Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Berlin

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
B−History
History · Berlin

Berlin dates to 1857, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 46% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Most of Berlin was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Its Register listing is the McClelland-Kasuboski House. Below: 16 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1860.

1857founded
1on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
16old photos & papers
12famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Berlin’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Berlin began, and where its name came from

When was Berlin founded?

1857

Berlin dates its founding to 1857 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 1,449 in 18602020 census: 1,068169 years

How did Berlin get its name?

Berlin was named Berlin after the capital of Prussia, now the capital of Germany.

How historic is Berlin?

B−

More historic than 46% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Berlin’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Berlin is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Berlin’s overall grade.
Founding era1857, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19408.6% of homes (±2.5) · typical WI town 12.1% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register1 listing, 7.8 per 10,000 residents · typical WI town 3.0 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 46%
NewerOlder

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 Berlin’s 7.8 sits above most of its state (71% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1857.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B−. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Berlin’s past

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

Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1884 to 1911, drew every building in Berlin.A town in old photos16 old photos, postcards and papers, 1867–1917.On the map since 19183 editions of the USGS map, 1918 to 1980. Watch Berlin change.Famous sons and daughtersWilliam Nigh, Luther Reed and 10 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Every building

Berlin, building by building, 1884–1911

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.

Berlin fire insurance map, 1884, sheet 11884Sheet 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.

By decade

Berlin, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s1 item
Bird's eye view of the city of Berlin, Green Lake Co., Wisconsin 18671867Bird's eye view of the city of Berlin, Green Lake Co.…
1900s–1910s15 items
J. P. Luther Glove Co. ("American medical directory", 1906 advert)1906J. P. Luther Glove Co. ("American medical directory",…Training School1911Training SchoolTraining School & High School1911Training School & High SchoolBerlin schools1912Berlin schoolsFactories. Berlin, Wis1912Factories. Berlin, WisChurches1912ChurchesGranite quarries1912Granite quarriesFox River1912Fox RiverGreetings from Berlin, Wis1912Greetings from Berlin, WisPacific Coast Milk Condensory1912Pacific Coast Milk CondensoryPacific Coast Milk Condensory1912Pacific Coast Milk CondensoryCatholic churches and schools1912Catholic churches and schoolsBusiness section1915Business sectionIndustries of War - Gloves and Mittens - MANUFACTURING GLOVES FOR GOVERNMENT AT FRANK RUSSELL GLOVE CO., BERLIN, Wiscon…1917Industries of War - Gloves and Mittens - MANUFACTURIN…Industries of War - Gloves and Mittens - MANUFACTURING GLOVES FOR GOVERNMENT AT FRANK RUSSELL GLOVE CO., BERLIN, Wiscon…1917Industries of War - Gloves and Mittens - MANUFACTURIN…
1920s–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
On the map

Berlin on the map, 1918 to 1980

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

Berlin on the 1918 USGS mapBerlin on the 1956 USGS mapBerlin on the 1980 USGS map1918Ripon 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 Berlin.

The story

How Berlin came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Berlin.

Read it all →

In 1845, Nathan H. Strong (1813–1852) became the first resident of what is today Berlin. He was joined by Hugh G. Martin, Hiram Barnes, and William Dickey. Their settlement was known as Strong's Landing. In 1848, a post office was established. It was named Berlin after the capital of Prussia, now the capital of Germany. The first school house was built in 1850 and the first church in 1851. Berlin was incorporated as a city in 1857.

ChaptersPronunciation

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Berlin, 1857 to 1967

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1857
    FoundingBerlin is established
  3. 1867In the archiveBird's eye view of the city of Berlin, Green Lake Co., Wisconsin 1867
  4. 1881Born hereWilliam Nigh is born here
  5. 1888Born hereLuther Reed is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1906In the archiveJ. P. Luther Glove Co. ("American medical directory", 1906 advert)
  8. 1911In the archiveTraining School
  9. 1918On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1937Born hereBill Butler is born here
  11. 1967Born hereAndy Jorgensen is born here
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.

Bird's eye view of the city of Berlin, Green Lake Co., Wisconsin 1867
Retake this viewBird's eye view of the city of Berlin, Green Lake Co., Wisconsin 1867, 1867

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Berlin

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1998
McClelland-Kasuboski House
McClelland-Kasuboski House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Italianate1
McClelland-Kasuboski HouseItalianate

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Berlin, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0001900195020005,571

Grew from 1,449 people in 1860 to 5,571 in 2020, 3 times over.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

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

Famous people

12 famous people were born in Berlin

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

See all →
William NighAmerican film director, writer and actor · b. 1881
Luther ReedAmerican film director and screenwrigter · b. 1888
Andy JorgensenAmerican politician · b. 1967
B
Bill ButlerAmerican football player born 1937 · b. 1937
Luther OlsenAmerican politician · b. 1951
Solon J. BuckUnited States archivist and historian · b. 1884
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Gone or out of use
School Number 12schoolSchool Number 3schoolSchool Number 8schoolSpring Brook SchoolschoolWood Lawn Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Berlin
BushSeventh Day

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

Help out

Finish Berlin’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewBird's eye view of the city of Berlin, …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

NepeuskunIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBrooklynIts storyCSenecaIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townAuroraIts storyB−St. MarieIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Berlin’s history

What year was Berlin founded?

In 1857, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1860 counted 1,449 people here.

How does Berlin rank for history?

Berlin is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns. 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 Berlin?

One place: the McClelland-Kasuboski House (listed 1998).

How old are the homes in Berlin?

9% of Berlin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1977.

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 (4), the Library of Congress (12), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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.