Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 59% of U.S. towns · #166 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Most of Vernon was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Its Register listings are the Haseltine Cobblestone House and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon. Below: old-book passages.
The Vernon post office opened in 1840, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Dodge's Corners (1855) and Guthrie (1896), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 59% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Vernon is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #166 of 362 in Wisconsin. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls 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 Vernon’s 4.0 sits near the middle of its state (64% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Vernon’s history is told.
Vernon had its own post office from 1840 to 1902. Two other post offices 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).
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
BuiltReformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon is built
Born hereGlenn Robert Davis is born hereFrom Wikipedia’s history of Vernon.
Originally Vernon was part of Muskego. March 8, 1839 the State Legislature incorporated the Town of Vernon. On June 4, 2020, the former Town of Vernon incorporated as a village to keep compliant with State Statutes.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Vernon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
heings tlian gold or precious stones — the enjoyment of good liealth. Finally, in 1S55, he selected a home among the timbered lands in the northeastern part of Vernon Co., Wis. lie was the first white settler in what is now the town of Whitestown, and located 200 acres of land on section 2. In the following year he erected a saw-mill for the combined benefit of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In township 11, range 5 west, in Vernon and Crawford counties, the sandstone on the principle divide covers the greater part of the township, with a fine exposure in two mounds near the center of section 5, (town of Sterling), Vernon county. From the northeast corner of this township (town of Sterling), a high and very irregular ridge, with numerous lateral
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In township 11, i-ange 5 west, in Vernon and Crawford counties, the sandstone on the principle divide covers the greater part of the township, with a fine exposure in two mounds near the center of section 5, (town of Sterling), Vernon county. From the northeast corner of this township (town of Sterling), a high and very irregular ridge, with numerous lateral
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In the eastern part of Vernon county the people were quite generally in favor of the measure; and it is probable, that had the scheme reached a vote, the six towns in Vernon county would have been in favor of the new county of Sheridan. But the bill did not pass even the Assembly; so the movement was strangled in its early infancy; and Vernon county of to-day
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.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Vernon post office opened in 1840, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Vernon is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #166 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.
Two places: the Haseltine Cobblestone House (listed 1980) and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon (1999).
4% of Vernon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.6 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1978.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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