Rudolph, WI

Rudolph is a Wood County village about seven miles north of Wisconsin Rapids, named for Rudolph Hecox, the first white child born within the surrounding town's borders. Sawmills, a stave mill, and dairy farms helped draw people to the area, and the village incorporated in 1960. Today Dairy State Cheese, a local butcher shop, the fire department, and the village park give the community its everyday center, while Highway 34 carries traffic through the farm country.

Rudolph has an unusually strong holiday identity. The post office has a special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer cancellation, and the annual Rudolph Country Christmas grew from a 1945 postmark tradition that began as a Girl Scout project. On the busiest holiday day, thousands of cards arrive to receive the hand-stamped design. The nearby Grotto Shrine and Wonder Cave draws visitors as another long-running local attraction. Rudolph is a working Wisconsin village with sawmill and dairy roots, but send a Christmas card through its post office and the town's namesake suddenly becomes part of the address.