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Wood County Government


History:

Located in the center of Wisconsin the county is named after one of its founding citizens, Joseph Wood.

In the early 19th century the area was settled by early lumber workers harvesting timber along the banks of the Wisconsin River.

Joseph Wood immigrated to the area from Illinois in 1848 to settle in what was then the city of Grand Rapids (now Wisconsin Rapids).

Wood County was officially organized in 1856 after Mr. Wood introduced a state legislation bill to create Wood County from a portion of the existing county of Portage to the east.

Mr. Wood served one term in the state legislature, one year as a county judge, was a multi-term County Board Supervisor, and served as postmaster and mayor of Grand Rapids.