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History · Humbird

Humbird’s post office opened in 1880, and 38% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1948 on.

1880first post office
0on the National Register
38%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Humbird began

When was Humbird founded?

1880

The Humbird post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 254146 years
Founding year: the first Humbird post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Humbird’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Humbird are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Humbird’s homes were built before 1953.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Humbird’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Humbird’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Humbird came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Humbird.

Read it all →

Humbird was founded by Jacob Humbird, who was born at Ligonier, Pennsylvania on July 31, 1811. The second of five children of Solomon and Susan Humbert, Jacob was married to Eleanor McKee in 1835. They had four sons and four daughters. Jacob and his brother pursued careers in railroad building. He built Dom Pedro Secundo Railroad in Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to the interior of the country. In 1867 Humbird and D. A. Baldwin built the main line of the West Wisconsin Railroad from Elroy to Hudson. The tracks were laid to Humbird in late 1869. The depot opened for business on January 1, 1870.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Humbird, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Humbird, Wisconsin2024Humbird, Wisconsin
On the map

Humbird on the map, 1948 to 1979

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

Humbird on the 1948 USGS mapHumbird on the 1979 USGS map1948Fairchild 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 Humbird.

Famous people

Famous people close to Humbird

Nobody well known was born in Humbird itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Virginia SatirAmerican psychotherapist & non-fiction author · b. 1916
Carole LandisAmerican actress · b. 1919
Dan DevineAmerican college football coach, professional f… · b. 1924
Edward E. LyonUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1871
Hugh H. PriceAmerican politician · b. 1859
Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr.United States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1925

Questions about Humbird’s history

What year was Humbird founded?

The Humbird post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (1), 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.