Almena, WI

Almena's name carries a little argument with the map. The federal government rejected Lightning City for the post office, so the village took a name built from Albert and Wilhelmina, an early settler and his wife. Almena was platted in 1891, and its post office has operated since 1888. Today the Barron County village sits along US 8 and County Road P on the boundary between the Towns of Almena and Clinton, about 82 miles northeast of Minneapolis. Nearby Lightning Creek gives both the rejected name and the place its physical reference.

Just west of town, the Wisconsin DNR's Lightning Creek Wildlife Area follows the creek through agriculture, forest, prairie, sedge meadow, and shrubland. There are no designated trails or parking lots, so the area is used through roadside access for hunting, birding, wildlife viewing, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Village Hall at 131 Soo Ave. E. and the post office give the center its named addresses, while US 8 carries the regional traffic. Almena's daily map is a small village beside a working creek landscape, with its history and recreation tied to the same waterway.