Sayner in 1924). Its 2020 census population was 566. Governance is by a three-member elected town board with a part-time clerk and treasurer, children attend the Northland Pines School District in Eagle River, and the economy runs on lake tourism, resorts, and the Vilas County Historical Museum.

The record

135 records name Town of Plum Lake

  • 134 news
  • 1 obituaries

Showing the 40 most recent of 135. Every one is held, cited, and searchable in the archive.

What the records show

30 of 46 independently verified

Authoritative data

  • Population: 553 (2020 census), 571 (latest official estimate) via doa.wi.gov
  • Area: 86.444 sq mi land, 11.755 sq mi water, at 46.049848, -89.501254 via www2.census.gov
  • Vilas County holds 570 named lakes and flowages via prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com
  • Named lakes nearest this town: Lone Tree Lake, Ballard Lake, Little Star Lake, White Birch Lake, Irving Lake, Bobs Lake, Star Lake, Partridge Lake, Razorback Lake, Lake Salsich, Frank Lake, Lake Alva, Aurora Lake, Lake Laura and 20 more via prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com

Population and demographics

  • 2020 census: 566 via plumlakewi.gov
  • Acs estimate: 458 unverified via censusreporter.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Median hh income: 67679 unverified via censusreporter.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Median age: 58 unverified via censusreporter.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Seasonal swing: seasonal influx (magnitude not quantified) unverified via plumlakewi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Government and civic

Schools

Economy and employers

  • Museum anchor: Vilas County Historical Museum via vilasmuseum.com
  • Tourism: tourism / resort economy unverified via plumlakewi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Institutions and anchors

  • Museum: Vilas Historical Museum, 2889 Hwy 155, Sayner; open May 23 - Sept 29 via vilasmuseum.com
  • Library: no in-town library confirmed unverified via plumlakewi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Post office: Sayner 54560; Star Lake 54561 unverified via plumlakewi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Business and commerce

  • Chamber: Sayner-Star Lake-Cloverland Chamber of Commerce via plumlakewi.gov
  • Downtown: small resort main street (Sayner, Hwy 155) secondary source via vilaswi.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.

Media

Recreation and natural assets

  • Forest: Vilas County Forest + NHAL State Forest secondary source via en.wikipedia.org Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Plum lake: ~1,057 to 1,108 acres; max depth ~57 ft via dnr.wisconsin.gov
  • Star lake: 1206 via dnr.wisconsin.gov
  • Hemlock forest: 747 acres; designated 1953 via dnr.wisconsin.gov
  • Identity snowmobile: birthplace of the snowmobile (Carl Eliason, 1924) secondary source via vilaswi.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Activities: multi-season outdoor recreation secondary source via vilaswi.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.

Events and seasonal rhythm

  • Winter identity: winter / snowmobiling identity secondary source via vilaswi.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
  • Type county: Town, Vilas County, WI (Sayner + Star Lake) via plumlakewi.gov
  • Founding: April 11, 1911 via plumlakewi.gov
  • Street fair: Street Fair (August); Hometown Holiday Celebration (winter) unverified via vilaswi.com We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Coordinates: 46.03139, -89.52028 unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Land area: 88.9 land / 11.1 water (Census); 85.7 (town site) unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Elevation: 1670 unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Infrastructure and access

  • Highways: WIS 155; CTH N, K unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Airport: Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (RHI) unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Hubs: Eagle River (nearest); Minocqua/Woodruff; Rhinelander unverified via npsd.k12.wi.us We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Broadband: not established unverified via plumlakewi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Every figure here traces to a primary public record, linked at the fact. We gather and cite; we do not author. See something off? Tell us.

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