# Upper Wisconsin Conference > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Upper_Wisconsin_Conference > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Upper_Wisconsin_Conference.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Wisconsin_Conference > Source revision: 1349690059 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Wisconsin high school athletic conference (1926-1939)}} The '''Upper Wisconsin Conference''' is a former high school [athletic conference](/source/athletic_conference) with its membership base in the northern part of the state. Founded in 1926 and disbanded in 1939, the conference and its member schools were affiliated with the [Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association](/source/Wisconsin_Interscholastic_Athletic_Association). == History == {{OSM Location map | title = | coord = {{coord|46.2000|-90.4500}} | float = right | zoom = 8 | width = 250 | height = 250 | mark-size1=10 | mark-title1=[Butternut](/source/Butternut_High_School) | mark-coord1 = {{coord|46.0166|-90.4955}} | mark-description1=Location: | shape-color1=#ff8200 | shape1=circle | mark-title2=[Fifield](/source/Fifield_High_School) | mark-coord2={{coord|45.8799|-90.4195}} | mark-description2=Location: | shape-color2=#0032a0 | shape2=circle | mark-title3=[Glidden](/source/Glidden_High_School) | mark-coord3={{coord|46.1340|-90.5787}} | mark-description3=Location: | shape-color3=#e35205 | shape3=circle | mark-title4=[Hurley](/source/Hurley_School_District) | mark-coord4={{coord|46.4560|-90.2020}} | mark-description4=Location: | shape-color4=#000000 | shape4=circle | mark-title5=[Iron Belt](/source/Iron_Belt_High_School) | mark-coord5={{coord|46.4008|-90.3245}} | mark-description5=Location: | shape-color5=#ffc72c | shape5=circle | mark-title6=[Mellen](/source/Mellen_High_School) | mark-coord6={{coord|46.3232|-90.6597}} | mark-description6=Location: | shape-color6=#005eb8 | shape6=circle | mark-title7=[Park Falls](/source/Park_Falls_High_School) | mark-coord7={{coord|45.9459|-90.4538}} | mark-description7=Location: | shape-color7=#ba0c2f | shape7=circle | caption = Location of Original Upper Wisconsin Conference Members | auto-caption= | wrap=wrap}} The Upper Wisconsin Conference was formed in 1926 by seven small high schools in far northern [Wisconsin](/source/Wisconsin): [Butternut](/source/Butternut_High_School), [Fifield](/source/Fifield_High_School), [Glidden](/source/Glidden_High_School), [Hurley](/source/Hurley_School_District), [Iron Belt](/source/Iron_Belt_High_School), [Mellen](/source/Mellen_High_School) and [Park Falls](/source/Park_Falls_High_School).{{Cite news |date=2 December 1926 |title=New Prep League for North State |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/250607372/?match=1&terms=%22upper%20wisconsin%20interscholastic%22 |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Stevens Point Journal |pages=4}}{{Cite news |date=28 January 1927 |title=Mellen Leads Basket League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/358579070/?match=1&terms=butternut%20fifield%20glidden%20iron%20belt%20mellen%20park%20falls%20standings |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Iron County Miner |pages=2}} Charter members of the conference were located in three counties ([Ashland](/source/Ashland_County%2C_Wisconsin), [Iron](/source/Iron_County%2C_Wisconsin) and [Price](/source/Price_County%2C_Wisconsin)) and five of the original seven schools were located along [Wisconsin Highway 13](/source/Wisconsin_Highway_13), a major north-south thoroughfare connecting [Wisconsin Dells](/source/Wisconsin_Dells%2C_Wisconsin) and [Superior](/source/Superior%2C_Wisconsin). Hurley left the Upper Wisconsin Conference in 1928,{{Cite news |date=10 February 1928 |title=Glidden Still On Top |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/358594851/?match=1&terms=%22upper%20wisconsin%20interscholastic%22 |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Iron County Miner |pages=2}}{{Cite news |date=23 November 1928 |title=Mellen Has First Game Next Tuesday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54880670/?match=1&terms=iron%20belt%20basketball%20schedule |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=3}} only to return the next year.{{Cite news |date=8 March 1930 |title=First Road Game Lost By Midgets |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54579299/?match=1&terms=%22upper%20wisconsin%20league%22 |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=7}} Their second stint in the conference ended in 1932, and the circuit continued with six member schools.{{Cite news |date=8 March 1933 |title=No Tourney for Iron Belt Quint |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54830241/?match=1&terms=butternut%20fifield%20glidden%20iron%20belt%20mellen%20park%20falls%20standings |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=7}} In 1935, Fifield left the Upper Wisconsin Conference and were replaced by [Saxon](/source/Saxon_High_School) to keep the roster at six schools.{{Cite news |date=2 October 1935 |title=School League Officers Named |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54882768/?match=1&terms=%22upper%20wisconsin%20league%22 |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=8}} By this time, the conference was referred to informally as the '''Soo Line League''' (not to be confused with a [different league](/source/Soo_Line_League) in the region also using that name).{{Cite book |url=https://www.classmates.com/siteui/yearbooks/1000247215?page=75 |title=1936 Torch |publisher=Park Falls High School |publication-date=1936 |pages=39-40}} Fifield rejoined the conference the next year, offsetting the loss of Mellen and Park Falls to independent status.