Pray, Wisconsin Explained

Official Name:Pray, Wisconsin
Pushpin Map:Wisconsin#USA
Pushpin Label:Pray
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Jackson
Subdivision Type3:Town
Subdivision Name3:City Point
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:981
Coordinates:44.3733°N -90.4972°W
Area Code:715 & 534
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:1571909

Pray is an unincorporated community located in the town of City Point, Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States.

The community is named after Herman H. Pray (b. 1835). In 1877, Pray was appointed the local postmaster, and the office was named after him.[1] [2]

The community is centered on the intersection of Pray Road and Old Highway 54 along the Green Bay and Western Railroad line, where it used to be a train stop. The community is located east of Waterbury and west of Spaulding along the rail line (also former rail stops),[3] and about 2.5 miles north of the current alignment of Wisconsin Highway 54,[4] which was completed in 1953.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Moyer. Armond. Moyer. Winifred. The origins of unusual place-names. 1958. Keystone Pub. Associates. 105.
  2. https://books.google.com/books?id=mG4_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA178 Biographical History of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin
  3. Specht, Ray and Ellen. The Story of Green Bay and Western (October 1966) (map lists Spaulding, Pray, and Waterbury as among "abandoned" stations on the line. Per this 1966 map, the nearest current stations on the line were Merrillan to the west and Wisconsin Rapids to the east)
  4. https://books.google.com/books?id=m4NRAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA13 Soil Survey of Jackson County Wisconsin
  5. http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys50-59.html#STH-054 STH 54