A post office called Forest Junction has been in operation since 1873. The community was so named from its location at a rail junction near the forest.
The first railroad through here in 1872 was the Appleton & New London Railroad. This railroad later became the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, a predecessor of the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW). This line has since been abandoned and is currently the 'Eastern leg' of the Friendship State Trail.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Forest Junction. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1954Chilton 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 Forest Junction.
On the National Register
1 listing protects 9 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
9
each building in a district counts
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Forest Junction
Nobody well known was born in Forest Junction itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
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 Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2009
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