The Great American Survey: A Slapdash Database of Historic Buildings

Founding:  1854 (declared in 1853) Parent county:  Jackson Name origin :  George Rogers Clark, Virginia militia officer Seat:  Neillsville (1855–) Land area:  1,210 square miles Population (2020):  34,659 Population (historic):  789 (1860); 10,715 (1880); 25,848 (1900); 34,165 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1860–1920; 1970s; 1990–2010 Subdivisions:  Seven cities; four villages; two CDPs; 33 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  4,150 (27.7%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  57.1% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  7.1% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.2% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  4.9% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,651 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,033 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.2 rooms Number of farms (1920):  5,116 Average farm size (1920):  38.3 acres Sources of settlement:  Germany, New York, Illinois, Norway, Canada...

Founding:  1846 Parent county:  Milwaukee Namesake:  Uncertain—perhaps a Pottawatomi word describing the Fox River Seat:  Waukesha (1846–) Land area:  550 square miles Population (2020):  406,978 Population (historic):  19,258 (1850); 28,274 (1870); 33,270 (1890); 37,100 (1910); 52,358 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1850–2020 Subdivisions:  Seven cities; 22 villages; two CDPs; eight towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  11,911 (6.8%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  68.5% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  14.1% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  5.8% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  3.3% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $3,178 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $3,338 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7 rooms Number of farms (1920):  3,406 Average farm size (1920):  66.7 acres Sources of settlement:  Germany, New York, England, Wales, and Ireland ____________________...

Founding:  1854 Parent county:  La Pointe Namesake:  Stephen Douglas, Illinois senator Seat:  Superior (1854–) Land area:  1,304 square miles Population (2020):  44,295 Population (historic):  812 (1860); 655 (1880); 36,335 (1900); 46,583 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1860–1870; 1880–1920; 1930s; 1990–2020 Subdivisions:  One city; five villages; two CDPs; 16 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  5,967 (26.1%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  50.9% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  16.6% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  9.2% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,039 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $856 Average farmhouse size (1940):  4.2 rooms Number of farms (1920):  1,557 Average farm size (1920):  26 acres Sources of settlement:  Wisconsin, Minnesota, Sweden, Michigan, Canada, Norway, France, and Germany ___________________________________________________________________...

Founding:  1885 (declared in 1883) Parent counties:  Ashland and Chippewa Namesake:  Philetus Sawyer, Wisconsin senator Seat:  Hayward (1885–) Land area:  1,257 square miles Population (2020):  18,074 Population (historic):  1,977 (1890); 6,227 (1910); 8,878 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1890–1940; 1960–2020 Subdivisions:  One city; four villages; five CDPs; 16 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  1,307 (8.2%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  38% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  10.2% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $807 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $809 Average farmhouse size (1940):  4.1 rooms Number of farms (1920):  823 Average farm size (1920):  24.9 acres Sources of settlement:  Wisconsin, Norway, Minnesota, Canada, Sweden, and Germany _________________________________________________________________________________   Hayward   Namesake:  ...

Founding:  1887 Parent county:  Lincoln Namesake:  The Oneida people Seat:  Rhinelander (1887–) Land area:  1,113 square miles Population (2020):  37,845 Population (historic):  5,010 (1890); 11,433 (1910); 15,899 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1890–2000; 2010s Subdivisions:  One city; four CDPs; 20 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  2,515 (8.2%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  49.5% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  21.8% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,306 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,273 Average farmhouse size (1940):  4.7 rooms Number of farms (1920):  724 Average farm size (1920):  38.9 acres Sources of settlement:  Wisconsin, Germany, Michigan, Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Russia _________________________________________________________________________________   Rhinelander   Namesake:  Frederic Rhinelander, railroad president Founding:  1880 ...

Founding:  1883 Parent county:  Burnett Namesake:  Cadwallader Washburn, Wisconsin governor Seat:  Shell Lake (1883–) Land area:  797 square miles Population (2020):  16,623 Population (historic):  2,926 (1890); 5,521 (1900); 8,196 (1910); 11,377 (1920) Periods of population growth:  pre-1890–1920; 1930s; 1960–2000; 2010s Subdivisions:  Two cities; two villages; three CDPs; 21 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  1,295 (10.1%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  49% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  14.3% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.7% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,128 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,129 Average farmhouse size (1940):  4.8 rooms Number of farms (1920):  1,380 Average farm size (1920):  41.9 acres Sources of settlement:  Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Germany, Sweden, and Norway ______________________________________________________________________________...

Founding:  1845 (declared in 1836) Parent counties:  Brown and Milwaukee Namesake:  George Washington, U.S. president Seat:  Port Washington (1845–1853); West Bend (1853–) Land area:  431 square miles Population (2020):  136,761 Population (historic):  19,485 (1850); 23,919 (1870); 23,589 (1900); 26,551 (1930) Periods of population growth:  1840–1870; 1890–2020 Subdivisions:  Two cities; six villages; one CDP; 12 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  6,231 (10.6%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  80.4% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  7.4% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  4.8% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  2.9% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $2,732 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,637 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7.5 rooms Number of farms (1920):  2,799 Average farm size (1920):  62.3 acres Sources of settlement:  Germany, Ireland, and New York ...

Founding:  1854 Parent county:  La Crosse Namesake:  James Monroe, U.S. president Seat:  Sparta (1854–) Land area:  901 square miles Population (2020):  46,274 Population (historic):  8,410 (1860); 21,607 (1880); 28,103 (1900); 28,739 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1860–1910; 1920–1950; 1960–2020 Subdivisions:  Two cities; eight villages; two CDPs; 24 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  3,773 (19.1%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  60.2% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  2.6% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.1% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,682 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,138 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.7 rooms Number of farms (1920):  3,519 Average farm size (1920):  65.7 acres Sources of settlement:  Germany, New York, Norway, and Ireland _________________________________________________________________________________   Sparta   Name...

Founding:  1844 (declared in 1835) Parent counties:  Brown and Milwaukee Namesake:  Henry Dodge, Wisconsin governor Seat:  Juneau (1846–) Land area:  876 square miles Population (2020):  89,396 Population (historic):  19,138 (1850); 47,035 (1870); 44,984 (1890); 47,436 (1910); 52,092 (1930) Periods of population growth:  1840–1870; 1890–2020 Subdivisions:  Seven cities; 11 villages; three CDPs; 24 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  11,154 (29.1%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  79% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  9% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  3.9% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  2.5% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $2,863 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $3,589 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7.7 rooms Number of farms (1920):  4,633 Average farm size (1920):  80.9 acres Sources of settlement:  Germany, New York, and Ireland ______________...

Founding:  1846 Parent county:  Portage Namesake:  A reference to Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer Seat:  Wyocena (1847); Columbus (1848–1851); Portage (1851–) Land area:  766 square miles Population (2020):  58,490 Population (historic):  9,565 (1850); 28,802 (1870); 28,350 (1890); 31,129 (1910); 30,503 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1850–1870; 1880–1910; 1920–2020 Subdivisions:  Four cities; ten villages; one CDP; 21 towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  6,173 (23.2%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  75.1% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  10.9% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.3% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  4.1% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,936 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,523 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7.4 rooms Number of farms (1920):  3,320 Average farm size (1920):  90.9 acres Sources of settlement:  Germany, New York...