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–Not graded
History · Ackley

Ackley dates to 1879, and 33% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1899 on, and old-book passages.

1879founded
0on the National Register
33%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ackley’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ackley began, and where its name came from

When was Ackley founded?

1879

Ackley dates its founding to 1879 (Wikipedia’s history).

2020 census: 467147 years

How did Ackley get its name?

Ackley was named after William L. Ackley, who established a logging camp in the area.

Founding year: Wikipedia. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What stands out about Ackley’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 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18994 editions of the USGS map, 1899 to 1990. Watch Ackley change.Old housesHalf of Ackley’s homes were built before 1963.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Ackley’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewRange Line Road Bridge, Spanning West B…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Ackley on the map, 1899 to 1990

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

Ackley on the 1899 USGS mapAckley on the 1902 USGS mapAckley on the 1973 USGS mapAckley on the 1990 USGS map1899Wausau sheet · 1:125,000

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

The story so far

Ackley, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Ackley yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Ackley is a town in Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 467 at the 2020 census. The town was founded on March 4, 1879. It was named after William L. Ackley, who established a logging camp in the area.

Ackley was established in 1879. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 524 to 467 (-11%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Ackley in 1922

Passages that mention Ackley, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Merrimac Silt Loam is found in sections 12, 13, 21, and 25 of West Ackley township and with the exception of that part of East Ackley in which Peat and Merrimac Sandy Loam and Muck are found, all of East Ackley territory. This means that over two-thirds of East Ackley have that type of soil. The Me…
History of Langlade County, Wisconsin, from U. S. government survey to present time, with biographical sketches1922 · page 176Read the page →
Read the text

Merrimac Silt Loam is found in sections 12, 13, 21, and 25 of West Ackley township and with the exception of that part of East Ackley in which Peat and Merrimac Sandy Loam and Muck are found, all of East Ackley territory. This means that over two-thirds of East Ackley have that type of soil. The Merrimac Silt Loam, composed of alluvial material, is a light brown or grayish brown friable silt extending to an average

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
It was difficult for the early homesteaders to travel in their day. They lost no time in erecting bridges to cross rivers and streams. The first bridge was probably built by W. L. Ackley over the Eau Claire in 1853, as it is safe to presume that he needed one to log and get back into the country kn…
History of Langlade County, Wisconsin, from U. S. government survey to present time, with biographical sketches1922 · page 29Read the page →
Read the text

It was difficult for the early homesteaders to travel in their day. They lost no time in erecting bridges to cross rivers and streams. The first bridge was probably built by W. L. Ackley over the Eau Claire in 1853, as it is safe to presume that he needed one to log and get back into the country known now as west Ackley.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Ackley, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Range Line Road Bridge, Spanning West Branch of Eau Claire River, on Range Line Road, Antigo, Langlade County, WIDate?Range Line Road Bridge, Spanning West Branch of Eau C…
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.

Range Line Road Bridge, Spanning West Branch of Eau Claire River, on Range Line Road, Antigo, Langlade County, WI
Retake this viewRange Line Road Bridge, Spanning West Branch of Eau Claire River, on Range Line Road, Antigo, Langlade County, WI

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

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Ackley

Nobody well known was born in Ackley itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Marissa MayerAmerican business executive and engineer, forme… · b. 1975
J
Jalen JohnsonAmerican basketball player (born December 2001) · b. 2001
W
Wendy BoglioliAmerican swimmer · b. 1955
Gloria CoatesAmerican composer · b. 1933
T
Thomas T. MoultonAmerican sound engineer · b. 1896
John BradleyNavy corpsman in World War II, flagraiser at Iw… · b. 1923
Places that used to be

Places now gone

Gone or out of use
Ackley Lookout TowertowerClover Valley SchoolschoolEau Claire SchoolschoolFerndale SchoolschoolLongfellow SchoolschoolRiverview Schoolschool

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Antigo5 historic placesA−PeckIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townVilasIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townPine RiverIts storyC+AntigoIts storyC+HarrisonIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHewittIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRollingIts storyC+

Questions about Ackley’s history

What year was Ackley founded?

In 1879, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From the Library of Congress (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.