Three Price County Communities Turn 150 in 2026: Fifield, Og

Three Price County Communities Turn 150 in 2026: Fifield, Ogema, and the Sesquicentennial Summer

Last updated: May 2026

In 1876, the Wisconsin Central Railroad carved through the big northern forest, and three Price County communities were born. A century and a half later, they’re throwing parties that would make the original lumber barons proud. Here’s what’s happening, when, and why 150 years in the Northwoods matters.Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice.

150 years is a long time for anyplace to stick around. For three Price County communities that all trace their origins to 1876, it’s worth noticing, because most railroad boomtowns in northern Wisconsin didn’t make it. The ones that did earned it.

This summer,FifieldandOgemaare both celebrating their sesquicentennials, and whilePrenticeisn’t technically 150 as a village, the broader community around it is marking the anniversary too. If you live in Price County or you’re within driving distance, these are the events of the summer.

Fifield: July 10-11, 2026 at Movrich Park

Fifield’s sesquicentennial celebration is a two-day community picnic onJuly 10th and 11th at Movrich Park. The Facebook event, which has been shared across the Park Falls and Phillips community groups, promises live local music, a first-ever street dance, a traditional kiddie parade, food trucks, and fireworks at dusk.

The Town of Fifield has earned this party. Founded in 1876 where the Wisconsin Central Railroad crossed the Flambeau River’s south fork, Fifield was named after Sam Fifield, Wisconsin’s 14th lieutenant governor, a politician and businessman who helped shape the young state’s northern frontier.

The early years were not gentle. In 1893, a fire destroyed Fifield’s entire business district, all 60 buildings, including the town hall that had been built just 11 years earlier. The community rebuilt the hall the following spring with the same dimensions, led by carpenter Theodore Ristin. Building, theFifield Town Hall, is now on the National Register of Historic Places, a physical reminder that survival in the Northwoods has always required stubbornness.

Today, Fifield covers 156

Today, Fifield covers 156.5 square miles and has a population of 948 (2020 census), with a median age of 57.3 and a per capita income of $37,464. The town is 96.4% white, with 37% of residents over 65. Those numbers tell you a lot about what’s happened to small northern Wisconsin towns. The people who are left are the ones who chose to stay.

Fifield also has two other historic landmarks on the National Register: the Fifield Fire Lookout Tower and the Round Lake Logging Dam. The Price County Historical Society sells two books about Fifield:Fifield 1876-1976by Elva Lessard (the centennial history) andFifield Wisconsin 125 Years: 1876-2001, a picture album of families, places, and events. If you want to understand this town before the celebration, those books are where to start.

Ogema: Events Starting August 9, 2026

Ogema’s sesquicentennial is being organized by the “Keep Ogema History Alive” Facebook group, which has been posting about the celebration under the hashtag#Ogema150. Events kick off startingAugust 9, with additional celebrations planned throughout the summer, including aChristmas Tree Festival on September 26.

Like Fifield, Ogema owes its existence to the railroad. The Wisconsin Central Railroad built stations at regular intervals as it pushed north from Stevens Point toward Ashland, and Ogema was one of them. The station stop in 1876 became the seed around which a community grew, eventually incorporating as a town that today has 882 residents (2000 census figure).

The Ogema celebration poster has historical imagery including “Ogema Station,” “Ogema House,” and what is an early homestead, connecting the 1876 railroad origins to the present-day community. It’s a story that echoes across all three towns: the railroad came, the timber industry followed, and the people who stayed built something that lasted.

Prentice: Progress Days, September 4-7

Here’s where it gets a little complicated. The Village of Prentice was incorporated in 1899, making it 127 years old this year, not 150. But the settlement that became Prentice started in 1873 when the Wisconsin Central Railroad arrived and established a station originally called “Malden” at the crossing of the Jump River. The Town of Prentice, which surrounds the village, dates to the same era as Fifield and Ogema.

Whether Prentice is “turning 150” depends on what you count. The railroad arrived in 1873. Alexander Prentice and George Greenman came north in 1881 to build their lumber mill. The village was platted in 1884, incorporated in 1899. The broader community has roots in 1876, even if the village charter is younger.

Either way, Prentice is celebrating withProgress Days over Labor Day Weekend, September 4-7. The event has live music, a truck show, community events, and supports the Lions Club and Volunteer Fire Department. It may not be an official sesquicentennial, but it’s a celebration of the same Northwoods persistence that keeps these towns on the map.

