Unattended Death and Biohazard Cleanup in Laona, WI

Laona is an unincorporated census-designated place in the town of Laona in Forest County, deep in Wisconsin's Northwoods.

The community was founded by lumberman William D. Connor, who scouted the area in 1896 and purchased more than 100,000 acres of surrounding forest for his R. Connor Lumber and Land Company.

Laona was platted in 1899 when the railroad was extended to the site, and a post office has been in operation there since 1900.

Laona was named for Leona Johnson, daughter of early resident Norman Johnson and said to be the first settler child born in the community — 'Leona' was misspelled as 'Laona' in the official records.

Laona grew up as a classic company town: the Connor company built its sawmill along with the town's bank, hospital, store, school, library and worker housing, and the whole local economy revolved around the mill.

The historic Connor Lumber and Land Company Store on Mill Street — which also housed the post office, lumber company, railroad and Bureau of Indian Affairs offices — is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 2020 census counted 519 people in the Laona CDP, down from 583 in 2010, when the community had 245 occupied homes.

The broader town of Laona surrounding the community had 1,215 residents at the 2020 census, spread across more than 100 square miles of forest and lakes.

Laona is home to the Lumberjack Steam Train, an operating turn-of-the-century passenger train and award-winning museum celebrating the area's logging heritage.

The private forests around Laona have been selectively harvested and managed by the Connor company for more than a century and are held up as an example of sustainable forest management.