Spooner Heritage Tour

The Spooner Heritage Tour, which debuted early in the summer of 1998 in celebration of Wisconsin's sesquicentennial observance, takes participants on a journey through Spooner's oldest district, the downtown area around which the community grew.

The walking tour showcases some of the city's oldest and most historically noteworthy homes and businesses.

Featured on the tour is the home of Frank Hammill, an early state legislator, Spooner's first elected mayor, and eventually the man who became known as the "Father of Spooner."

Also on the tour are the sites of some of Spooner's "firsts" -- its first school and first church service -- and several pioneer businesses.

The tour book tells about Chandler, a community settled at the "end of the line" between what are now Spooner and Trego when the North Wisconsin Railway finished its construction season in 1879.

In all, some 30 Spooner businesses, homes, and sites are spotlighted on the tour. Each is marked by a bronze plaque. The guidebook, compiled and written by Spooner historian Sharon Tarr, is available at the Washburn County Information Center, 122 River Street, Spooner, and area businesses.