{{Cite news |date=25 January 1937 |title=Saxon Quintet Leads League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54561960/?match=1&terms=saxon%20glidden%20butternut%20basketball |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=7}} The conference originally ended play in 1937 after failing to agree to a league schedule,{{Cite news |date=18 October 1937 |title=School News in Iron Belt |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54566737/?match=1&terms=glidden%20basketball |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=4}}{{Cite news |date=16 November 1937 |title=Saxon Cagers to Open Play |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54567962/?match=1&terms=mellen%20basketball |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=7}} but reformed soon after as the '''Soo Line Athletic League''' by six former members (Butternut, Fifield, Glidden, Iron Belt, Mellen and Park Falls) along with Phillips, formerly of the other [Soo Line League](/source/Soo_Line_League).{{Cite news |date=5 November 1937 |title=Phillips Team Suffers Defeat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1241083351/?match=1&terms=%22soo%20line%20league%22%20phillips |access-date=13 April 2026 |work=Superior Evening Telegram |pages=17}} Saxon was not included in this roster and joined the [Indianhead Conference](/source/Northern_Lights_Conference) for the 1937-38 school year.{{Cite news |date=8 May 1937 |title=Vesperman Is Named Head of Athletic Loop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1241111575/?match=1&terms=%22bayfield%20county%20athletic%20league%22 |access-date=13 April 2026 |work=Superior Evening Telegram |pages=13}} This alignment lost Fifield and Iron Belt as members in 1938{{Cite news |date=28 April 1938 |title=Soo Line League Is Organized Tuesday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1241155619/?match=1&terms=%22soo%20line%20league%22%20phillips |access-date=13 April 2026 |work=Superior Evening Telegram |pages=19}} and continued for one more season before suspending operations in 1939. == Conference membership history == {| class="wikitable sortable" !School !Location !Affiliation !Mascot !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |- |['''Butternut'''](/source/Butternut_High_School) |[Butternut, WI](/source/Butternut%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Midgets |{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|black}} |1926 |1939 |[Flambeau League](/source/Flambeau_League) |[Northern Lights](/source/Northern_Lights_Conference) |- |['''Fifield'''](/source/Fifield_High_School) |[Fifield, WI](/source/Fifield%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Vikings |{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1926, 1936 |1935, 1938 |Independent |Closed in 1962 (consolidated into [Park Falls](/source/Park_Falls_High_School)) |- |['''Glidden'''](/source/Glidden_High_School) |[Glidden, WI](/source/Glidden%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Vikings |{{color box|black}} {{color box|e35205}} |1926. |1939 |[Flambeau League](/source/Flambeau_League) |Closed in 2009 (merged into [Chequamegon](/source/Chequamegon_High_School)) |- |['''Hurley'''](/source/Hurley_School_District) |[Hurley, WI](/source/Hurley%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Midgets |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ff8200}} |1926, 1929 |1928, 1932 |Independent |[Northern Lights](/source/Northern_Lights_Conference) |- |['''Iron Belt'''](/source/Iron_Belt_High) |[Iron Belt, WI](/source/Iron_Belt%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Hornets |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1926 |1938 |Independent |Closed in 1957 (consolidated into [Hurley](/source/Hurley_School_District)) |- |['''Mellen'''](/source/Mellen_High_School) |[Mellen, WI](/source/Mellen%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Granite Diggers |{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|white}} |1926, 1937 |1936. 1939 |Independent |[Northern Lights](/source/Northern_Lights_Conference) |- |['''Park Falls'''](/source/Park_Falls_High_School) |[Park Falls, WI](/source/Park_Falls%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Cardinals |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |1926, 1937 |1936, 1939 |Independent |Closed in 2009 (merged into [Chequamegon](/source/Chequamegon_High_School)) |- |['''Saxon'''](/source/Saxon_High_School) |[Saxon, WI](/source/Saxon%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Knights |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |1935 |1937 |[Indianhead](/source/Northern_Lights_Conference) |Closed in 1964 (consolidated into [Hurley](/source/Hurley_School_District)) |- |'''[Phillips](/source/Phillips_High_School_(Phillips%2C_Wisconsin))''' |[Phillips, WI](/source/Phillips%2C_Wisconsin) |Public |Loggers |{{color box|black}} {{color box|e35205}} |1937 |1939 |Independent |[Marawood](/source/Marawood_Conference) |} == Membership timeline == DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1926 till:1939 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7) id:line value:black id:bg value:white PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m bar:1 color:tan1 from:1926 till:1939 text:Butternut (1926-1939) bar:2 color:tan1 from:1926 till:1935 text:Fifield (1926-1935) bar:2 color:tan1 from:1936 till:1938 text:(1936-1938) bar:3 color:tan1 from:1926 till:1937 text:Glidden (1926-1937) bar:4 color:tan1 from:1926 till:1928 text:Hurley (1926-1938) bar:4 color:tan1 from:1929 till:1932 text:(1929-1932) bar:5 color:tan1 from:1926 till:1938 text:Iron Belt (1926-1938) bar:6 color:tan1 from:1926 till:1936 text:Mellen (1926-1936) bar:6 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1939 text:(1937-1939) bar:7 color:tan1 from:1926 till:1936 text:Park Falls (1926-1936) bar:7 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1939 text:(1937-1939) bar:8 color:tan1 from:1935 till:1937 text:Saxon (1935-1937) bar:9 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1939 text:Phillips (1937-1939) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:1926 == References == {{reflist}} {{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}} Category:Sports organizations established in 1926 Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences Category:1926 establishments in Wisconsin Category:1937 establishments in Wisconsin --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Upper Wisconsin Conference](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Wisconsin_Conference) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Wisconsin_Conference?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.