Herbster is an unincorporated

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 census-designated place

Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 in the Town of Clover

Clover, Wisconsin

Clover is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 211 at the 2000 census. Historically, the Town of Clover was home to settlements known as Bark Point, Lenawee and Herbster, though only Herbster still has a post office today....

 in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, located on the south shore of Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

. Herbster is seven miles east of Port Wing

Port Wing, Wisconsin

Port Wing is an unincorporated census-designated place in the Town of Port Wing, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on Wisconsin Highway 13, 30 miles west of Bayfield. The Flagg River enters Lake Superior at Port Wing's harbor...

 and eight miles west of Cornucopia

Cornucopia, Wisconsin

Cornucopia is an unincorporated census-designated place in the Town of Bell in northern Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. It is situated on Lake Superior at the northern end of the Bayfield Peninsula, on Wisconsin Highway 13. As of the 2010 census, its population was 98. The community...

 on Wisconsin Highway 13, the main route through the community. The primary north/south route is by Lenawee Road, leading from Lake Superior to the Chequamegon National Forest. As of the 2010 census

United States Census, 2010

The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...

, its population was 104. Herbster has an area of 5.572 mi2, all of it land.

The Cranberry River joins the lake in the middle of the village. The unique ecosystems of Bark Point and Bark Bay sit just to the east of Herbster.

Herbster's ZIP code

ZIP Code

ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

 is 54844.

History

The mouth of the Cranberry River was settled during the logging era at the end of the nineteenth century. According to legend, Herbster was originally to be called Orchard City, an act to encourage immigration, but a logger, Billy Herbster, also a cook and postman, confused the postal service, and his name was given to the village. The name Orchard City still appears on many deeds to properties in the Herbster area.

Herbster School closed its doors in 1990, but its historic log gymnasium remains open as a community center and town hall. School children from Herbster now attend school in Port Wing at South Shore School District

South Shore School District

South Shore School District is located in Port Wing, Wisconsin and serves students in grades Pre-K through 12. It is located on School Road and Washington Avenue...

.

In 2006, Herbster celebrated its centennial.

Economy

Logging remained the force in Herbster's economy throughout the 20th century, driven by the Isaksson family, who still operate the sawmill and remain the largest landowners in the area. Today, service trades and a growing tourist industry have emerged as major players in the Herbster economy.

Two taverns and a gas station/convenience store operate at the crossroads of Lenawee Road and Highway 13. There are gift shops along Highway 13. Master cabinetmaker Howard Bowers ran a woodworking shop until his death in 2009. Celinsky's greenhouse was an important business that ceased operation only within the past few years.

External links

• Herbster, Wisconsin website