Price County, Wisconsin

Price County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,159. Its county seat is Phillips.

History

Price County was created on March 3, 1879, when Wisconsin Governor William E. Smith signed legislation creating the county. The county was later organized in 1882.William T. Price (1824–1886), for whom Price County was named, was President of Wisconsin Senate and an early logger in Price County; he later was elected to the U.S. Congress. The county was formed from portions of Chippewa and Lincoln counties.

The first white settler in what is now Price County was Major Isaac Stone, who located on the Spirit River in 1860 to engage in lumbering.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,278 square miles (3,310 km²), of which 1,254 square miles (3,250 km²) is land and 24 square miles (62 km²) (1.9%) is water. The highest natural point in Wisconsin, Timms Hill at 1,951 feet (595 m), is located in Price County.