Phillips, WI

Phillips is the Price County seat in Wisconsin's northwoods, along State Highway 13 and the Elk River–Elk Lake chain. The 2020 census counted 1,533 residents. The courthouse, public library, fire and emergency services, and lake access give the city a countywide role, while roads run 77 miles south to Marshfield and 74 miles north to Ashland. Lake Duroy and its memorial park sit within the city's water-and-forest setting. County offices bring regular traffic from the surrounding towns.

The town was platted in 1876 and named for Elijah B. Phillips, general manager of the Wisconsin Central Railway. Timber drew the first rush of work, but a disastrous 1894 fire destroyed much of the town and killed 13 people. Phillips rebuilt, with brick replacing many of the earlier wooden buildings. As the timber frontier moved on, farmers—many from eastern Europe—took up cutover land around the city. Phillips still works as a service center for Price County, with the old logging story behind its courthouse, lakes, and northwoods businesses.