Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area
of 72.4 square miles (187.5 km²), of which, 70.8 square miles (183.4
km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it (2.20%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 875 people, 399 households, and
282 families residing in the town. The population density was 12.4
people per square mile (4.8/km²). There were 1,183 housing units at an
average density of 16.7/sq mi (6.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town
was 96.57% White, 1.71% Native American, 0.34% from other races, and
1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.34%
of the population.

There were 399 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age
of 18 living with them, 63.7% were married couples living together, 3.3%
had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were
non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and
13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.60.

In the town the population was spread out with 18.7% under the age of
18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and
28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years.
For every 100 females there were 107.3 males. For every 100 females age
18 and over, there were 102.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,869, and the
median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of
$31,719 versus $17,404 for females. The per capita income for the town
was $18,281. Below the poverty line were 7.2% of people, 6.9% of
families, 1.4% of those under 18 and 14.8% of those over 64.

 Economy
For many years the primary industry of Lakewood was timber, but in
recent decades this has changed to the service industry.[citation
needed] Most of the local revenue is generated by the tourist trade. The
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, which surrounds the area, is a
working forest that has been clear-cut in the past and cut-over many
times.[citation needed] As recently as the 1950s the Lakewood area was
known for its virgin timber and pristine nature, but aggressive logging
and clear-cutting significantly changed the face of the area. The Holt
and Balcolm logging company set aside one tract of land in which they
did not cut the original growth. This area, called the "Cathedral of
Pines", was preserved as a result of the efforts of Lucy Rumsey Holt who
influenced her husband, logger W.A. Holt, to leave it as virgin timber.
Mrs. Holt used this area to teach Bible studies to her children and did
not want the area disturbed. This 200 to 400 year old white pine and
balsam old growth stand is also home to a Great blue heron rookery.[3]

McCaslin Brook (also spelled McCauslin) was used as a means of
transporting large quantities of logs to saw-mills or for transportation
to major cities where the timber would be sold. The oldest logging camp
in the United States can be found on what is now the McCaslin Brook Golf
Course.[citation needed]

Today the Lakewood area serves as a popular get-away for visitors from
the Green Bay, Appleton, and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin areas. The close
proximity to these small population centers and the relative isolation
from major cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis continue to make the
Lakewood area popular. The extreme distance to major air-hubs and other
transportation centers make the area virtually off-limits to those from
other parts of the country and help to keep the number of tourists and
visitors to a minimum, further adding to the area's appeal for
Wisconsinites.