Eagle River, Wisconsin

Eagle River was the site of the first permanent Indian settlement in the Wisconsin Northwoods, located on the shores of Watersmeet Lake where the Wisconsin River and Chain O' Lakes meet. These early Indians, who were called Old Copper Indians, were succeeded by the Woodland Indians from 2,600 B.C. to 800 A.D. These Indians were probably the ancestors of the Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Menominee.[8]

The first recorded white settler in what became Vilas County was a man named Ashman who established a trading post in Lac du Flambeau in 1818.[9] Eagle River's name was derived from the abundance of eagles nesting along the river. It is believed that Bethuel Draper and "Dutch Pete" Cramer camped in the area in 1853 and were responsible for naming the community. A settlement grew as other families settled in the area in 1857. The town of Eagle River was created by an act of the state legislature in 1885. Vilas County was set off from Oneida County on April 12, 1893 and named for William Freeman Vilas, a migrant from Vermont. Vilas had served for Wisconsin in the United States Senate from 1891 to 1897.[10][11] In the 1850s migrants from New England, primarily from Vermont and Connecticut, constructed a number of wagon roads and trails through Vilas County including the Ontonogan Mail Trail and a Military Road from Fort Howard to Fort Wilkins in Copper Harbor, Michigan.[9]

Eagle River has a cool humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with long, cold winters and short, mild summers. Annually the temperature drops below 32 °F (0 °C) on 190 days, and below 0 °F (-17.8 °C) on 39 days. The comfortable summers result in only one day per year on average with temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32.2 °C).

As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 1,398 people, 684 households, and 308 families residing in the city. The population density was 461.4 inhabitants per square mile (178.1/km²). There were 876 housing units at an average density of 289.1 per square mile (111.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 0.8% African American, 3.5% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 684 households, of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 55.0% were non-families. 46.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.68.

The median age in the city was 43.2 years. 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,443 people, 626 households, and 321 families residing in the city. The population density was 566.3 people per square mile (218.5/km²). There were 726 housing units at an average density of 284.9 per square mile (109.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.98% White, 1.39% African American, 1.94% Native American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 626 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.7% were non-families. 43.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,611, and the median income for a family was $36,339. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $21,477 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,876. About 8.6% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Eagle River Union Airport

Eagle River is served by the Eagle River Union Airport (KEGV), which serves as a landing spot for seasonal home owners. Located just northwest of the city, the airport handles approximately 20,000 operations per year, with roughly 90% general aviation and 10% air taxi. The airport has a 5,000-ft asphalt runway with approved LOC/DME and GPS approaches (Runway 4-22), a 3,400-ft asphalt crosswind runway (Runway 13-31) and a helipad.[17] The nearest commercial airport is located 30 miles south in Rhinelander, WI.