Originally called Lakeville and then Nippersink, Powers Lake was named after James B. Powers, one of its early settlers and first postmasters. The farming community appreciated the fertile Wisconsin soil and access to a water supply. Recreational activities garnered interest around the lakes in the 1880s, but it was in the 1890s that fishermen and others, primarily from Chicago, enjoyed long visits in the area and eventually developed the North Shore of Powers Lake. Ice companies also ‘mined’ the south shores of Powers Lake and the north shore of Benedict Lake in the 1890s, eventually establishing five ice houses on Powers Lake.
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 Wikipedia. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
