The following information about the post offices in Vilas County (and some nearby ones in Oneida County) comes from these three sources (two in the National Archives):

1. Record of Postmaster Appointments. National Archives Microfilm M 841. Vilas County is on Roll 144. Cited here as "Postmaster File."

2. Post Office Site Records. National Archives Microfilm M 1126. Vilas County is on Roll 672. Cited here as "Post Office Site Records."

3. Wisconsin Post Office Handbook of the Wisconsin Postal History Society, 1988. Cited here as Postal History Handbook.

These sources, and others as noted, were reviewed for the following data:

1. Anything relating to Star Lake.

2. Records that would establish the beginning or ending date of all Vilas County Post Offices.

3. Records that would establish the location of Vilas County Post Offices with unfamiliar locations.

4. Any other data that seemed of interest, especially as regards Star Lake.

The data is arranged by Post Office

ARBOR VITAE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 22 Aug 1893. From Postmaster File.
• Postmaster appointment: Albert J. Mykleby, 21 May 1914. From Postmaster File.
• Postmaster Mykleby retirement: 31 August 1958. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1893, 1898, 1918, 1943.

BOULDER JCT.

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1912. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1912, 1924, 1943.
• In 1906 the post office address for High Lake Lodge was "Boulder Jct., Star Lake, Wis." Currey Notes

BUSWELL

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1905. From Postmaster File.
• Service moved to Boulder Jct.: 1914. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1905, 1910.
• Application for a Post Office (1905) to the Postmaster, Star Lake [two words], shows location to be in the SE 1/4, Sec. 25, T43N, R5E. It will be on the route from Merrill to Star Lake, on which mail is carried 6 times per week. From Post Office Site Records.
• Application for a move of the Post Office (1910) shows the Post Offices nearest to the southeast to the Star Lake [two words], 23 miles; and Oxley 12 miles. From Post Office Site Records.

CISCO

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1908. From Postmaster File.
• Service Moved to Donaldson: 1914.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1907, 1910.
• Location (on 1907 form): Lot 5, Sec. 20, T43N, R9E. From Post Office Site Records.

CONOVER

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 30 November 1894. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1894, 1901, 1932, 1943.
• The 1901 record suggests a request to change the name to "Flanders Post Office," which is also the name of the Postmaster. This was denied, and the denial refers to "Star Lake" [two words].

DIVIDE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1905. From Postmaster File.
• Mail changed to Winchester: 1908. From Postmaster File.
• Site Record shows "Divide Resort" with the "Resort" crossed out. Location: Sec 5, T43N R5E.

DONALDSON

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1907. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1907, 1913, 1918.
• 1907 Record shows established that year, and State Line Post Office as 1 1/2 miles away. From Post Office Site Records.
• 1913 and 1918 records show alternate name is State Line Railroad Depot. From Post Office Site Records.

EAGLE RIVER

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 17 May 1889. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1883, 1918, 1943.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1908.

FOSTERVILLE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1906. From Postmaster File.
• Became Winegar. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1905.
• Location: SE 1/4 Sec 34, T44N R6E. From Post Office Site Records.

GRACELAND

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1911
• Location: Sec 35, T40N R8E. From Post Office Site Records.

HACKLEY

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1902. From Postmaster File.
• Hackley became Phelps. I did not note a record of this in the files reviewed, but I wasn't looking for it.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1902.

KATINKA

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1917.
• 1917 records show mail to be addressed to Winegar. Also Katinka is written over "Presque Isle." Could all three of these be the same Post Office?

KNUDSON

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1927, 1929.
• 1927 Location: Lot 3, Sec 29 T43N R9E. From Post Office Site Records.
• 1929 Application show Star Lake [two words] as the nearest post office on the same route. Location: SW 1/4 Sec 25, T43N R8E. From Post Office Site Records.

LAC DU FLAMBEAU

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 11 January 1890. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1890
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1889, 1895, 1932, 1943.

LAKOTA

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1902. From Postmaster File.
• Service moved to Conover: 1914. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1902.
• Location: SE 1/4 Sec 6 T41N RllE. On Big Fence Lake. From Post Office Site Records.

LAND O'LAKES

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1920, 1924, 1943.
• The 1920 record shows the name change from State Line. From Post Office Site Records.

MANITOWISH WATERS

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1946, 1948.

MINOCQUA (Oneida County)

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 24 April 1893. From Postmaster File.

MISHIKE

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1923.
• 1923 Record shows location: SW 1/4 of NE 1/4 Sec 2, T 43N, R5E. From Post Office Site Records.

OXLEY

Note: Spelling in Site file is clearly "Oxley." In Postmaster file it looked like "Orley". At one point it looked like "Quley." I believe all are the same: Oxley.

