15 of Allouez’s places are on the National Register
More historic than 77% of U.S. towns · #98 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Most of Allouez was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1968. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1954 on, and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Allouez is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #98 of 362 in Wisconsin. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Allouez’s overall grade.
Wisconsin towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Wisconsin town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Allouez’s 85.2 sits above most of its state (93% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 119 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 Allouez’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
The village of Allouez was named after the French Jesuit priest and missionary, Father Claude-Jean Allouez. The Cadle Mission, a mission of the Episcopal Church for the Native Americans, was located in the village in the nineteenth century. It was first named Shanttown by soldiers in the early 1800s. In 1824 Judge James Doty arrived and picked it as a place for a courthouse, and gave it dignified name of Menomineeville. Although he didn't get around to registering the plat until 1829, and by that time Menomineeville had missed the boat. In 1874, Allouez would separate from the town of Bellevue to become its own entity.
Passages that mention Allouez, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Brown County, Wisconsin, past and present1913 · page 510Read the page →
Read the text
The Allouez Mineral Spring Company, of Green Bay, controls one of the important commercial interests of the city. The business was founded by Joseph Hoeffel, who at an early period in the history of this part of the state purchased the property on which is found the Allouez mineral spring. This is a natural flowing spring, the waters of which possess splendid medicinal qualities. Recognizing their value, Mr. Hoeffel determined to utilize the waters for commercial purposes and had a plant built for their bottling and distribution. The water is now sent all over
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.
Timeline
Allouez, 1835 to 1954
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Allouez is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #98 of 362 in Wisconsin. 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.
What is on the National Register in Allouez?
15 listings: 11 buildings, among them the Cotton House (listed 1970, the first), and 4 historic districts with 107 contributing buildings. 119 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Allouez?
8% of Allouez’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.2 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1968.
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 the Library of Congress (12), Wikidata (6), the National Register of Historic Places (15), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
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