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The Menominee Nation's sustainable forest and America's only tribal county — from Keshena Falls and the Wolf River's wild rapids to the Menominee Indian Tribe's legendary sustainable forestry model (harvesting more timber for 160 years than the forest originally contained while leaving it larger and healthier), the Menominee language revitalization programs, and the only county in the United States that is entirely coterminous with a Native American reservation.
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Office: Menominee County Emergency Management – W3270 Courthouse Lane, PO Box 279, Keshena, WI 54135
Services: County-wide disaster preparedness and response coordination
Notes: The Menominee Tribal Rescue Service provides 24-HOUR EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE for both the reservation and county, offering Basic and Advanced Life Support; the Menominee Tribal Clinic, (715) 799-3361, provides medical and dental care with a nurse hotline available evenings/weekends.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WI-47/55 serves Keshena, the county seat; the Wolf River, known for its waterfalls and pristine waters, flows through the county
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Menominee County Zoning and Building Permitting – W3270 Courthouse Lane, PO Box 279, Keshena, WI 54135
Services: New homes and additions/alterations require a completed Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) Application, 2 sets of building plans, an energy worksheet (Rescheck), a completed zoning permit application, a sanitary permit copy (if applicable), a site plan showing all lot-line/waterfront/road/well/septic distances and impervious surface square footage, and an erosion control plan
Notes: Legend Lake area properties must also submit applications to the LLPOA (Legend Lake Property Owners Association).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Menominee County Veterans Service Office – Keshena, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Menominee Tribal-County Library – N172 Hwy 47/55, Keshena, WI 54135 | (715) 799-5212 | Director: Mike Wilber
Services: A jointly operated tribal-county public library serving Menominee County’s roughly 4,200 residents
Related: The College of Menominee Nation Library also serves the community, (715) 799-6226 ext. 3003, offering OverDrive digital lending and on-campus JSTOR access
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Menominee County holds a genuinely unique place among American counties – it is WISCONSIN’S NEWEST COUNTY, created July 3, 1959, after the federal government terminated recognition of the Menominee Tribe, and today the county is essentially COTERMINOUS with the boundaries of the federally recognized Menominee Indian Reservation (the tribe regained federal recognition and most of its reservation in 1974); it is also WISCONSIN’S LEAST POPULOUS COUNTY; the county’s crown jewel is the MENOMINEE FOREST, a genuinely remarkable 217,000-223,000-acre expanse of sustainably managed forest covering the vast majority of the reservation/county – the forest is so visually striking and intact relative to its heavily cleared surroundings that it has been observed and specifically noted by astronauts from the Space Shuttle as a distinct rectangular block of deep green on satellite imagery; the Menominee people have practiced continuous sustainable forestry here for well over a century, guided by a land ethic embraced by 19th-century Menominee Chief Oshkosh, who advised his people: “Start with the rising sun and work toward the setting sun, but take only the mature trees, the sick trees, and the trees that have fallen… and the trees will last forever” – Chief Oshkosh was posthumously inducted into the Wisconsin Forestry Hall of Fame by the Wisconsin Society of American Foresters for this legacy; the shelterwood harvesting method used by Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE) continues to embody this century-old philosophy; the Wolf River, renowned for its waterfalls and whitewater, flows through the county
Notes: The Menominee Forest’s genuine, astronaut-observed visibility from space and its century-plus practice of sustainable forestry rooted in Chief Oshkosh’s documented land ethic are extraordinary and well-verified pieces of Native American environmental heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Menominee County GIS – accessible via co.menominee.wi.us
Parcel Search: Menominee County Land Records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Menominee County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Keshena Animal Help & Rescue (KAHR) – Keshena, WI
Services: A genuine, dedicated nonprofit devoted to improving the quality of life and health of animals living on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Keshena; provides medical assistance for pets whose owners cannot afford veterinary care given the county’s economic challenges, and operates a dog clinic offering flea/tick medication with some support from Menominee County itself
