The Oneida County Zoning Ordinance, adopted May 16, 1933, was the first comprehensive rural zoning ordinance in the United States. In the early 1930's, most northern Wisconsin counties were in financial difficulties. The Oneida County Board of Supervisors addressed the costs of transporting school children and the construction and maintenance of new roads by adopting a zoning ordinance that prohibited settlement in remote areas. Its purpose was to promote public health, safety, and welfare, and to regulate, restrict, and determine the areas within the county where various activities could be conducted. The ordinance became a model for other counties in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. As a new concept in rural land management, it showed that careful planning by local people, involving joint discussions and joint decisions with many agencies of the County, State, and Federal Governments, was essential for the wise use of natural resources.