Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 39% of U.S. towns · #250 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Below: maps from 1891 on and old-book passages.
More historic than 39% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rock is more historic than 39% of U.S. towns, #250 of 362 in Wisconsin. Its share of homes from before 1940 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 Rock’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: our sources. 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 Rock’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Rock. 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 Rock.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Rock yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
The Town of Rock is a located in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,981 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Afton is in the town.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 3,196 to 2,981 (-7%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Rock, cut from the printed page as they were published.
By the same act, Anson W. Pope, David Hume and Virgil Pope and their associates were incorporated by the name of the Rock River Bridge Company with power to build a bridge across Rock river at Hume's ferry in Rock county and charge the same toll as the Beloit Bridge Company.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
" If the opinion of speculators and large realestate operators from the East is entitled to consideration and respect, the town of Rock stands number one, if not more, in regard to superior locations and natural advantages for building up cities and villages ; for surely no town in the county has figured so largely in that department as the town of Rock. Its corner and water lots have made no small figure in Wall street ; its lithographed city plats have been honored with a conspicuous place in all the great land-agency ofiices of the country. At one time, this town could boast of four cities and villages — ' Wisconsin City,' ' Koshkonong City,' ' Rockport,' ' Monterey ' and ' Afton.' Rockport was laid out by Thomas Holmes in December, 1835,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first bridge over Rock River was constructed in 1845, where the present bridge now is on Bridge street, by a corporation as a toll-bridge. This bridge was afterward douated to the village upon the condition that it should be kept in good repair and maintained a free bridge at the general expense.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A quarter of a mile south of Wisconsin City, on fractional lots 2 and 3 of section 10, and on the east half of the east half of section 9 in the town of Rock, William Payne laid out the village of Newburgh. The date of the plat of this village is not shown upon the map, but it was evidently some time in 1836.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Rock itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
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.
Rock is more historic than 39% of U.S. towns, #250 of 362 in Wisconsin. 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.
16% of Rock’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.7 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
