Plunkett Farm

By Kay Krans

Early on, it became a necessity for families to create subsistence farms in northern Wisconsin. The Plunketts were early pioneers and had a young family to raise. They needed food for the family, and supplies were not readily available without traveling a long way by horse and wagon. While Matt Plunkett worked in the lumber camps during the winter, his wife and children needed a store of food and wood to keep them safe. 

Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Plunkett homesteaded their farm near Manitowish, beginning in 1891 when Iron County was part of Ashland County. They originally were from Quebec and arrived in Manitowish through Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The farm was a subsistence farm, and Matt supplemented his income as a timber cruiser and woodsman. They had four children, three sons and a daughter. Matt died in 1904, and Mrs. Plunkett passed away in 1931. The daughter married E. Wysocki and raised potatoes near what is today Manitowish Waters. Some of the sons continued on the homestead after the death of their parents.

During the early years of Manitowish, young people managed to lead a great social life by entertaining groups at various homes. Sleigh rides and skating parties were frequent outings. After a brisk sleigh ride, young people as well as their parents enjoyed card games by the warm woodstoves necessary for a cozy home during the winter. Picnics were a group gathering in warmer weather. The Plunkett’s home seemed to be a popular place for gatherings. By 1912, some of the Plunkett children were attending dances. Many of the dances were held at homes or a section house, a community gathering place likely near the Manitowish railroad station, as well.

Many young men of the Northwoods heard the call to enter World War I. In 1917, James Plunkett and Tom LaFave enlisted in the 10^th Engineer Corps, Co. 23 of Jefferson Barracks and were transferred to Washington D.C.  

By the 1920s, Matt Plunkett, Jr. entered local politics, and in 1922 and 1927, newspaper accounts show Matt Plunkett, Jr. serving as assessor for the Manitowish Township. In 1930, there were no candidates for county surveyor in Manitowish Township, and 121 people wrote in a name, and 77 people voted for Matt Plunkett, Jr. for the position.

On August 2, 1930, toward midnight, the Plunkett farm became a refuge for Oscar Hanke, the operator of the soft drink parlor at the Rest Lake Dam. He was shot three times by unknown assailants who fled the scene and left Hanke to fend for himself. Wounded and bleeding, Hanke walked to the farm, and one of the Plunketts rushed him by automobile to Runstrom Hospital in Ironwood, Michigan.

In 1937, one of the Plunkett sons and his wife escaped fate when they hit a car that was stopped in the middle of the highway with no lights on. It was not a clear night, and they never saw the car until they slammed into it near Pine Lake while returning to their farm. Both had to go to the hospital and suffered severe bruises and cuts. The driver of the other car was drunk, and the car had stalled on the highway.

During the 1940s, tragedy hit the family homestead. In 1942, the Mercer Fire Department was called to control a fire at the Plunkett farm in which a tool shed and icehouse burned. The family pulled together and recovered their losses. They also saw the need for more tourist accommodations and began the Plunkett Resort. By 1945, the Plunkett Resort acquired a telephone line to their Resort.

"Department of Interior General Land Office at Washington D. C.." Iron County News (Hurley ) December 3rd, 1927. .

Iron County Republican (Hurley) February 3rd, 1898.

Iron County Republican (Hurley) May 24th, 1912.

Iron County Miner (Hurley) August 17th, 1917.

"Oscar Hanke Shot Three Times Sunday Night By Holdup Men." Iron County News (Hurley ) September 2nd, 1930.

Iron County Miner (Hurley) September 26th, 1930.

Iron County Miner (Hurley ) August 14th, 1942.

Iron County Miner (Hurley) May 18th, 1945.

Iron County WPA Historical Project . History of Iron County, Wisconsin Historical Society .1937. Accessed December 20th, 2022. https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/58319/.

STATE CARTOGRAPHER'S OFFICE. Mercer County, WISCONSIN HISTORIC AERIAL IMAGERY FINDER. November 3rd, 1932. Accessed December 19th, 2022. https://maps.sco.wisc.edu/WHAIFinder/#13/46.1313/-89.9585.

Smith Jr., Charles . Charles "Bud" Smith Jr. interview of the Smith family's long history in Manitowish Waters., Manitowish Waters Historical Society-PastPerfect . 1991. Accessed December 23rd, 2022. https://mwhistory.pastperfectonline.com/Archive/4A9BD0F9-C938-40A1-8C08-054379491349.

Bates, John. "Down Plunkett Road." Lakeland Times (Minocqua) December 11th, 1992.