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Wisconsin · North-Central Wisconsin · Chequamegon National Forest · Dairy and Timber
Taylor County, Wisconsin
North-Central Wisconsin's dairy and forest county — from Medford's courthouse in one of Wisconsin's most complete small agricultural cities to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest's Taylor County sections providing hunting, snowmobiling, and ATV recreation, Rib Lake's resort lakes, and one of the most genuinely rural counties in a state that prizes its rural character.
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Office: Taylor County Emergency Management – 224 S 2nd St, Medford, WI 54451 | (715) 748-3503 (mobile: (715) 965-0100)
Services: Coordinates emergency response and hazardous materials management countywide using an all-hazards approach (Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery); develops and maintains the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP); manages EPCRA compliance; oversees the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the county’s Emergency Notification System; the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activates as the central coordination hub during large-scale incidents
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WI-13, WI-64, and WI-102 serve Medford, the county seat, near the Black River
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Taylor County Zoning Department
Services: Land use and zoning permits countywide; also hosts periodic Appliances and Electronics Collection events (fairgrounds in Medford, high school parking lot in Gilman)
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county or a specific town/city jurisdiction – City of Medford maintains its own separate building permit process, and many Taylor County towns (e.g., Town of Medford) maintain their own building inspectors – Town of Medford requires a permit for any project increasing square footage or new outbuildings, though routine maintenance (roofing, siding, windows) does not require one.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Taylor County Veterans Service Office – Medford, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Frances L. Simek Memorial Library – 400 North Main Street, Medford, WI 54451 | (715) 748-2505 | Hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–8 PM, Fri 8:30 AM–6 PM, Sat 8:30 AM–2:30 PM (closed Saturdays in summer through Labor Day)
Services: A member of the Wisconsin Valley Library Service (WVLS); offers 1-hour public computer sessions, free WiFi, genealogy databases (billions of searchable records), seasonal programs (Dr. Seuss Birthday Program, Harvest Pumpkin Painting, Santa visits), and free Wisconsin Digital Library ebook/audiobook downloads
Related: Additional Taylor County libraries include the Jean M. Thomsen Public Library (Stetsonville) and Rib Lake Public Library
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Taylor County was established March 4, 1875, carved from parts of Clark, Marathon, Chippewa, and Lincoln Counties, and named for William R. Taylor, then-Governor of Wisconsin; the 1913-1914 TAYLOR COUNTY COURTHOUSE in Medford, a Neoclassical three-story building with a metal-clad dome, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1980), built on a site whose original 1876 courthouse location was itself the subject of local controversy between competing mill owners and the Wisconsin Central Railroad; the county’s genuine logging heritage runs deep – the village of RIB LAKE was founded in 1881 when J.J. Kennedy hauled sawmill machinery by oxen from the railroad at Chelsea to build the Rib Lake Lumber Company, originally known as “Kennedy Mills”; a tannery using tannic acid was established there in 1891 by Fayette Shaw; the Rib Lake Historical Society today preserves this lumber-town history; the Taylor County Historical Museum and Historical Society (Medford) similarly preserves county-wide artifacts and records
Notes: Taylor County’s genuine 19th-century logging and courthouse history, preserved through active local historical societies in both Medford and Rib Lake, offers well-documented local heritage for residents and visitors.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Taylor County GIS – accessible via co.taylor.wi.us
Parcel Search: Taylor County Land Records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Taylor County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Taylor County WI Humane Society – N3090 Bauer Drive, Medford, WI | (715) 748-6750
Services: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to responsible pet ownership education, spay/neuter promotion, and finding loving homes for animals in Taylor County; works to bring together community members who care about animals and takes appropriate action in cases of actual or suspected animal cruelty
Notes: The organization’s stated goals include working to “establish a viable animal shelter for Taylor County,” suggesting current shelter capacity may be limited – confirm current intake procedures and facility status directly.
Notes: Contact Taylor County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Taylor County’s genuine 19th-century logging heritage, preserved today through the Rib Lake and Taylor County Historical Societies, and its National Register-listed 1913 courthouse, offer well-documented local history for residents. 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 Taylor County
Heritage | Medford anchors Taylor County within north-central Wisconsin, whose significant Amish farming population and traditional dairy heritage reflect the region’s deep agricultural roots, while the county’s extensive Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest lands give it substantial modern outdoor recreation appeal alongside its rural timber and farming economy Outdoors | The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest offers extensive hiking, camping, and hunting, while the Black River and numerous lakes provide additional fishing and paddling throughout this heavily forested north-central Wisconsin county Notable | Taylor County’s significant Amish population and traditional dairy farming give it a distinctive rural character within Wisconsin’s north-central timber and agricultural region Library | Taylor County Public Library serves the county’s Amish-heritage seat town and surrounding rural forested communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Wisconsin assessments at the municipal level. The Taylor County Treasurer at 224 S. Second Street, Medford, WI 54451, phone 715-748-1466, coordinates tax billing. Appeal to your local Board of Review. No WI estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Taylor County Probate Court at 224 S. Second Street, Medford, WI 54451, phone 715-748-1435, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
224 S 2nd St, Medford, WI 54451
(715) 748-1466
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Taylor County Register in Probate, Medford (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Taylor County Courthouse (1913-14, Classical Revival), Medford Carnegie Library (Prairie School style), Medford Post Office (1937, Colonial Revival), Mondeaux Dam Recreation Area, and St. Ann’s Catholic Church and Cemetery are all on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Taylor 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
Taylor County Register in Probate 224 South 2nd Street, Medford, WI 54451 (715) 748-1435
Taylor County was established March 4, 1875, county seat Medford. 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.
Wisconsin law (Wis. Stat. §856.05) requires the original Will of every deceased person to be filed with the Register in Probate within 30 days of death, whether or not a probate proceeding is ultimately required.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Administration (Form PR-1801) with the Taylor 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
224 S 2nd St, Medford, WI 54451
(715) 748-1414
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(715) 748-1466
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Taylor County Health Department, 925 Donald St, Medford, WI 54451
(715) 748-1414
Human Services
Taylor County Human Services, 925 Donald St, Medford, WI 54451
(715) 748-1414
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Taylor County Health Department – 540 E College St, Medford, WI 54451
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Medford
Population: 20,500
Area: 975 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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