More historic than 5% of U.S. towns · #359 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Most of Kronenwetter was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1963 on, and old-book passages.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kronenwetter is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #359 of 362 in Wisconsin. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kronenwetter’s overall grade.
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 Kronenwetter’s 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.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 2002.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 →
What stands out about Kronenwetter’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Prior to the formation of the town of Kronenwetter, the area was composed of several small settlements. Around 1855, a Native American named Keeler dug a canal, rerouting the Bull Jr. Creek over a drop to power a small sawmill he built. Other buildings were built, and the area became known as Keelerville. In 1857, Sebastian Kronenwetter moved to the area and purchased the Keelerville sawmill, making it quite successful. In the years to follow, Kronenwetter continued his success, owning a hotel and building a sawmill in what is now the city of Mosinee. In 1885, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Passages that mention Kronenwetter, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Marathon County, Wisconsin1913 · page 565Read the page →
Read the text
THE TOWN OF KRONENWETTER was set off from the town of Mosinee November 12, 1886, to consist of township 27, range 8, and all of township 27, range 7, lying east of the Wisconsin river. It was named after the pioneer Sebastian Kronenwetter, who was duly elected as its first chairman. At the time of its organization there were but few fanners in the town, and the only industrial enterprise therein was the saw mill of S. Kronenwetter located on Bull Junior, where it empties into the Wisconsin river.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Marathon County, Wisconsin1913 · page 499Read the page →
Read the text
side the village, being on the east side of the Wisconsin river, on high land absolutely safe from any inundation, only erecting a strong concrete guard lock on the west side and the power house to convert the water power into electricity. The mill itself is located in the town of Kronenwetter. Since the erection of this mill and the saw mill of the Mosinee Log, Lumber and Timber Company the village is getting back its former active looks, and business is in a flourishing state. The men employed in the mill live in the village, many of them, and there is no lack of employment
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.
Kronenwetter is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #359 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.
How old are the homes in Kronenwetter?
2% of Kronenwetter’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 2002.
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 (9), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
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