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History · Lone Rock

Lone Rock dates to 1856, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940

1856founded
0on the National Register
26%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Lone Rock began

When was Lone Rock founded?

1856

Lone Rock dates its founding to 1856 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1857.

2020 census: 829170 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1857.The full story ↓

What stands out about Lone Rock’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 Lone Rock are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
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Start Lone Rock’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lone Rock’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 Lone Rock came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lone Rock.

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According to a sign near the site, "The Lone Rock - At one time a massive piece of sandstone stood a short distance from the north bank of the Wisconsin River. The rock became a landmark for early river raftsmen and was known as 'Lone Rock' from which the town took its name. The rock was cut and used for basements and foundations in the village. What is left of the rock is located west of Highway 130 across from Brace Park."

The community was founded in 1856 and incorporated as a village in 1866. Among its best-known residents is Bertha E. Reynolds, or "Dr. Bertha," the physician who served the community in the early twentieth century. A park and street in Lone Rock honor Reynolds.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Lone Rock, decade by decade

Today6 recent
St. Joseph Equipment2013St. Joseph EquipmentSchmmdt Farms2013Schmmdt FarmsPremier Cooperative - panoramio (1)2013Premier Cooperative - panoramio (1)Older Barn and Silo2013Older Barn and SiloOcooch Mountains2013Ocooch MountainsLone Rock Tower2007Lone Rock Tower
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Buena VistaIts storyC+Spring Green1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Lone Rock’s history

What year was Lone Rock founded?

In 1856, according to Wikidata. Lone Rock’s post office opened in 1857.

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 (6), Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.