Its Register listings are the Shopiere Congregational Church, the Turtleville Iron Bridge and the Murray-George House. Below: maps from 1893 on and old-book passages.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Turtle is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Turtle’s overall grade.
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 Turtle’s 10.8 sits above most of its state (78% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.9 points).
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 →
What stands out about Turtle’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Turtle. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1893Shopiere sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Turtle.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Shopiere
1849–1919
Tiffany
1857–1984
18401930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
FoxhollowShopiereTiffanyTurtleville
Gone or out of use
Turtle Airportairport
1cemetery inside Turtle
Turtleville
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Turtle, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Turtle yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
The Town of Turtle is located in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,393 at the 2020 census. The city of Beloit borders the town. The unincorporated communities of Foxhollow, Porters, and Shopiere are located in the town. The unincorporated community of Tiffany is also located partially within the town.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 2,388 in 2010, 2,393 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Turtle, 1879–1908
Passages that mention Turtle, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Rock County, Wisconsin1879 · page 513Read the page →
Read the text
" This town," continues the writer, " is a rolling prairie, of deep soil, with an underlay of sand and gravel ih the western and northwestern part. There is plenty of lime rock in the blufiFs of the central and eastern parts of the town. The only surface water that can be boasted of is Turtle Creek, which -rises in Walworth County, watering and fertilizing the town of Bradford from side to side, entering LaTrairie on the east line of Section 36, and passing out on the south line of 35, into the town of Turtle. Running within the limits of La Prairie less than two miles, it passes through the town of Turtle, nearly from corner to corner, and falls into Rock River (a,s before mentioned) just below the State line at Beloit. This stream rose during one
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Rock County, Wisconsin1879 · page 626Read the page →
Read the text
$4,276 21 On August 27, 1856, an order made by James W. Strong, Superintendent of Schools for the city of Beloit, Stephen C. Millett, Superintendent of Schools for the town of Beloit, and CM. Treat, Superintendent of Schools for the town of Turtle, went into effect, embracing within the limits of School District No. 1 Sections 24, 25 and 36, all of Sections 23, 26 and 35, on the east side of Rock River, in the town and city of Beloit, and the west half of Section 30, the west half of Section 31, and that part of the east half of Section 31 then owned by Joseph B. Colley and James Coleman, in the town of Turtle.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
only passage to the upper story was a ladder of poles. Our menu consisted of cornbread and game. Flour was a luxury, there being no mills nearer than Galena. In the spring of 1838 I was hired to teach the first school in the town of Turtle. We had to cross the river on a foot-bridge. There were no newspapers in Kock county and only six houses in Janesville. Religious services were held in the houses; we had small congregations. I was married to Merritt Bostwick, January 7, 1840. Mr. Bostwick
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Then for South Beloit, south of the state line and about the mouth of Turtle creek, west of the Rockton road, is Goodhue's addition. East of that road and of the Northwestern railroad also, we have Eureka, Central, South Beloit original plat, Oliver's and McAleer's tracts, and, between the railroad and the Rockton road, Clark's addition and Oak Park addition. Latest, of all, recently in 1908, an addition has been platted on the west side of Rockton road. The successful efforts of the Wheelers and
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.
Timeline
Turtle, 1845 to 1984
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Turtle is more historic than 83% 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.
What is on the National Register in Turtle?
Three places: the Shopiere Congregational Church (listed 1976), the Turtleville Iron Bridge (1977) and the Murray-George House (1985).
How old are the homes in Turtle?
20% of Turtle’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.9 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1962.
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 Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
