timber was exhausted, little freight remained. Rail passengers also declined as roads improved. The S.M.&P. shut down in 1933. Gradually the hotels, saloons, and services thinned, but farming had taken hold in the cutover land and Jump River shifted to serving the surrounding farmers. Formal education was done for years in a two-room schoolhouse in Jump River and one-room elementary schools scattered about the countryside: Pioneer School two miles west of Jump River, Baughman School five miles west, Sunnyside three miles southwest, Wood Prairie three miles south on highway 73, and Woodland School four miles east on County D. In 1956 the three-classroom Jump River Elementary School was built east of town, and the little country schools closed. The new school operated for about forty years, then closed in another consolidation. Since then local students have been bussed to Gilman. In 1938, local leaders formed the Jump River Electric Cooperative, with financial support from the Rural Electrification Administration. The co-op initially provided electricity to 179 members with average consumption at 29 kilowatt hours per month. By 1944 the service area had grown and the office was moved from Jump River to Ladysmith. Though Ladysmith was more convenient, some in Jump River opposed the move, and it was begun under cover of night. Today this co-op begun by Jump River locals provides electricity, cable TV, and Internet services from Gilman to Hayward. In 2011, Jump River is smaller, but alive. The grocery store has closed, but there is still a meat locker. Three bars remain - one also a restaurant. People worship at St. Michael's Catholic church and Christ's Community Church. The fire department protects the community and homes in the surrounding countryside. In that countryside are family farms - dairy, beef, and a few Christmas tree farms. Some people work in logging and trucking and some commute to jobs in farther places like Medford and Ladysmith. Olynick Concrete is the largest local industry. The Jump River Town Hall hosts weddings and reunions. The Fourth of July is the big event of the year, with a parade, a tractor pull, a horseshoe tournament, and evening fireworks. See also List of census-designated places in Wisconsin References Further reading "Genealogy Trails" has an excerpt from Arthur J. Latton's reminiscences and some early census lists. External links Census-designated places in Taylor County, Wisconsin Census-designated places in Wisconsin vo:Jump River