Imalone, Wisconsin

Imalone is an unincorporated community located in the towns of Atlanta and Murry, in Rusk County, Wisconsin, United States. Imalone is located along the Chippewa River and Wisconsin Highway 40 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Ladysmith.[2]

Imalone, Wisconsin
Unincorporated community
Imalone, Wisconsin Imalone, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 45°33′08″N 91°13′39″W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Rusk
Elevation	341 m (1,119 ft)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	715 & 534
GNIS feature ID	1577655[1]

History

The community was established by Snowball Anderson, who built a gas station in the area. The origin of the community's name is uncertain. According to one story, while Anderson's station was being run by Bill Granger, a salesman asked for the name of the place to use on an invoice. Granger replied, "I'm alone," meaning he could not ask what the name was, and the salesman wrote "Imalone" on the invoice. Another explanation states that Anderson named the community Imalone "because he was."[3] Imalone has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.[4][5]

The Imalone Bible Camp and Church, founded by Rev. Olaf Newhagen in 1940, was a major center of activity for many years, often attracting campers and counselors from Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. Newhagen, a Norwegian immigrant, was a highly respected member of the community who farmed during the week and preached on Sundays. In 1967, five years after his death, the church split over the issue of baptism. The majority of the active members then formed the Grace Bible Church in Bruce. In the late 1970s there was another exodus when the majority of the active members left to form the Living Waters Church about a mile north on State Highway 40. Since 1980 there has been little to no activity on the premises and the buildings are in disrepair. As of 2007, the community consisted of a bar called the Wagon Wheel and some houses.[3]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Imalone, Wisconsin
2. Rusk County (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
3. Stingl, Jim (July 22, 2007). "Welcome to Imalone, a place to go with a friend". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
4. Birnbach, Lisa; Marx, Patricia; Hodgman, Ann (14 May 2002). 1,003 Great Things About America. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-7407-2949-2.
5. Petras, Kathryn; Petras, Ross (18 December 2007). Unusually Stupid Americans: A Compendium of All-American Stupidity. Random House Publishing Group. p. 246. ISBN 978-0-307-41761-9.