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Wisconsin · West-Central Wisconsin · Red Cedar River · UW-Stout
Dunn County, Wisconsin
Menomonie's lumber baron legacy and UW-Stout's polytechnic excellence — from James Stout's extraordinary philanthropic gifts that created both Stout University and Menomonie's extraordinary parks and public infrastructure to the Red Cedar State Trail's 14.5-mile rail-to-trail conversion through the river valley, and a West-Central Wisconsin county where a 19th-century lumberman's generosity created lasting civic institutions.
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Office: Dunn County Emergency Management – 3001 US Highway 12 East, Menomonie, WI 54751 | (715) 231-2982 | Director: Melissa Gilgenbach
Services: Coordinates all-hazards mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery for the county’s cities, villages, and townships; reviews off-site plans for facilities producing/using/storing Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS); completes an annual Integrated Preparedness Plan
Notes: The Dunn County Communications Center (911), established 1995 as a joint venture between the City of Menomonie and Dunn County, is staffed 24/7 with a minimum of two telecommunicators; dispatches for the Sheriff’s Department, Menomonie Police, UW-Stout, 3 village departments, Menomonie Fire and Ambulance, 11 volunteer fire departments, and 8 volunteer ambulance agencies. Callers may hear up to seven seconds of silence after dialing 911 while the call routes – this is a normal, unavoidable part of the phone routing process.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-94 and US-12 both serve Menomonie
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Dunn County Planning and Zoning Division – 3001 US Highway 12 E, Suite 240, Menomonie, WI 54751 | (715) 231-6521
Services: Building permits (required for any structure used for human occupancy), driveway access permits (part of the county’s uniform address numbering system), zoning classification verification
Notes: A separate Well Permit is required through the Dunn County Public Health Department, (715) 232-2388, per Wisconsin DNR well construction standards using a WI-licensed well driller. Check for town-level requirements in addition to county zoning, as some towns (e.g., Town of Red Cedar) maintain their own separate building inspector and fee schedule.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Dunn County Veterans Service Office – Menomonie, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Menomonie Public Library – Menomonie, WI | (715) 232-2164 (Info Desk ext. 210, Circ Desk ext. 212) | Hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–9 PM, Fri 9 AM–6 PM, Sat 10 AM–5 PM, Sun 1–5 PM
Services: A member of the Indianhead Federated Library System, offering resources from over 50 west-central Wisconsin libraries; maintains a curated local history database including “1925 Dunn County History,” “1984 Dunn County History,” and “Where the Wild Rice Grows” (a history of Menomonie); partners closely with The Mabel Tainter arts center and area schools
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Dunn County, created February 19, 1854 from Chippewa County and named for Charles Dunn, the first Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Territory Supreme Court, moved its county seat to Menomonie in 1861 after the original Dunnville courthouse burned in 1858; the city is genuinely home to one of Wisconsin’s most moving historic landmarks – the MABEL TAINTER MEMORIAL BUILDING (also called the Mabel Tainter Theater), commissioned in 1888-89 by lumber baron Captain Andrew Tainter and his wife as a memorial to their daughter Mabel, who died in 1886 at just 19 years old; designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style (likely by architect Harvey Ellis of the Minneapolis firm L.S. Buffington), the building was created because Mabel loved music and the arts, and no expense was spared by her grieving parents; it remains a fully active performing arts venue today, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a charter member of the League of Historic American Theatres, and a designated Wisconsin Historical Marker Site; the county is also home to the University of Wisconsin-Stout; Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park preserves the real childhood home of Caroline Augusta Woodhouse, the young girl whose life inspired the Newbery Medal-winning children’s book “Caddie Woodlawn”; the Russell J. Rassbach Museum in Menomonie tells the region’s history from ancient mound builders through the present day, including a hands-on “Fulton’s Workshop” interactive space added in 2018; the historic Knapp, Stout & Co. lumber company was, in its 19th-century heyday, one of the largest lumber operations in the world, directly shaping Menomonie’s early growth and prosperity
Notes: The Mabel Tainter Memorial’s genuine, deeply personal origin story as a grieving family’s tribute – still an active, beloved community arts venue nearly 140 years later – is an extraordinary, well-documented local landmark.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Dunn County GIS – accessible via co.dunn.wi.us
Parcel Search: Dunn County Register of Deeds – (715) 232-1228
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Dunn County Communications Center
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Dunn County Humane Society (DCHS) – 302 Brickyard Rd, Menomonie, WI 54751
Services: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill shelter since its founding, genuinely established in memory of Flash, a four-year-old Basset Hound who died as the result of an act of animal cruelty; does not euthanize to make space for incoming animals – all animals are evaluated, medically treated, and rehabilitated when possible; Wisconsin DATCP-licensed (Dog Seller & Dog Facility Operator License #267328-DS); adoption fees include initial immunizations, parasite treatment, microchipping, and a free health exam certificate; hosts a biannual Rummage Sale fundraiser at the Fanetti Community Center & Dunn County Ice Arena
Notes: Confirm current hours directly, as the shelter’s visitation schedule was not consistently listed across sources.
