Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1965 on and old-book passages.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bear Lake’s history is told.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Bear Lake yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Bear Lake is a town in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 670 at the 2020 census, up from 659 at the 2010 census.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 659 in 2010, 670 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Bear Lake, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Omaha railway. The surrounding country is rolling and is dotted with many fine farms. About a mile to the northwest, in Bear Lake Township, is the beautiful sheet of water known as Bear Lake, having a length of several miles, on the shores of which are several well patronized summer resorts. Its outlet is Bear Creek, which
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
and entered the employ of Bonners & Murphy Lumber Co. for three years as bookkeeper. In 1900 he located once more in Barron County and has pur¬ chased several tracts in various parts of the county. Mr. Powell started farming in Bear Lake Township, making a specialty of buying, breeding, shipping and selling high grade stock. He went to Alberta, Canada, in 1907, and took a homestead. Four years later, in 1911, he sold out and returned to Barron County, where he purchased the Jacob Kritch homestead of 160 acres in Bear Lake Township. In 1913 he came to his present place within
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.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bear Lake. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bear Lake.
Nobody well known was born in Bear Lake itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