Why 1876 Matters

All three communities share the same origin story: the Wisconsin Central Railroad. Before 1873, the land that became Price County was big woods, Ojibwe territory, and trapping grounds. The railroad changed everything. It opened the timber, brought settlers, created towns at regular intervals, and connected the Northwoods to the rest of Wisconsin and the nation.

The timing matters. 1876 is also the year of the American Centennial, the Philadelphia Exposition that celebrated 100 years of independence. The Wisconsin Central Railroad was pushing through the Northwoods at exactly the moment the country was looking backward at where it had been and forward at where it was going. The communities it created were part of that westward expansion, part of the industrialization that turned vast pine forests into lumber that built the cities of the Midwest.

150 years later, the railroad is gone. The timber industry is a shadow of what it was. The population has aged and shrunk. But Fifield, Ogema, and the broader Prentice area are still here, still throwing parties, still putting up with the winters, still sending their kids to the same schools their grandparents attended. That’s worth celebrating.

What to Know Before You Go

Fifield Sesquicentennial (July 10-11)

Where:Movrich Park, Fifield, WI
What:Two-day community picnic with live music (Tony Sabo and Copper Country Line), street dance, kiddie parade, duck races, kids games, dunk tank, food trucks, fireworks at dusk
Info:Search “Fifield Sesquicentennial” on Facebook for the latest updates
Historical context:Price County Historical Society has books on Fifield history ($13.50 each atPchs-giftshop.com)

Ogema Sesquicentennial (Starting August 9)

Where:Ogema, WI
What:150th anniversary celebration, events throughout the summer, Christmas Tree Festival on September 26
Info:Follow “Keep Ogema History Alive” on Facebook for event details and schedule
Hashtag:#Ogema150

Prentice Progress Days (September 4-7)

Where:Prentice, WI
What:Annual Labor Day Weekend celebration with live music, Northwoods Truck Show, community events
Info:Progressdays.com
Supports:Lions Club and Volunteer Fire Department

Getting There

All three communities are within 30 minutes of each other on Highway 13 and Highway 8 in northern Price County.Ripsaw Saloon in Prenticeis on Highway 8, right on the route between events. If you’re coming from the south, Phillips is the county seat and the largest city (about 1,400 people). Park Falls, the second-largest city, is about 20 minutes west.

If you’re planning to make a weekend of it,Our complete lodging guidecovers cabins, campgrounds, and motels in the area. The Flambeau River, which runs through Fifield, has some of the best paddling in the state, and theFree campsites along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverwayare within easy driving distance.

150 years is a milestone. These communities earned it the hard way, through fires that destroyed everything, winters that tested survival, and the slow grind of rural depopulation that continues today. Show up this summer. They’ve been waiting for you since 1876.

Sources: Town of Fifield Wikipedia entry; Keep

Sources: Town of Fifield Wikipedia entry; Keep Ogema History Alive Facebook group; Prentice Progress Days website (progressdays.com); Price County Historical Society; Facebook community posts; Price County Visitor Bureau; 2020 U.S. Census data. If you have corrections or additional details about event schedules, contact[email protected].

Updated May 16, 2026. Event details may change; verify before traveling.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the history of Price County?

Price County was established in 1879 and named after William T. Price, a Wisconsin congressman. The area’s economy was historically driven by logging, with the Flambeau River used to float logs to mills. The county seat is Phillips, founded in 1876.

Are there museums or historical sites in Price County?

The Price County Historical Society Museum in Phillips has exhibits on logging, farming, and Native American heritage. The Park Falls Area Historical Society also maintains exhibits. Several CCC camp remnants from the 1930s is in the National Forest.

What role did logging play in Price County’s development?

Logging was the dominant industry in Price County from the 1880s through the early 1900s. The Flambeau River served as a key log drive route, and numerous lumber camps operated throughout the county. Many current communities originated as logging camps and mill towns.

📊 Price County Data & Demographics
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Sesquicentennial Timeline: Three Price County Communities

Community	Founded	2026 Population	Origin
Fifield	1876	~590	Logging camp on the Flambeau River
Phillips	1876	~1,450	County seat, railroad junction
Catawba	1876	~140	Railroad stop, farming community

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; Price County Historical Society; “Price County: A History” by the Price County Historical Society, 1976.