Chetek Map
Chetek is a city in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,180 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Chetek. There are six major lakes in Chetek; Lake Pokegama, Lake Ojaski/Mud Lake, Prairie Lake, Ten Mile Lake, Lake Chetek, and Moose ear Lake. The Fish-O-Rama happens here every year.
The original inhabitants of the area were the Ojibwa Indians, who referred to the area as zhede (g), meaning pelican. This was translated into various spellings, such as Sheetak, Shetak, Shetuk, Chetack, until the first post office was opened in 1872. The spelling was then standardized to "Chetek".
In 1872, the Omaha Railroad began service to Chetek, the Knapp-Stout logging camp was established, and the first log schoolhouse was built.
Nearby cities include Barron, Rice Lake, Weyerhaeuser, Ridgeland, Prairie Farm.