In 1879 Mr. VanDyke and Mr. Hagerman, financiers, purchased a three-fourths interest, arranged for railroad extension because of the good work done in this mining region by Mr. N.P. Hulst and called the mine in Florence in honor of Mrs. Florence Hulst, his wife. This name was first applied to the iron mine, then to the town and county. The following is an account of the letter sent to Mrs. Florence Hulst on December 15, 1879 by Mr. J.J. Hagerman President of the Menominee Mining company:
Mrs. Hulst -- The time is come when we must give a name to the new town in Wisconsin at the end of the Railroad now building, and to the new mine in the vicinity, now called the Eagle, but which name we do not wish to keep, as there is already an Eagle P.O. in Wisconsin. The Company owns all the land around the lake, where the town will be located. It will be a lively town. We shall put an anti-whiskey clause in all deeds and we expect it will be as much noted for its temperance and morality as for its -- well, anything the future may develop. We all wish to call the new town and the mine FLORENCE, in honor of the first white woman who had courage enough to settle (for a while) in that rugged country. I mean the first white woman known to us.
Will you permit your name to be used?
Thus the town and mine had been given a name, a very prim and proper name!
Because of the mine people rushed into the region and by 1880 Mr. Fisher laid out the townsite, putting a number of lots upon the market. He said he would put the lots in at government prices selling the ordinary lots from $100.00 while the corners sold for $150.00.
In sixty days Mr. Fisher had sold $60,000 worth of realty. The population at this time was 50 people. In a short time a blast furnace was put up as was a foundry, five coal kilns, a large sawmill and a cheese factory.
This page was last updated: May 23, 2023
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Town board meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Center located at 749 Central Avenue, Florence. Meeting agendas will be posted online no later than the Friday before the meeting. Agendas are also posted at the Florence Post Office, Courthouse, and at Bigfoot's Riverside Liquor.
Minutes are posted after they are approved from the most recent meeting only. For copies of minutes prior to those posted online, please contact the Town Office.
The Annual Town Meeting is held the third Tuesday in April each year at 6:30 p.m. The Annual Town Meeting for 2024 will be held on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
The agenda for the upcoming Town of Florence Board Meeting is posted below no later than Friday before the meeting. The most recent agenda is always posted until the next meeting agenda is available.
AGENDA
TOWN BOARD MEETING
TOWN OF FLORENCE
Monday May 22nd, 2023
6:00 p.m. at the Florence Community Center – 749 Central Avenue, Florence
1.Meeting called to order
2.Adoption of agenda
3.Approval of minutes of previous meeting(s) held on May 8th, 2023
4.Communications from the floor (up to 30 minutes)
5.Discussion and possible action on operator license applications received
6.Discussion and possible action David and Tracy Kattar request for signage to encourage ATV/UTV traffic to The Filling Station
7.Discussion and possible action Resolution to initiate process for discontinuing a highway under WI SS 82.10(2) Portion of Town Road K within Kriegl Plat of Menominee River
10.Review of highway department employment applications received.
Closed Session under WI SS 19.85(1) (c) Considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility. Reconvene, if necessary to take action on matters discussed in closed session.
11.Adjournment
Shelly VanPembrook
Clerk/Treasurer
Note: If you have any special needs or require special accommodations in order to attend town board meetings, please call 715-528-3595 or write PO Box 247, Florence, WI 54121
Town board minutes will be posted online after they are approved (i.e. the January minutes are approved at the February Town Board meeting, and will be posted here to the website after the February meeting). Only the most recent minutes are posted online. For copies of previous meeting minutes, please contact the Town of Florence Office. Please Note: The Annual Meeting Minutes are unapproved minutes. They will be approved at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town of Florence Community Center.
Please note that any current notices for Town of Florence Residents/Property Owners that do not fall in a different category will be posted here.
SPRING WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS 2023
Town of Florence 2023 Spring Weight Restrictions will be lifted as of Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (noon). Please see the Roads and Highways page of our website for garbage and recycling instructions during the Spring Weight Restriction Period.
SPRING ELECTION 2023
The April 4, 2023 Spring Election has two contested races for the Town of Florence AND three referendum questions for the State of Wisconsin. You can see a sample ballot and the Type A Notice of Referendum and Type C Notice for the Explanation on the Election Information page of this website under the Sample Ballots link.
