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History · Mole Lake

Mole Lake’s post office opened in 1916, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

Most of Mole Lake was built recently: 0.7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Below: maps from 1973 on.

1916first post office
1on the National Register
0.7%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Mole Lake began

When was Mole Lake founded?

1916

The Mole Lake post office opened in 1916, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 535110 years
Founding year: the first Mole Lake post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Mole Lake’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 Mole Lake are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Mole Lake’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Mole Lake, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Mole Lake yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Mole Lake is a census-designated place located in the town of Nashville in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 535 at the 2020 census, up from 435 at the 2010 census.

Its first post office opened in 1916. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 435 to 535 (+23%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Mole Lake, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Collins 000046 165837 510066 45782017Collins 000046 165837 510066 4578Collins 000045 165836 510065 45782017Collins 000045 165836 510065 4578Collins 000043 165829 510049 45782017Collins 000043 165829 510049 4578MoleLakeWisconsinSignWIS552008MoleLakeWisconsinSignWIS55MoleLakeWisconsinSign22008MoleLakeWisconsinSign2MoleLakeCasinoSignWIS552008MoleLakeCasinoSignWIS55
On the map

Mole Lake on the map, 1973 to 1990

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

Mole Lake on the 1973 USGS mapMole Lake on the 1990 USGS map1973Mole Lake sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Mole Lake.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Mole Lake

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Mole Lake

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

See all →
A
Alexander H. SmithAmerican mycologist · b. 1904
Russ BauersAmerican baseball player · b. 1914
A
Armin LandeckAmerican printmaker and educator · b. 1905

Questions about Mole Lake’s history

What year was Mole Lake founded?

The Mole Lake post office opened in 1916, 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 →
Start a conversation
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) 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.