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History · Scandinavia

Scandinavia’s post office opened in 1856, and 41% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 4 old photos and papers from 1968 on and old-book passages.

1856first post office
0on the National Register
41%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Scandinavia’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Scandinavia began

When was Scandinavia founded?

1856

The Scandinavia post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 371170 years
Founding year: the first Scandinavia post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Scandinavia’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Scandinavia’s homes were built before 1947.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Scandinavia’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewVIEW OF NORTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING S…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Scandinavia, in brief

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

Scandinavia is a village in the Town of Scandinavia in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 371 at the 2020 census.

Its first post office opened in 1856. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 363 to 371 (+2%).

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

From the old history books

What they wrote about Scandinavia in 1890

Passages that mention Scandinavia, cut from the printed page as they were published.

The Town of Scandinavia consists of Township 23 north, Range 11 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of lola, on the east by St.
History of Waupaca county, Wisconsin1890 · page 190Read the page →
Read the text

The Town of Scandinavia consists of Township 23 north, Range 11 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of lola, on the east by St.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The Village of Scandinavia is located in Sections 15 and 22, on the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad. It has 3 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 meat market and grocery store, 2 shoe
History of Waupaca county, Wisconsin1890 · page 191Read the page →
Read the text

The Village of Scandinavia is located in Sections 15 and 22, on the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad. It has 3 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 meat market and grocery store, 2 shoe

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.

By decade

Scandinavia, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1960s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1960s3 items
VIEW OF NORTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTH FROM DAM - Mill Bridge, Spanning Little Wolf River on Mill Street, Scandina…1968VIEW OF NORTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTH FROM DAM …VIEW OF NORTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST - Mill Bridge, Spanning Little Wolf River on Mill Street1968VIEW OF NORTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST - Mil…VIEW OF SOUTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING NORTHEAST - Mill Bridge, Spanning Little Wolf River on Mill Street1968VIEW OF SOUTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING NORTHEAST - Mil…
1970s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Date unknown1 to date
Mill Bridge, Spanning Little Wolf River on Mill StreetDate?Mill Bridge, Spanning Little Wolf River on Mill Street
Today2 recent
Scandinavia, WI post office and municipal center2019Scandinavia, WI post office and municipal centerWIMap-doton-Scandinavia2005WIMap-doton-Scandinavia
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

VIEW OF NORTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTH FROM DAM - Mill Bridge, Spanning Little Wolf River on Mill Street, Scandina…
Retake this viewVIEW OF NORTH FACE OF BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTH FROM DAM - Mill Bridge, Spanning Little Wolf River on Mill Street, Scandina…, 1968

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Scandinavia’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Scandinavia

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

See all →
E
Everett C. OlsonU.S. paleontologist, zoologist, and geologist · b. 1910
Tyler BiadaszAmerican football player · b. 1997
Edward E. BrowneU.S. Representative from Wisconsin · b. 1868
D
Dylan PageAmerican basketball player · b. 1982
C
Chester NelsenCyclist · b. 1902
D
Dave KriegAmerican football player · b. 1958

Questions about Scandinavia’s history

What year was Scandinavia founded?

The Scandinavia post office opened in 1856, 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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), 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.