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1906. From Postmaster File.
• Service moved to Boulder Jct.: 1914. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1906, 1911, 1913.
• Location: 11 miles from Star Lake.From Post Office Site Records.
• 1906 and 1911 Site records refer to "Star Lake" [two words] From Post Office Site Records.

PAPOOSE LAKE

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1916.
• Location: SE 1/4 Sec 35, T43N R5E. 9 mi. from Boulder Jct. From PostOffice Site Records.

PHELPS

• Formerly Hackley.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1918, 1919, 1943.

PRESQUE ISLE

• See Katinka and Winegar.

REST LAKE

• Established 4/26/1928. From Post Office Site Records.
• Location: SW 1/4 Sec 4, T42N R5E. From Post Office Site Records.

REYNOLDS

• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1891.
• 1891 Site Record shows "Trout Lake/Reynolds" with "Trout Lake" crossed out. * * Location: SW 1/4 Sec 13 T41N R6E, Oneida County. From Post Office Site Records.
• See also Trout Lake.

SAINT GERMAIN

• Established 1952. From Postal History Handbook.

SAYNER

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: Orrin W. Sayner, 22 March 1898. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1897, 1918, 1926, 1934, 1943.
• Site records from 1897, 1918, and 1934 include references to "Star Lake" [two words]. From Post Office Site Records.
• Site record for 1934 shows Star Lake to be north 7 miles.

SPIDER LAKE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1904. From Postmaster File.
• Later either Post Office or Service (not clear which) changed to Iron County. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 190[last digit unreadable.]

STARLAKE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: Allen E. Williams, 17 August 1895. Note this record shows Starlake clearly as one word. From Postmaster File.
• Next Postmaster appointment: Benjamin F. Wilson, 2 March 1898. Again, one word. The one word spelling is unambiguous, as--in the same hand--just below is "State Line" which is clearly two words and very distinct from the one word Starlake. From Postmaster File.
• Next Postmaster appointment: Herbert D. Wake. 19 October 1910. From Postmaster File.
• Next Postmaster appointment: Jacob O. Mykleby, August 29, 1914. (4th Class) From Postmaster File.
• Jacob O. Mykleby deceased July 1, 1935. From Postmaster File.
• Next Postmaster appointment: Elsie Mykleby, Acting Aug. 3, 1935, became Postmaster Feb. 17, 1936.
• Elsie Mykleby deceased December 17, 1959.
• Next Postmaster appointment: Lynne Haywood, Acting July 1, 1960, became Postmaster December 1, 1960.
• "Mrs. Lyne Olson" name changed from Lynne Haywood, October 5, 1961.
• See the entry for Buswell, 1905. It shows a mail route from Merrill to Star Lake on which mail is carried six times per week.
• Note on the name "Star Lake." The records cited here were completely consistent: The official records referring to the post office made it one word. When other postmasters in the area referred to it, they always used two words. See entries at: Buswell, Conover, Kundson, Oxley, and Sayner.

STATE LINE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 23 December 1889. From Postmaster File.
• Name changed to Land O'Lakes in 1920. From Post Office Site Records under Land O'Lakes.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1887.
• See also: Donaldson.

TROUT LAKE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1916. From Postmaster File.
• Service moved to Boulder Jct.: 1947. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1918, 1943.
• 1918 site record showed location: Gov. Lot 6, Sec 20 T41N R7E. From Post Office Site Records.
• A 1941 Chicago and Northwestern Map "The Great North Woods Tourist and Fishing District of Wisconsin" was appended to the 1943 site report to show location. Northern portion of the map was copied and is at Lowwood, Star Lake, A copy of the key area shows the post office very near the junction of Trout and Allequash Lakes.

VUDESARE

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1908. From Postmaster File.
• Service moved to Donaldson: 1916. From Postmaster File.
• A location record shows the name "Lac Vieux Desert" crossed out and replaced with "Vudesare". The sketch map shows the post office on the lake. It also helps locate the Donaldson Post Office; see the sketch under Donaldson. From Post Office Site Records.

WINCHESTER

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 1907. From Postmaster File.
• Became branch of Manitowish Waters: 1966. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1907, 1918, 1930, 1931, 1943.

WINEGAR

• See Katinka, Fosterville, and Presque Isle.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1931. 1943.
• 1943 record shows it 9 miles from Winchester. From Post Office Site Records.

WOODRUFF (Oneida County)

• Earliest Postmaster appointment shown in file: 31 October 1889. From Postmaster File.
• Post Office Site Records contain records dated: 1887, 1915.

**** indicates no known author.

Major References

Minor References