It'll take YOU to save a VILLAGE!!

“It’ll take YOU to save a VILLAGE!!”.  Brokaw, Wisconsin is a small village of two hundred forty residents situated on the banks of the Wisconsin River.  Our story is a unique, story “one of a kind”.  When the village paper mill was built in 1899, its Founders, not only owned the mill, but all the homes and all the other land.  They drafted a restrictive covenant stipulating that no other businesses could be opened in the village.  The paper mill owned the properties until 1948, at that time land and homes were sold to individuals.  All sale documents stated the mill had the right of first refusal if the homes were ever sold.  The property had to be sold to close relatives; otherwise it had to be offered to the paper mill.  Up to the time of present shut-down, the mill bought and tore down forty-five houses, thus causing the village to lose much of the tax base, leaving a minimum amount of money to maintain its hundred year old infrastructures.

I was born in the village eighty-seven years ago, living in the same house all my life.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  It is my mission to make sure Brokaw remains as it is, not part of neighboring Wausau or any other place, nor indebted to the surrounding townships.  Ahead of time I would like to thank everyone for any contribution, little or bigger.  With your help our village will remain an example of small hometown America.  All funds will go directly to a Village of Brokaw account.