The village of Plain is located on Wisconsin Highway 23 and County Road B in the Township of Franklin. The area of Plain was originally known as Cramer's Corners after four Cramer brothers (John, Jeremiah, Adam and Solomon, Sr.) moved to the Plain area in the early 1850s. They came from Troy Township in Richland County, Ohio and Morrow County, Ohio. Joseph Cramer was originally from Letterkenny Township, Pennsylvania.
The Cramers are listed as land owners in the 1859 Town of Franklin map. This Cramer family should not be confused with the Kraemer [Krämer] family from Irlach, Bavaria, Germany, who settled in Plain, Wisconsin, in 1867. Several rough buildings were erected and the area acquired the nickname of Logtown (also spelled Log Town).
Passages that mention Plain, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A standard history of Sauk County, Wisconsin1918 · page 735Read the page →
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F. Henry Rischmueller. Around the village of Plain in Honey Creek Township may be found some of the most progressive and reliable farmer citizens of Sauk County. One of these is Mr. Henry Rischmueller, whose life has been spent almost entirely in this locality.
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A standard history of Sauk County, Wisconsin1918 · page 628Read the page →
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Mr. Weiss took up a business career as a merchant, but since November, 1911, has been a banker at Plain and his ability and personal popularity have been the chief factors in the success and influence of the Plain State BaTik. He also owns considerable real estate, and his fellow citizens have a number of times called upon him for the performance of those duties which are an indication of general public esteem and confidence. Mr.
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The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources ... biographical sketches ... the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin1880Read the page →
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At first, the mail was distributed in town by John Cramer, the neighbors taking turns in bringing it until a post ofiice was established at White Mound, in 1859 ; then a Mr. Smith was appointed Postmaster, and Jacob Henry carried the mail. Jerry Carpenter is now Postmaster at that point. There is also a post office at Plain, called Logtown, that has been established several (about ten) years. P. Stutz is now Postmaster here. The blacksmith business was started here as early as the fall of 1850, by G. M. Whiteis.
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The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources ... biographical sketches ..1880Read the page →
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At first, the mail was distributed in town by John Cramer, the neighbors taking turns in bringing it until a post office was established at White Mound, in 1859; then a Mr. Smith was appointed Postmaster, and Jacob Henry carried the mail. Jerry Carpenter is now Postmaster at that point. There is also a post office at Plain, called Logtown. that has been established several (about ten) years. P. Stutz is now Postmaster here. The blacksmith business was started here as early as the fall of 1850, by < r. M. Whiteis.
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
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), 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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