By the mid-17th century, the French had begun to send expeditions into Wisconsin via the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River.

King Louis XIII of France is believed to have granted a huge area of land in the Upper Mississippi River Valley to two brothers, Etiene Pepin de la Fond and Guillaume dit Tranchemontagne.

Two of Guillaume’s sons, Pierre Pepin and Jean Pepin du Cardonnets, later explored and traded in this area, and their surname became attached to the lake, and ultimately to the village and the county.

[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.70 square miles (1.81 km2), all of it land.

38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.