Notes: Contact Dunn County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Dunn County’s Menomonie holds one of Wisconsin’s most emotionally resonant historic landmarks in the Mabel Tainter Memorial, a lumber baron’s tribute to his late teenage daughter that remains a beloved, active arts venue nearly 140 years later. The county is also home to the real setting of “Caddie Woodlawn” and the historic Knapp, Stout & Co. lumber operation. Dunn County Humane Society’s own founding – born from grief over a documented act of animal cruelty – reflects a similarly personal community commitment to animal welfare. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Dunn County
Dunn County’s University of Wisconsin-Stout – the only polytechnic university in the UW System – has produced graduates in applied technology, engineering technology, hotel and restaurant management, and game design who have found ready employment in manufacturing, hospitality, and technology sectors. The university’s distinctive polytechnic mission, focused on applied and career-oriented education rather than the broad liberal arts model, has made it a national model for practical higher education.
Menomonie’s Red Cedar River and the Chippewa River confluence nearby provide recreation infrastructure – the Red Cedar State Trail, a popular rails-to-trails conversion, follows the river corridor through the county. The county’s agricultural character – dairy, grain, and increasingly specialty crops – reflects west-central Wisconsin’s farming tradition. Menomonie has a pleasant small-city character that the UW-Stout community has enriched.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Wisconsin assesses property at 100% of market value. Property owners may appeal to the Municipal Board of Review annually. Wisconsin has an estate tax above $5 million; no Wisconsin inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Dunn County Probate Court at 615 Stokke Parkway, Menomonie, WI 54751, phone 715-232-1677, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
800 Wilson Ave, Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 232-1636
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Dunn County Register in Probate, Menomonie (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). University of Wisconsin-Stout’s library holds regional historical archives.
Local societies
No dedicated Dunn County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Dunn County Register in Probate 615 Stokke Parkway, Suite 1500, Menomonie, WI 54751 (715) 232-6782
Dunn County is in West Central Wisconsin, home to University of Wisconsin-Stout, county seat Menomonie. Wisconsin has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code and has NO separate probate court – probate is handled by the CIRCUIT COURT (Probate Division) for the county where the decedent lived, administered day-to-day by that county’s REGISTER IN PROBATE. Wisconsin runs two main tracks: FORMAL administration, supervised directly by a circuit court judge, and INFORMAL administration, supervised by the Register in Probate without continuous judicial oversight. Informal administration is the default path for most straightforward estates.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Wisconsin Statutes Chapters 851 through 882 govern probate. Wisconsin is also a MARITAL PROPERTY state (similar to community property) – under the Wisconsin Marital Property Act, most assets acquired during marriage are co-owned by both spouses, so a surviving spouse may already own half of all marital property outright; only the decedent’s half passes through the estate.
Transfer by Affidavit (Wis. Stat. §867.03) – available when the decedent’s ENTIRE probate estate (personal property only; real estate is not covered by this shortcut) has a gross value of $50,000 or less. Available 30 days after death to an heir, a trustee of a revocable trust, a beneficiary named in the will, or a guardian of the decedent.
Summary Settlement (Wis. Stat. §867.01) – geared toward estates of $50,000 or less where there is a surviving spouse, domestic partner, or minor children, or where the estate would otherwise be absorbed by allowances and expenses.
Summary Assignment – another shortcut for estates too small to pay debts in full.
Formal or Informal Administration – required for larger or more complex estates. Begins with a Petition for Administration (Form PR-1801) filed with the county Register in Probate to admit the will (if any) and appoint a personal representative.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Administration (Form PR-1801) with the Dunn County Register in Probate.
Mail notice of the hearing to all heirs, beneficiaries, and interested parties at least 20 days before the hearing; publish notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county for three successive weeks.
Once appointed, the personal representative inventories assets, and the court (for formal administration) or Register in Probate (for informal) sets a creditor claims deadline – generally 3 to 4 months from the date of the court’s order, with first publication of that notice required within 15 days of the order.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses, then distributes remaining assets to heirs/beneficiaries.
File a final accounting with the Circuit Court (Probate) showing all assets received, debts paid, and distributions made; once approved, the estate is closed.
Wisconsin Circuit Courts require attorneys to e-file; pro se (self-represented) filers are encouraged to use the Wisconsin Circuit Court eFiling system as well.
What it costs
Personal representative compensation: presumptive statutory rate of 2% of inventory value (Wis. Stat. §857.05), though the will or the parties can agree to a different amount.
Filing fees, publication costs, and (for real estate transfers under the small-estate process) an Affidavit of Heirship and Affidavit of Service, notarized and filed with the court.
Typical timeline: simple estates 6-12 months; complex or contested estates 18 months or longer.
Wisconsin does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, with a $15,000,000 per-person exemption for 2026 – meaning the vast majority of Wisconsin estates owe nothing.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
615 Stokke Pkwy, Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 232-1700
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(715) 232-1636
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Dunn County Health Department, 3001 US Hwy 12, Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 232-4006
Economic Support Office
Dunn County Economic Support Office, 3001 US Hwy 12, Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 232-4006
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Dunn County Public Health Department – (715) 232-2388
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records, well permits
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