2022 TAX BILLS
Tax Bills were mailed on December 6, 2022. For more information, or to look up your bill online, please visit the Taxes & Assessor Page of this website and then click on the brown "Researching Tax Bills in the Town of Florence" button. PRESS RELEASE - Countywide Tax increase explanation - County tax increases due to providing EMS services in Florence County. (Click on the link to read more)
MATERIAL DROP-OFF CENTER CHANGES
The Towns of Florence and Commonwealth have switched the company used at the Material Drop-Off Site beginning in July/August this year. There have been some changes as to what can be dropped off and what the charges are for some of those items. The updated list includes: Acceptable Material: Clean Oil; Metal; Compost; Batteries; Dried Empty Paint Cans; Oil Filters; Appliances —including refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, humidifiers, dehumidifiers and air conditions ($10 each); Car & Light Truck Tires ($6 each without rim, $8 each with rim); Mattresses ($20 each); Furniture– Only Florence & Commonwealth may dispose of furniture.
More information can be found on the City Services page of this website under "Material Drop Off Site."
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at an election to be held in the Town of Florence, on Tuesday,
April 4, 2023, the following officers are to be elected to succeed the present incumbents listed. The term for these offices are for two years beginning on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
OFFICE & INCUMBENT
Town Board Chairperson
Tim Bomberg
Town Board Supervisor #1
John Holbrook
Town Board Supervisor #2
Shane McLain
Clerk/Treasurer
Shelly VanPembrook
NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN, that the first day to circulate nomination papers is December 1, 2022, and the final day for filing nomination papers is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, in the office of the town clerk.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, that if a primary is necessary, the primary will be held on Tuesday,
February 21, 2023. GIVEN, under my hand, done in the Town of Florence, on this 17th Day of November, 2022.
The Town of Florence has curbside garbage pick up for those roads that are designated as public roads in the Town of Florence. Residents living on private roads in the Town of Florence should place their garbage at the nearest public road intersection for pick-up. Pick-up locations may change during Spring Weight Restrictions--click on the Roads & Highways page of this website to see if your garbage pick-up location will be impacted by Spring Weight Restrictions.
Each resident is responsible for their garbage, so if an animal gets into the garbage it is your responsibility to clean-up the mess. Garbage bags can be placed in garbage cans or can be covered with a blanket/tarp.
Yard waste (leaves, branches, grass, etc) should not be placed in garbage bags for pick-up. It should be brought to the Material Drop Off Site. Information on the dates and times that the Material Drop Off Site is open can be found on the City Services page of this website under "Material Drop Off Site."
Weight of Garbage Bags
Each bag may have up to 30 lbs of garbage in it. If the bag is heavier than 30 lbs it will not be picked up.
Garbage Stickers
Each bag is required to have a yellow Town of Florence garbage sticker. If it does not have a sticker, it will not be picked up. (You cannot tape money to the bag instead of putting a sticker on it.) These stickers are $1.50 each and available at Pat's Foods, BP, Bigfoot's Riverside Liquors, and the Town Office.
Florence & Spread Eagle Garbage Pickup is every Tuesday.
Garbage must be placed out for pick-up by 6 a.m. on Tuesdays.
Every Tuesday--with only a few exceptions due to holidays. If the garbage pick-up date falls after a holiday, garbage collection will be one day behind for the rest of the week.
The 2023 holidays that impact us will be:
Memorial Day: Monday, May 29th is the holiday. Garbage will be picked up on May 31 (not May 30)
July Fourth: Tuesday, July 4th is the holiday. Garbage will be picked up on July 5 (not July 4)
Labor Day: Monday, September 4th is the holiday. Garbage will be picked up on September 6 (not September 5)
Christmas Day: Monday, December 25th is the holiday. Garbage will be picked up on December 27 (not December 26)
Proposed Town Budget for 2023
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF JANUARY 1, 2023– DECEMBER 31, 2023
Submitted by the Town Board of Supervisors for Consideration at the Special Town Meeting
PRESS RELEASE - Countywide Tax increase explanation - County tax increases due to providing EMS services in Florence County. (Click on the link to read more)
Due to equipment issues, GFL will not be able to finish garbage collection today for the Town of Florence/Spread Eagle. If your garbage was out, and it was missed, they will resume their route in the morning tomorrow (05-24-23).
Meeting called to order
