Rusk

Formed January 1, 1901 (71^st county)

Rusk County (14,192), Ladysmith (3,224)

The Modern 1965 red brick and concrete courthouse is located on Miner Avenue at 3^rd Street.  United States Highway 8 is one block north of the location.  Dobberman & Helske provided the designs.  An Administration Building was added in 1997.  The county was founded on January 1, 1901 from Chippewa County as the 71^st county with Ladysmith as the only county seat.  The county is named for Governor Jeremiah M. Rusk.  Ladysmith is named for the wife of a merchant. 

Rusk County government consists of a sheriff and 19 Supervisors.  One Circuit Court Judge and One Municipal Court Judge serve Rusk County.  The county is situated in the northwest part of Wisconsin.  Green Bay, Wisconsin is southeast and Minneapolis, Minnesota is southwest of the county.  The county center is 3.8 miles Northwest of Ladysmith.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Sawyer, Price, Taylor, Chippewa, Barron, and Washburn counties. 

The area of the county is 913.6 square miles.  It is 18 out of 72 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 72 in population in the state.  It has a density of 15.5 persons per square mile making it 64 out of 72 in the state.  Rusk County has 36.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 8 crosses through the county from east to west from Price County to Barron County.  The county looks like the number 7 lying on its face.  Ladysmith is located near the center of the county.  Ladysmith is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 22.7% of the county population.