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Office: Rusk County Emergency Management – Ladysmith, WI
Services: Coordinates disaster preparedness, response, and recovery under Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 323; recently transitioning to a new emergency notification system for flood/river-level alerts (sign up via county website with cell number/email)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WI-27 and Hwy 8 serve Ladysmith, the county seat, at the confluence of the Chippewa and Flambeau Rivers; Rusk County Airport (KRCX) sits near Tony, WI, four nautical miles northeast of downtown Ladysmith
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Rusk County Zoning – 311 East Miner Avenue, Suite N110, Ladysmith, WI 54848 | (715) 532-2156 | Hours: Mon–Thu 8 AM–4:30 PM, Fri 8 AM–12:30 PM
Services: Sanitary permits (septic systems, outhouses/privies, composting toilets), Land Use Applications, Tourist Rooming applications
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county or a specific town/city jurisdiction – Ladysmith City Hall, (715) 532-2600, maintains its own separate permitting for city properties.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Rusk County Veterans Service Office – Ladysmith, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Rusk County Community Library – 418 Corbett Ave W., Ladysmith, WI 54848 | (715) 532-2604 | Email: [email protected] | Hours: Mon–Fri 10 AM–6 PM (Tue sometimes extended to 8 PM), Sat 10 AM–1–3 PM (confirm current Saturday hours directly)
Services: A member of both the Indianhead Federated Library System (IFLS) and South Central Library System (SCLS) delivery networks; hosts preschool storytime, Lego Club, a monthly “Rusk Readers Book Club,” teen volunteer/intern opportunities, and Wednesday morning walking groups; offers free Libby eBook/eAudiobook access and BadgerLink licensed research databases
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Rusk County holds a genuinely charming piece of Carnegie library history – the original 1907 LADYSMITH CARNEGIE LIBRARY, designed by the noted Wisconsin architectural firm Claude & Starck and built along the scenic Flambeau River with a $10,000 Carnegie grant secured through the efforts of local W.T. Rooney, served as the city and county’s public library for 90 years before closing in 1997; after standing vacant for two years, it was purchased by Wisconsin State Representative Marty Reynolds and his wife Pat, who lovingly restored the neoclassical building (including recovery from significant tornado damage) into the CARNEGIE HALL BED & BREAKFAST – a genuinely unique, still-operating boutique inn where guests can stay overnight in Victorian-themed rooms named for literary and historical subjects, complete with the original library’s stately upstairs sitting room and river views; the Rusk County Historical Society Museum, an open-air complex at the Rusk County Fairgrounds with over 9,000 artifacts, includes a Little Red Schoolhouse, a relocated log cabin, the Glen Flora Jail, and even a NATO tank among its collection of historic buildings; the Flambeau Mission Church (1882-1884), south of Ladysmith at the junction of the Chippewa and Flambeau Rivers, was the first church built in Rusk County, serving the historic French and Indian community of Flambeau Farms, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the county’s Blue Hills offer genuine hiking terrain amid the Chippewa and Flambeau river systems
Notes: The Ladysmith Carnegie Library’s genuine transformation into a beloved, still-operating bed and breakfast on the Flambeau River is a distinctive and heartwarming piece of local heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Rusk County GIS – accessible via ruskcounty.org
Parcel Search: Rusk County Land Records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Rusk County Zoning and Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Rusk County Animal Shelter – 1103 E 3rd St S, Ladysmith, WI 54848 | (715) 532-2637 | Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 10 AM–2 PM, by appointment Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun (some sources also list 9:30 AM–1 PM)
Services: A genuine COUNTY-OPERATED, full-service shelter serving all of Rusk County plus stray dogs from the townships of Ruby and Birch Creek in neighboring Chippewa County; accepts stray dogs and cats from Rusk County and surrendered animals when space allows; does not board animals; adoption fees $150/dog, $75/cat; County dog licenses can be purchased at the shelter or at Municipal Clerk’s offices
Notes: For animal complaints or concerns, contact the Rusk County Humane Officer directly at (715) 415-9942.
Notes: Contact Rusk County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Rusk County’s original Carnegie library – now the beloved, still-operating Carnegie Hall Bed & Breakfast on the Flambeau River – is a genuinely heartwarming example of historic preservation, restored after tornado damage by a state legislator and his wife. 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 Rusk County County
Rusk County is northwest Wisconsin’s Flambeau River and logging heritage Northwoods county – the river and its flowage system providing walleye and muskie fishing and the regenerated northern forest that replaced the logged-off white pine define a county where Ladysmith serves the surrounding forest and recreation communities.
Ladysmith (the county seat, population ~3,100) is Rusk County’s governmental hub on the Flambeau River, a northwest Wisconsin community whose river access, Northwoods recreation, and logging heritage anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Rusk County Assessor at 311 E. Miner Avenue, Ladysmith, WI 54848, phone 715-532-2102. WI assessed at fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Rusk County Circuit Court at 311 E. Miner Avenue, Ladysmith, WI 54848, phone 715-532-2100, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
311 Miner Ave E, Ladysmith, WI 54848
(715) 532-2100
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Rusk County Register in Probate, Ladysmith (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Rusk 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
Rusk County Register in Probate 311 Miner Avenue East, L350, Ladysmith, WI 54848 (715) 532-2150
Rusk County is in Northwest Wisconsin, county seat Ladysmith. 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, an appointed position (appointed by the county’s Circuit Court Judge). The Probate Registrar handles the administration of all informal proceedings, both testate and intestate, and follows guidelines established by the judges in the 10th Judicial District. 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 Rusk 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’s probate filing fee statewide is generally 0.2% of inventory value, minimum $20.
What it costs
Filing fee: approximately 0.2% of the estate’s inventory value, minimum $20.
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.
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
311 Miner Ave E, Ladysmith, WI 54848
(715) 532-2213
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(715) 532-2100
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Rusk County Health Department, 311 Miner Ave E, Ladysmith, WI 54848
(715) 532-2151
Human Services
Rusk County Human Services, 311 Miner Ave E, Ladysmith, WI 54848
(715) 532-2151
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Rusk County Health & Human Services – 311 Miner Avenue East, Suite C220, Ladysmith, WI 54848 | (715) 532-2299 | Fax: (715) 532-2217 | Health Officer: Kaylee Bugbee
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records; energy/heat assistance available through the same office, (715) 532-2299
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Ladysmith
Population: 14,000
Public Records
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