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BHistory
History · Fowlerville

Fowlerville dates to 1849, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 64% of U.S. towns · #243 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1880.

1849founded
0on the National Register
21%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Fowlerville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Fowlerville began

When was Fowlerville founded?

1849

Fowlerville dates its founding to 1849 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 1,051 in 18802020 census: 2,951177 years

How historic is Fowlerville?

B

More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Fowlerville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fowlerville is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #243 of 701 in Michigan. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fowlerville’s overall grade.
Founding era1849, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194021.3% of homes (±6.6) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%B+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical MI town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 64%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 65%

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Fowlerville’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1849.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.6 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Fowlerville’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19083 editions of the USGS map, 1908 to 1973. Watch Fowlerville change.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1901 to 1922, drew every building in Fowlerville.Deep rootsEstablished in 1849: 177 years of Fowlerville.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Fowlerville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Fowlerville’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewOld White School: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Fowlerville on the map, 1908 to 1973

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fowlerville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Fowlerville on the 1908 USGS mapFowlerville on the 1910 USGS mapFowlerville on the 1973 USGS map1908Fowlerville sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Fowlerville.

Every building

Fowlerville, building by building, 1901–1922

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Fowlerville fire insurance map, 1901, sheet 11901Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Fowlerville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Fowlerville.

Read it all →

The first permanent settler was Ralph Fowler in 1836, who also instructed Amos Adams to plat the village in 1849. A post office named "Cedar" was established in 1838, but was renamed "Fowlerville" in 1853, after the village's plat name. The village incorporated in 1871. In 1909, a tornado swept through the town and hit St. Agnes Catholic Church.

The village is the site of the Livingston County Fair Grounds, where various large events are held annually. There are also annual festivities in the town during the year celebrating different national holiday such as Christmas, Fourth of July, and Memorial Day.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Fowlerville, 1849 to 1994

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1849
    FoundingFowlerville is established
  3. 1895In the archiveStandard atlas of Livingston County, Michigan - including a plat book of the villages, ci…
  4. 20th century
  5. 1903Born hereCharlie Gehringer is born here
  6. 1908On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1917Born hereThomas G. Sharpe is born here
  8. 1921In the archiveOld White School
  9. 1994Born hereAdam Coon is born here
By decade

Fowlerville, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1920s2 items
Standard atlas of Livingston County, Michigan - including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the coun…1895Standard atlas of Livingston County, Michigan - inclu…MapOld White School1921Old White School
1930s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
2015-10-25-Fowlerville NW20152015-10-25-Fowlerville NW2015-10-25-Fowlerville NW corner20152015-10-25-Fowlerville NW corner2015-10-07 Fowlerville-Methodist Church20152015-10-07 Fowlerville-Methodist Church2015-10-07 Fowlerville-Chapel20152015-10-07 Fowlerville-ChapelFire Train by Joshua Young2014Fire Train by Joshua YoungThe Village Chapel2012The Village ChapelFirst United Methodist Church2012First United Methodist ChurchDowntown Fowlerville Michigan Grand Avenue at Church Street2012Downtown Fowlerville Michigan Grand Avenue at Church …Downtown Fowlerville Michigan East Grand River Avenue at South Second Street2012Downtown Fowlerville Michigan East Grand River Avenue…2010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map for20102010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map forBook
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Old White School
Retake this viewOld White School, 1921

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Fowlerville’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Fowlerville, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 2,972

Between 905 and 2,972 people in every census since 1880.

14 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fowlerville’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Fowlerville

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Charlie GehringerAmerican baseball player · b. 1903
Adam CoonAmerican football player and wrestler · b. 1994
Thomas G. SharpeAmerican politician · b. 1917

Questions about Fowlerville’s history

What year was Fowlerville founded?

In 1849, according to Wikidata. the census of 1880 counted 1,051 people here.

How does Fowlerville rank for history?

Fowlerville is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #243 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Fowlerville?

21% of Fowlerville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.6 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1972.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.