Welcome to the Town of Florence Online!
Helpful Community Links
Fun Facts about the Town
- Population (at 2010 census) was 2487
- Charles White Whittlesey, Medal of Honor recipient in World War I, was born in Florence.
- The Town of Florence maintains 119.21 miles of roads and streets--64.41 miles are paved road and 54.35 miles are gravel.
- Florence is the County seat for Florence County.
Click on the links below to be directed to these websites:
A Little History of the Town. . .
Town Office
From the Heritage of Iron & Timber 1880-1980
Published for Florence County, Wisconsin, 1980
The Townsite of Florence is Laid Out
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.
Notices for the Town of Florence
The Town of Florence Office is located at 749 Central Avenue. It is in the corner of the Community Center building. The mailing address for the Town of Florence is P.O. Box 247; Florence, WI 54121.
Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Phone Number: 715-528-3595
Fax Number: 715-528-3591
Shelly VanPembrook, Clerk/Treasurer
svanpembrook@wppienergy.orgjklumpp@wppienergy.orgClick on Shelly's name or Jessica's name to e-mail them.
This page was last updated: September 17, 2019
Town of Florence, Wisconsin
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NOTICE TOWN OF FLORENCE TAXPAYERS
Notice that the Assessment Roll is open for Examination and Open Book
Pursuant to s. 70.45,Wis Stats. the assessment roll for the Year 2019 assessment will be open for examination at the Town Office located at 749 Central Avenue, Florence, WI 54121 starting October 2nd, 2019 until 3:30 p.m. daily thereafter.
The Town of Florence Assessor will be at the Community Center
(Located at 749 Central Avenue, Florence)
on the following date and time for the
OPEN BOOK SESSION
October 7, 2019 from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.
NOTICE OF THE BOARD OF REVIEW
FOR THE TOWN OF FLORENCE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Review for the TOWN OF FLORENCE, FLORENCE COUNTY shall be held on
October 21st, 2019 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
at the Community Center located at 749 Central Avenue.
Please be advised of the following requirements to appear before the board of review and procedural requirements if appearing before the board:
1. No person will be allowed to appear before the board of review, to testify to the board by telephone, or to contest the amount of any assessment of real or personal property if the person has refused a reasonable written request by certified mail of the assessor to view the property to conduct an exterior view such property being assessed.
2. After the first meeting of the board of review and before the board's final adjournment, no person who is scheduled to appear before the board of review may contact or provide information to a member of the board about the person's objection, except at a session of the board. Open book shall occur no less than 7 days prior to the board of review.
3. The board of review may not hear an objection to the amount or valuation of property unless, at least 48 hours before the board's first scheduled meeting, the objector provides to the board's clerk written or oral notice of an intent to file an objection, except that upon a showing of good cause and the submission of a written objection, the board shall waive that requirement during the first 2 hours of the board's first scheduled meeting, and the board may waive that requirement up to the end of the 5th day of the session or up to the end of the final day of the session if the session is less than 5 days with proof of extraordinary circumstances for failure to meet the 48-hour notice requirement and failure to appear before the board of review during the first 2 hours of the first scheduled meeting.
4. Objections to the amount or valuation of property shall first be made in writing and filed with the clerk of the board of review within the first 2 hours of the board's first scheduled meeting, except that, upon evidence of extraordinary circumstances, the board may waive that requirement up to the end of the 5th day of the session or up to the end of the final day of the session if the session is less than 5 days. The board may require objections to the amount or valuation of property to be submitted on forms approved by the Department of Revenue, and the board shall require that any forms include stated valuations of the property in question. Persons who own land and improvements to that land may object to the aggregate valuation of that land and improvements to that land, but no person who owns land and improvements to that land may object only to the valuation of that land or only to the valuation of improvements to that land. No person may be allowed in any action or proceedings to question the amount or valuation of property unless the written objection has been filed and that person in good faith presented evidence to the board in support of the objections and made full disclosure before the board, under oath, of all of that person's property liable to assessment in the district and the value of that property. The requirement that objections be in writing may be waived by express action of the board.
5. When appearing before the board of review, the objecting person shall specify in writing the person's estimate of the value of the land and of the improvements that are the subject of the person's objection and specify the information that the person used to arrive at that estimate.
6. No person may appear before the board of review, testify to the board by telephone, or object to a valuation if that valuation was made by the assessor or the objector using the income method of valuation, unless the person supplies the assessor with all the information about income and expenses, as specified in the assessor's manual under s. 73.03 (2a), Wis. stats., that the assessor requests. The Town of Florence has an ordinance for the confidentiality of information about income and expenses that is provided to the assessor under this paragraph that provides exceptions for persons using information in the discharge of duties imposed by law or the duties of their officer or by order of a court. The information that is provided under this paragraph, unless a court determined that it is inaccurate, is not subject to the right of inspection and copying under s. 19.35 (1), Wis. stats.
7. The board shall hear upon oath, by telephone, all ill or disabled persons who present to the board a letter from a physician, surgeon, or osteopath that confirms their illness or disability. No other persons may testify by telephone unless the Board, in its discretion, has determined to grant a property owner’s or their representative’s request to testify under oath by telephone or written statement.
8. No person may appear before the board of review, testify to the board by telephone, or contest the amount of any assessment unless, at least 48 hours before the first meeting of the board, or at least 48 hours before the objection is heard if the objection is allowed under s.70.47 (3) (a), Wis. stats., that person provides to the clerk of the board of review notice as to whether the person will ask for the removal of a member of the board of review and, if so, which member, and provides a reasonable estimate of the length of time the hearing will take.
Notice is hereby given this 12th day of September, 2019.
Shelly VanPembrook
Clerk/Treasurer
Florence County was recently featured on Discover Wisconsin
You can watch the video with the following link:
Local Community Individuals Needed for Research Study
The Town of Florence received a request through the Rural Education Research and Implementation Center looking to recruit individuals from our community to participate in a study. The information regarding this opportunity is in the flyer below.
