On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lincoln is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lincoln’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 Lincoln’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.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.8 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Lincoln’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The outline of the six mile square that would become Lincoln was first surveyed in the summer of 1851 by a crew working for the U.S. government. In November and December 1853 another crew marked its section corners, walking through the woods and wading the streams, measuring with chain and compass. When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:
This Township contains much good land and is clear from swamp The greater part of it is Rolling and good 2d Rate land. It is well watered and some of the streams are of sufficient size for Milling purposes The streams are all lined with good W P(?) which is the prevailing Timber. The upland is mostly Sugar & Lind.
Lincoln's Name, [An exercise for school celebration of Lincoln's Birthday. Each child carries a letter forming the name, Lincoln.] I carry a letter L and it stands for love; And a name that is written in glory above; A name that is honored on land and sea, That Americans love wherever they be.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Lincoln is more historic than 49% 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.
How old are the homes in Lincoln?
21% of Lincoln’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.8 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
![Lincoln's Name, [An exercise for school celebration of Lincoln's Birthday. Each child carries a letter forming the name, Lincoln.] I carry a letter L and it stands for love; And a name that is written in glory above; A name that is honored on land and sea, That Americans love wherever they be.](https://images.townratings.com/story/34576/bk-ccfacaf383031455-l.jpg)
