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Wisconsin · Northeast Wisconsin · Green Bay Shore · Copper Culture Mound
Oconto County, Wisconsin
Copper Culture State Park and the Green Bay shore — from Oconto's Copper Culture State Park (the site of a 7,000-year-old Native American burial ground — one of the oldest in the Great Lakes, revealing that copper tool use predates most European metalworking traditions) to the Oconto River's trout fishing corridor, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest's southern reaches, and a Northeast Wisconsin county where ancient history and modern recreation share the landscape.
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Office: Oconto County Emergency Management – 301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153 | (920) 834-6850 | Fax: (920) 834-6419 | Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4 PM
Services: Coordinates disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery countywide in collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office, local law enforcement, fire, EMS, private sector, and volunteer organizations; maintains CodeRED public alert system
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-41 serves Oconto (with an underpass connecting Copper Culture State Park to the city via a paved 3-mile trail); the Oconto River State Trail runs through the county
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Oconto County Zoning Office – 301 Washington St., Oconto, WI 54153 | (920) 834-6827
Services: Administers the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Ordinance, Floodplain Ordinance, Animal Waste Management Ordinance, Shoreland/Wetland Zoning Ordinance, and Non-Metallic Mining Reclamation Ordinance; a Land Use Permit is required for buildings, structures, or uses consistent with county zoning
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county or a specific town jurisdiction – the Town of Stiles, for example, requires its own separate building permits for new home construction (Building Inspector Tom Smith, (920) 655-1735) in addition to any county Land Use Permit. Burning permits require notifying the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department dispatch daily, (920) 834-6900 (non-emergency).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Oconto County Veterans Service Office – Oconto, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Oconto County Libraries – SIX legally established public libraries, each governed by its own municipally appointed board: Farnsworth Public Library (Oconto), Gillett Public Library, Oconto Falls Public Library, Lena Public Library, Lakes Country Public Library (Lakewood), and Suring Area Public Library
Main Branch: Farnsworth Public Library – 715 Main Street (Cty Hwy Y), Oconto, WI 54153 | (920) 834-7730 | Email: [email protected] | Director: Amy Peterson | Hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–6 PM, Fri 9 AM–5 PM, Sat 9 AM–12 PM
Services: Opened to the public in 1903; a member of the nine-county OWLSnet consortium sharing the InfoSoup catalog (1.6+ million items); offers Wisconsin state park day-pass checkout for cardholders, meeting room rentals, and a full range of digital lending (OverDrive/Libby)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Oconto County is home to one of the most archaeologically significant sites in North America – COPPER CULTURE STATE PARK, just west of the city of Oconto, preserves the OCONTO SITE, a genuine National Historic Landmark (designated 1961) burial ground of the Old Copper Complex people, among the earliest metal-working cultures in North America; radiocarbon dating places the burials at roughly 5,000-7,500 years old, making this the OLDEST KNOWN CEMETERY IN WISCONSIN and one of the oldest documented burial sites in all of eastern North America – some estimates place it as predating the ancient Egyptian pyramids; the site was discovered by 13-year-old Donald Baldwin in 1952 and excavated by archaeologists from the Milwaukee Public Museum and Wisconsin Historical Society; at least 47 burial pits were uncovered (with as many as 200 burials believed to have occurred), and grave goods included copper tools, a swan-bone whistle, and trade items originating from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and the Mississippi River – evidence of a surprisingly wide trade network; the descendants of these Copper Culture people include the Menominee, who have inhabited the region for thousands of years; the 42-acre park, operated by the Oconto County Historical Society, includes a small museum housed in a 1924 Belgian-style farmhouse built by immigrant mason Charles Werrebroeck
Notes: The Oconto Site’s genuine, National Historic Landmark-designated status as one of the oldest known cemeteries in eastern North America is an extraordinary and well-documented piece of pre-Columbian American history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Oconto County GIS – accessible via ocontocountywi.gov
Parcel Search: Oconto County Land Records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Oconto County Zoning and Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Oconto Area Humane Society & Animal Shelter, Inc. (OAHS) – 150 S Katch Dr, Oconto, WI 54153 | (920) 835-1738 | Email: [email protected] | Wisconsin DATCP License #268244-DS
Services: A 501(c)(3), OPEN-ADMISSION shelter serving Oconto County and surrounding areas – does not turn animals away for lack of space and does not euthanize for space reasons; animals have no time limit and remain until finding a forever home; offers low-cost microchipping; open by appointment
Notes: For county-level animal complaints/domestic animal concerns, Oconto County Animal Control can also be contacted directly through the county government.
Notes: Contact Oconto County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Oconto County’s Copper Culture State Park preserves one of the most significant archaeological sites in the eastern United States – a burial ground up to 7,500 years old, discovered by a 13-year-old boy in 1952, that reveals a surprisingly wide-ranging ancient trade network. 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 Oconto County
Heritage | Oconto anchors Oconto County along Green Bay, one of the oldest documented European settlements in Wisconsin, its history tied to significant early copper-mining archaeological discoveries and a notable ancient Native American burial site called the Oconto Site, giving this county profound pre-Columbian historical significance Outdoors | Green Bay and the Oconto River offer extensive fishing and boating, while the surrounding Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and numerous lakes provide additional hunting and hiking throughout this scenic northeast Wisconsin county Notable | The Oconto Site’s ancient Native American copper artifacts rank among the oldest and most significant archaeological discoveries in North America, giving Oconto County profound pre-Columbian historical weight Library | Oconto Falls Public Library serves the county’s archaeologically significant seat town and surrounding Green Bay communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Wisconsin assessments at the municipal level. The Oconto County Treasurer at 301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153, phone 920-834-6805, coordinates tax billing. Appeal to your local Board of Review. No WI estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Oconto County Probate Court at 301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153, phone 920-834-6855, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
301 Washington St, Oconto, WI 54153
(920) 834-6809
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Oconto County Register in Probate, Oconto (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Oconto 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
Oconto County Register in Probate 301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153 (920) 834-6839
Oconto County is in Northeast Wisconsin along Green Bay, county seat Oconto. 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, whose office also maintains the confidential Juvenile Court records. 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. Uncontested probate proceedings in Oconto County are typically handled by a Probate Court Commissioner.
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 Oconto 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
301 Washington St, Oconto, WI 54153
(920) 834-6900
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(920) 834-6809
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Oconto County Health Department, 501 Park Ave, Oconto, WI 54153
(920) 834-7000
Human Services
Oconto County Human Services, 501 Park Ave, Oconto, WI 54153
(920) 834-7000
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Oconto County Health Department – Oconto, WI
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Oconto
Population: 38,000
Area: 999 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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