It is in northern Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay.

In 1659, the French explorers Radisson and Groseilliers touched here on their trip along the south shore of Lake Superior.

In 1665 the Jesuit Claude-Jean Allouez established on the shore of the bay, a short distance south of the present city, the first French mission in Wisconsin.

He named it "La Pointe du Saint Esprit," and in 1669 it was placed in charge of Father Jacques Marquette.

The place was visited by Daniel Greysolon (Du Luth) in 1681–1682, and here in 1693 Pierre-Charles Le Sueur built a stockaded post.

[5] The city itself was founded in 1883, named for Cadwallader C. Washburn, Republican governor of Wisconsin from 1872 until 1874.

26.8% were of German, 14.2% Norwegian, 7.1% French, 7.1% Polish, 6.7% Irish, 5.6% English and 5.5% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000.

Initially, the city's economy was based on lumbering, with sawmills lining the busy waterfront.

[5] In 1905, the DuPont company opened an explosives plant just outside town, providing an important source of employment as timber resources were growing scarce.

Currently, the city's economy focuses on the tourist industry and its position as county seat.

[12][13] Washburn receives three radio stations from Ashland; WATW, WBSZ and WJJH.