Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Fox Lake Railroad Depot. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1860.
The Fox Lake post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Waushara (1840), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fox Lake is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls 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 Fox Lake’s 5.6 sits above most of its state (67% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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.
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.
1884Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Fox Lake.
Established in 1838, Fox Lake was the first settlement in Dodge County. The first inhabitants were Winnebago Indians who had named the area "Hosh-a-rac-ah-tah", meaning "good land". The area was later named Fox Lake, either in honor of a Winnebago Indian named Big Fox who saved a lost trapper or for the English translation of the Indian name of the town.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Fox Lake, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Van Buren. It was certified to before Quartus H. Barron. Fox Lake continued under town government until the 4th of May, 1858, when, pursuant to and in accordance with tlie provisions of an act of the Legislature, entitled "An Act to Incorporate the Village of Fox Lake," the qualified electors of the said village convened at the American House, and cliosc William J. Dawes and David D. Cheeney, Judges, and Garret T. Hawley, Clerk of Election. Balloting then proceeded for village officers for the ensuing year, resulting as follows: President, Abel Merwin ; Trustees, William D. Barnett, James L. Townsend, Wilson Torrey, William K. Parker, John L. Brower and David D. Thomas ; Clerk, Arie Banta ; Treasurer, Francis Hamilton ; Marshal,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first post office established in Dodge County was at Fox Lake. It was known as Waushara Post Office until about 1850, when, upon application to the Post Office Department, the name was changed to Fox Lake. Its history dates back to 1839, when the only outlet was by way of the old United States road from Fort Howard to Fort Winnebago. The citizens were accommodated with mails once a week by an obliging horseman in the employ of the Government, who made the round trip between the two forts once in seven days. In 1844, a weekly post route was established between Fox Lake and Watertown, thus affording the citizens of the former place more ready communication with the Cream City on Lake Michigan, as well
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
crotches on high ground ; in the spring they were taken down and buried, apparently without much regard to locality or uniformity. .« THE POST OFFICE. > The first post office established in Dodge County was at Fox Lake. It was known as Waushara Post Office until about 1850, when, upon application to the Post Office Department, the name was changed to Fox Lake. Its history dates back to 1839, when the only outlet was by way of the old United States road from Fort Howard to Fort Winnebago. The citizens were accommodated with mails once a week by an obliging horseman in the employ of the Gov-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The original survey of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad, of which Dr. Stoddard Judd was President, passed through the village of Fox Lake, near the Brower mill. The question of the location of the depot was a source of considerable local agitation, the citizens being divided in their views upon the subject. The result was, the Railroad Company exercised its peculiar privilege, and changed the route, leaving Fox Lake two miles to the north. The Fox Lake Horse Railroad then grew out of the necessity for some sort of communication with the outside world, and it has answered the purpose very well. It was completed in 1859. Dr. Judd and J. W. Davis may be said to have been the designers. It is an incorporated company, the stock
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.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
1910The Oakfield Cottage
1910Milwaukee Club House
1910Vacation days at Fox Lake, Wis
1910Wilcock's summer home
1910Oak Spring Resort
1910Elmwood Island at Fox Lake, Wis
1910Resorting at Newman's Hotel
1910Cottages at North Shore
1910Main St. looking west
1910Benser Cottage North Shore
1910Bathing at the Oak Spring ShoreEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fox 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 Fox Lake.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Fox Lake’s page.
Retake this view · +15The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 814 and 1,604 people in every census since 1860.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fox Lake’s Wikipedia page.
Fox Lake’s post office has been open since 1856. Another post office, Waushara, 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).
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
The Fox Lake post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Fox Lake is more historic than 67% 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 Fox Lake Railroad Depot (listed 1978).
29% of Fox Lake’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.3 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1957.
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 (1), the Library of Congress (11), 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 US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
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