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Wisconsin · West-Central Wisconsin · Black River · Ho-Chunk Nation
Jackson County, Wisconsin
Black River Falls and the Ho-Chunk heartland — from Black River Falls' Black River State Forest to the Ho-Chunk Nation's significant presence in the county (one of Wisconsin's largest tribal communities, with the Wittenberg casino and cultural institutions), the Black River's excellent trout fishing and canoe corridors, and a West-Central Wisconsin county where the river, the forest, and the Ho-Chunk heritage define a community with genuine depth.
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Office: Jackson County Emergency Management – 30 N 3rd St, Black River Falls, WI 54615 | (715) 284-0263 | Fax: (715) 284-0252 | Coordinator: Cindy Jefson | Email: [email protected]
Services: Countywide emergency notification registration available; monitors Black River stream flow conditions and Wisconsin DNR burning restrictions
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-94 runs directly through Jackson County, serving Black River Falls; Black River Falls Area Airport (KBCK) is jointly owned by the city and county
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jackson County Zoning Department – Jackson County Courthouse, 307 Main Street, Suite B03, Black River Falls, WI 54615
Services: A Land Use Permit is required for construction, placement, addition, or alteration of structures (homes, garages, sheds, barns, decks, signs, towers); requires legal property description, parcel size verification, structure cost estimate, and a plot plan with setbacks; a Sanitary Permit must be on file BEFORE a Land Use Permit can be issued for any home/dwelling; GIS Coordinator/911 Data Coordinator Joseph Pilkington, (715) 284-0284, handles driveway/road/addressing applications
Notes: In Jackson County, the LOCAL MUNICIPALITY (not the county) is responsible for administering and enforcing the Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) – a UDC Building Permit is required for any new one/two-family dwelling or additions/alterations to homes built after June 1, 1980. Contact your local municipal clerk for specific requirements.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Jackson County Veterans Service Office – Black River Falls, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Black River Falls Public Library – 222 Fillmore Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615
Services: Genuinely notable as WISCONSIN’S FIRST FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, established in 1872; the library’s original 1915 Carnegie building (321 Main Street), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2007) in the Prairie School style, served as the city’s library until a new building was constructed in 1995 – the original building now houses the Jackson County Historical Society Museum; the current library maintains a dedicated History Room and hosts the Speltz Negative Collection, a significant local photographic archive, as a FamilySearch Affiliate Library
Notes: Jackson County is also home to the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Department of Heritage Preservation resources.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Jackson County, established 1853 and named for President Andrew Jackson, was originally settled by loggers drawn to vast white pine forests; the county is genuinely home to the administrative center and DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS OF THE HO-CHUNK NATION in Black River Falls, a central location for the Ho-Chunk community for over 140 years, still hosting ceremonial, traditional, and social gatherings; ancient Native American petroglyphs are preserved at a restricted-access Wisconsin State Natural Area near Black River Falls; WAZEE LAKE, a former iron mining quarry east of Black River Falls in the Town of Brockway, reaches a documented depth of 355 feet, making it Wisconsin’s DEEPEST ARTIFICIAL/QUARRY LAKE (distinct from Green Lake, the deepest NATURAL inland lake) – its clear visibility makes it a genuinely popular scuba diving destination, and the 1,300-acre Wazee Lake Recreation Area offers campsites, a sandy beach, and fishing pier; the county contains large portions of the Black River State Forest, with extensive ATV trail networks; Jackson County’s economy transitioned historically from logging to agriculture (cranberries, sphagnum moss, strawberries) and today centers on manufacturing, health care, and retail
Notes: FOR INMATEAID AUDIENCE – Jackson County is home to two Wisconsin Department of Corrections facilities: Jackson Correctional Institution (K33) and the Black River Correctional Center, both located near Black River Falls. Wazee Lake’s genuine status as Wisconsin’s deepest artificial/quarry lake, distinct from Green Lake’s status as the deepest natural lake, is a distinctive, verifiable local fact worth noting carefully to avoid conflating the two.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Jackson County GIS – accessible via co.jackson.wi.us
Parcel Search: Jackson County Land Records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Jackson County GIS/911 Data Coordinator
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Jackson County Animal Shelter – 416 County Road R, Black River Falls, WI 54615 | (715) 284-0251 | Hours: Mon/Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat 1–4 PM (closed Tue/Sun)
Services: Jointly owned and operated by Jackson County and the City of Black River Falls, with additional funding/support from the separate Jackson County Humane Society; shelters lost, unwanted, and stray companion animals, working to reunite them with owners or place them in new homes; applications require a minimum 24-hour review period; encourages spay/neuter to reduce pet overpopulation
Notes: As a county-run open-admission facility, the shelter’s stated policy includes humane euthanasia for animals that are behaviorally or medically unadoptable due to public safety or untreatable illness – a standard county-shelter practice, disclosed transparently on their site.
Notes: Contact Jackson County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Jackson County holds a genuinely notable “first” in Wisconsin library history – Black River Falls became the state’s very first free public library in 1872 – alongside its status as the administrative and cultural home of the Ho-Chunk Nation. Wazee Lake, a former mining quarry turned scuba-diving destination, is Wisconsin’s deepest artificial lake, distinct from (but often confused with) Green Lake’s status as the state’s deepest natural lake. 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 Jackson County
Heritage | Black River Falls anchors Jackson County, home to the Ho-Chunk Nation’s significant tribal presence and the historic Jackson County Historical Society Museum, while the county’s Black River State Forest reflects the region’s deep timber heritage and increasingly popular outdoor recreation economy Outdoors | The Black River State Forest offers extensive hiking, camping, and mountain biking, while the Black River provides fishing and paddling, and the nearby Buckhorn Park area offers additional recreation throughout this west-central Wisconsin county Notable | The Black River State Forest remains a significant regional outdoor recreation destination, and the Ho-Chunk Nation’s tribal presence gives Jackson County meaningful Native American cultural heritage weight Library | Black River Falls Public Library serves the county’s tribal-heritage seat town and surrounding rural west-central Wisconsin communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Wisconsin assessments at the municipal level. The Jackson County Treasurer at 307 Main Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615, phone 715-284-0218, coordinates tax billing. Appeal to your local Board of Review. No WI estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Jackson County Probate Court at 307 Main Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615, phone 715-284-0207, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
307 Main St, Black River Falls, WI 54615
(715) 284-0201
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jackson County Register in Probate, Black River Falls (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Black River Falls is also home to a Ho-Chunk Nation office, reflecting the county’s significant Ho-Chunk community and history.
Local societies
No dedicated Jackson 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
Jackson County Register in Probate 307 Main Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615 (715) 284-0286
Jackson County is in West Central Wisconsin, county seat Black River Falls. 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 Jackson 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
202 Main St, Black River Falls, WI 54615
(715) 284-5357
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(715) 284-0201
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Jackson County Health Department, 421 N 5th St, Black River Falls, WI 54615
(715) 284-4304
Human Services
Jackson County Human Services, 421 N 5th St, Black River Falls, WI 54615
(715) 284-4301
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Jackson County Health Department – Black River Falls, WI
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Black River Falls
Population: 21,000
Area: 986 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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