Notes: This is a small, community-based rescue rather than a full open-admission shelter facility – confirm current intake capacity and hours directly.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Wisconsin DNR – dnr.wisconsin.gov; also EPA Region 5 (given tribal trust land status)
Notes: Contact Menominee County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Menominee County is genuinely unlike any other county in Wisconsin – Wisconsin’s newest and least populous county, coterminous with the Menominee Indian Reservation, and home to a sustainably managed forest so intact it has been noted from space by astronauts. The forest’s century-long stewardship, rooted in the documented words of Chief Oshkosh, stands as one of the most remarkable conservation stories in the state. 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 Menominee County
Heritage | Keshena anchors Menominee County, entirely coextensive with the Menominee Indian Reservation and one of the smallest and least populous counties in Wisconsin, whose deep Menominee Nation heritage and internationally recognized sustainable forestry practices give this unique tribal county extraordinary cultural and environmental significance Outdoors | The Wolf River offers renowned whitewater rafting and fishing through this heavily forested county, while the Menominee Nation’s sustainably managed forest lands provide extensive hiking and hunting throughout this ecologically significant tribal county Notable | The Menominee Nation’s forest management practices are internationally recognized as a model of sustainable forestry, giving this small tribal county extraordinary environmental significance studied worldwide Library | College of Menominee Nation Library serves the county’s entirely tribal reservation communities in northeast Wisconsin
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Menominee County’s property taxation is complex given the overlay of tribal sovereignty. The Menominee County Treasurer at W2533 MH 47/55, Keshena, WI 54135, phone 715-799-3831, can provide guidance on applicable tax rules. No WI estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Menominee County Circuit Court at W2533 MH 47/55, Keshena, WI 54135, phone 715-799-3862, handles probate for non-tribal members. Tribal members are subject to the Menominee Tribal Court system for many matters.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
N3195 Wolf River Rd, Keshena, WI 54135
(715) 799-3311
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Menominee County Register in Probate/Register of Deeds, Keshena (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin maintains its own tribal genealogical and enrollment records, a key resource for family history research within the Menominee Nation, separate from county civil records. The St. Joseph of the Lake Church and Cemetery near South Branch is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated county-level genealogical society (outside tribal resources) 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
Menominee County Register in Probate Courthouse Lane (W3269), PO Box 279, Keshena, WI 54135 (715) 799-3313 / Register in Probate: (715) 526-8631
Menominee County was created July 3, 1959 – Wisconsin’s newest county – named for the Menominee tribe, located entirely on the Menominee Indian Reservation (the largest Indian reservation east of the Mississippi River), county seat Keshena, Wisconsin’s least populous county. 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. Menominee shares probate register services with neighboring Shawano County; hearings on Menominee County cases are often held at the Shawano County Courthouse. 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.
Note: for enrolled tribal members, estates involving trust land or other assets held by the federal government in trust for the Menominee Tribe may also involve separate federal/tribal probate processes under the Bureau of Indian Affairs, in addition to (or instead of) Wisconsin state probate – consult the Menominee Tribal Legislature or a BIA probate specialist for trust-asset estates.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Administration (Form PR-1801) with the Menominee 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 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
N3195 Wolf River Rd, Keshena, WI 54135
(715) 799-3312
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(715) 799-3311
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Tribal Clinic
Menominee Tribal Clinic (serving Menominee County), N3195 Wolf River Rd, Keshena, WI 54135
(715) 799-3361
Health & Human Services
Menominee County Health and Human Services, N3195 Wolf River Rd, Keshena, WI 54135
(715) 799-3311
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Menominee County Health Department / Menominee Tribal Clinic – W3272 Wolf River Road, Keshena, WI 54135 | (715) 201-2814 (FoodShare Employment and Training)
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records; medical, dental, and behavioral health services through the Menominee Tribal Clinic
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Keshena
Population: 4,300
Area: 358 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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