Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1900 on and old-book passages.
The Little Grant post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Little Grant’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Little Grant. 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 Little Grant.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Little Grant yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Little Grant is a town in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 314 at the 2020 census.
Its first post office opened in 1852. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 283 to 314 (+11%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Little Grant, cut from the printed page as they were published.
AIjERED hale, of the firm of Hale & Staley, groceries and sample room, Bloomington ; born in England in 1823; came to America, in 1851, and located in the town of Little Grant, Grant Co., where he engaged in farming ; moved to Bloomington in May, 1879, and engaged in present business; one of the early English settlers of Grant Co.; held the office of Treasurer of the town of Little Grant for twelve years and Ju.stice of the Peace two years. Married, in England, to Miss Sarah Webb, a native of England, by whom they have seven children — two sons and five daughters. A prominent member of I. 0. O. F., and passed all the chairs ; is a self-made man.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
organized; in 1852, Liberty; in 1853, Millville, taking most of what is now Wyalusing, a large portion of Patch Grove, and all of the pres¬ ent town of Millville. In 1854 Wyalusing and Marion were created; in 1856, Little Grant, Blue River, Hickory Grove, and Watterstown; in 1859, the towns of Boscobel, Glen Haven, and Lander (soon changed to Tafton). The county as it was then divided, and the boundaries of the new towns, may be seen on the map on page 141.
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Little Grant itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Little Grant had its own post office from 1852 to 1887.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Little Grant post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From 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.
