Juneau County, Wisconsin: History
Before white settlement, before loggers and explorers, the area that is now Juneau County was the home of Native Americans who left behind artifacts like the thunderbirds etched on the wall at Twin Bluffs and the Gee's Slough mounds outside New Lisbon.
Juneau County was established in 1857 when the Wisconsin Legislature passed legislation separating lands west of the Wisconsin River from what was then Adams County. After a contest with neighboring New Lisbon, the county seat was established in Maugh's Town, which is known today as Mauston. The county was named after Solomon Juneau, a founder of Milwaukee.
In the 1970s, county officials had indicated their interest, and submitted a request to Wisconsin Power and Light Company, to build a nuclear power plant on Petenwell Lake.