Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 44% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Plover was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: maps from 1970 on and the census since 1880.
Plover dates its founding to 1844 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 44% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Plover is more historic than 44% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Plover’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.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). 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 →
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 Plover’s history is told.
Lost half of its people between 1880 and 1950, then grew more than tenfold.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Plover’s Wikipedia page.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereWalt Wilmot is born here
Born hereClayton K. Slack is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereJoe Pavelski is born hereFrom Wikipedia’s history of Plover.
The area was originally recognized as "Plover Portage," a name derived from the portage between the lower and upper Wisconsin River. In 1825, a treaty established the site as a boundary between the Chippewa and Winnebago tribes. In 1844, the site was selected as the first county seat of Portage County, with the village officially platted in 1845.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Plover. 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 Plover.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Another post office, Meehan, opened and closed inside today’s town.
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.
In 1844, according to Wikidata. Plover’s post office opened in 1876, and the census of 1880 counted 412 people here.
Plover is more historic than 44% 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.
7% of Plover’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1987.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikidata (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via 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.
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