Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns · #185 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Below: maps from 1907 on and the census since 1880.
The Cross Plains post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1920.
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cross Plains is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #185 of 362 in Wisconsin. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Cross Plains’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
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 Cross Plains’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cross Plains. 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 Cross Plains.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Cross Plains.
Cross Plains was named by a settler for his home in Cross Plains, Tennessee. The village was incorporated in 1920.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Cross Plains, cut from the printed page as they were published.
In approaching the town of Cross Plains from the east, on the Madison and Mineral Point road, we oome to the dividing ridge or ancient beach, so well defined and preserved as to be observed by every stu* dent of geology. This beach, or ancient sea shore on this road, comes within ten rods of the east line of the town of Cross Plains. On its summit there is yet to be seen an old log, behitid which Ebenezer Brig-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The town of Berry is situated in the western part of Dane county, and lies south o! the town of Roxbury, west of the town of Springfield, north of the town of Cross Plains, and east of the town of Black Eartli. The general character of the to^n ifi hilly, althongh there are several rich valleys, the largest being Halfway Prairie, which is eometimes called the English settlement, and that portion of Black Earth
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Pebliminaet View— Town of Christiana— Town of Cottage Grove— Town of Oregon- Village OF Oregon— Town of Montrose— Town of riTCHBURO — Town of Springfield- Town or Verona— Town of Clarkjson (extinct)— Town of Windsor- Town of Cross Plains. PRELIMINARY VIEW. Within a year after the formation of the towns of Rutland, Rome, Albion, Dunkirk, Sun Prairie and Madison — " the original towns" — the Territorial Legislature set off the north half of Albion into a new town. This was on the 23d of January, 1847. The same Legislature, on the 11th day of the next month, passed an act, as previously explained, greatly reducing the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The territory now constituting the town of Cross Plains — Township 7 north, of Range 7 east — when first brought under a town goverament, on the 2d day of February, 1846, was a part of the town of Madison. It so continued until 1847, when, on the 11th day of February
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.
2012Cows on the Hill
2012Century 21 Center
2012Central
2012Cedar Glen Estates
2012Brunner Dairy Farm
2012Broken Telegraph Pole
2012Barn and Silo near
2011Springfield Sunset
2011Rosemary Garfoot Public Library
2011Piggly Wiggly®
2011Culver's® Frozen Custard
2011Culpepper ^ Merriweather Circus
2011Cross Plains Village Hall
2011Cross Plains Overlook
2010Cross Plains Berry Historical Society
20102010 Cross Plains EF1 Tornado Damage - panoramio (1)
2009Cross Plains Welcome Sign
2009Cross Plains Water ReservoirGrew from 42 people in 1880 to 4,104 in 2020, more than tenfold.
11 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Cross Plains’ Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Cross Plains post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1920.
Cross Plains is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #185 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.
14% of Cross Plains’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.5 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1986.
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 Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
