Rusk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,755. Its county seat is Ladysmith.
Video Rusk County, Wisconsin
History
Founded in 1901, Rusk County was originally named Gates County after Milwaukee land speculator James L. Gates. It was renamed Rusk County in 1905 after Jeremiah M. Rusk, governor of Wisconsin and the first U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. It was formed out of the northern portion of Chippewa County.
Maps Rusk County, Wisconsin
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 931 square miles (2,410 km2), of which 914 square miles (2,370 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (1.9%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Sawyer County - north
- Price County - east
- Taylor County - southeast
- Chippewa County - south
- Barron County - west
- Washburn County - northwest
Major highways
- U.S. Highway 8
- Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
- Highway 40 (Wisconsin)
- Highway 73 (Wisconsin)
Airport
- KRCX - Rusk County Airport serves the county and surrounding communities.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,347 people, 6,095 households, and 4,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 7,609 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.69% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.7% were of German, 13.6% Polish, 9.0% Norwegian, 6.8% Irish, 6.2% American and 5.6% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 6,095 households out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.
Communities
City
- Ladysmith (county seat)
Villages
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
Politics
See also
- Flambeau Mine
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rusk County, Wisconsin
References
Further reading
- Dresden, Katharine Woodrow. History of Rusk County, Wisconsin. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1931.
External links
- Rusk County government website
- Rusk County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
- Plat maps, 1915-1920
Source of article : Wikipedia