Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Buffalo is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
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 Buffalo’s 8.1 sits above most of its state (73% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 Buffalo’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Buffalo. 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 Buffalo.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Buffalo yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Buffalo is a town in Marquette County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,389.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,221 to 1,389 (+14%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Buffalo, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Buffalo which had hitherto formed a part of the town was incorporated. The City of Belvidere which at first was called the village of Buffalo was laid out about three miles above Buffalo City on Pomme de Terre Slough. , The plat of the village of Buffalo was recorded May 6th, 18-56, in Vol. I of Deeds, that of the City of Belvidere, April 23d, 1858, in Vol. 4. The first settler upon the land on which these two plats were laid out was Glaus Liesch, whose biography is to be found in the chapter on Pioneers. The
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The town of Buffalo was at first the whole county, as may be seen from the act establishing the latter. It naturally grew smaller and finally, after the establishment of the town of Milton or EJagle Mills was reduced to the present size, if we add to it the land contained in the village of Fountain City. Within the present limits Charles Bippes was the first settler, first on the bluff, afterwards in the valley, which was named after him, but by a corruption of the name is now called Piper's Valley. He came with
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Louis six months, and then taught school at Terre Haute, Ind. In 1855 he came to Buffalo county, located at Buffalo City, and for the remainder of his life followed the professions of teacher and surveyor. He was county surveyor of Buffalo county two terms, and county superintendent of schools three terms. He married Mary Schneider, a native of Germany, and had four children, Alice, Mary, Charles and Matilda. In 1889 he wrote a History of Buffalo County, which has been the basis of most of the historical work done in the county since then.
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Buffalo itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Another post office, Greenwood, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Buffalo is more historic than 64% 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.
One place: the Fountain Lake Farm (listed 1990).
13% of Buffalo’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1991.
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).
From the National Register of Historic Places (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), 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.
★ Landmark