State atlas · filed under WI

Ghost Towns of Wisconsin

Wisconsin's vanished towns follow the lead district of the southwest — the 'badger' diggings that named the state — and the northern cutover, where lumber towns lasted exactly one forest.

424 sites surveyed across Wisconsin — 2 charted with full records so far, entered by year of settlement. The rest are awaiting verification.

✕Charted — click for the recordSurveyed — records pending

Survey note

The federal place-name archive records 424 vanished or historical sites in Wisconsin — ghost towns, mining camps, townsites, and railroad stops. We chart them a few at a time, as the records can be verified. Every mark on this map is a place that once had a name.

TownYearsLast pop.Classification

HelenaIowa Co.1828–18600Historic Townsite UlaoOzaukee Co.1847–18600Vanished Place

Society Pro

See Wisconsin as the surveyors drew it, 1879 to 1919

261 USGS survey sheets from those years cover Wisconsin. Pro lays them over today's map with a swipe between then and now, and adds every mine feature, lost place and mineral site the federal record holds for the state.

14,981mine features

6,158mineral sites

3,326lost places

261survey sheets

The full survey ledger

Every vanished town the federal archive records in Wisconsin — each with its own record page, verified and expanded over time.

Adams CenterAdams Co.AdamsvilleIowa Co.Aldens CornersDane Co.AnchorageBuffalo Co.Army LakeWalworth Co.AshfordRichland Co.Bakers CornersDane Co.BohriBuffalo Co.Buss's CornersDane Co.CatfishDane Co.Charter Oak MillsJackson Co.ClarenceGreen Co.ClayJackson Co.CoolidgePrice Co.CortlandTrempealeau Co.CorwinRichland Co.DarwinDane Co.Dell PrairieAdams Co.Dodges CornersWaukesha Co.EadsvilleClark Co.Farmers GroveGreen Co.FellowsRock Co.Five PointsDane Co.FordhamAdams Co.ForwardDane Co.Granite CityWaupaca Co.Granite QuarryWaupaca Co.HamiltonFond du Lac Co.HanervilleDane Co.HarmonWashburn Co.HarrisonCalumet Co.HattonWaupaca Co.HenriettaRichland Co.High CliffCalumet Co.IpswichLafayette Co.KaiserPrice Co.KeithForest Co.Kennedys CornersSheboygan Co.KremlinMarinette Co.KurthClark Co.Lake EmilyPortage Co.Lake OwenBayfield Co.LakeviewLa Crosse Co.Lapham JunctionJackson Co.Little WolfWaupaca Co.MansonOneida Co.MarbleWaupaca Co.MayhewsWalworth Co.McGrewRichland Co.Mill CreekRichland Co.Mineral PointGreen Co.MinertownForest Co.MisereDoor Co.Moe SettlementColumbia Co.MontroseDane Co.NelsonvilleEau Claire Co.New ChesterAdams Co.New CityTrempealeau Co.New RomeAdams Co.NowellWaupaca Co.Oak GroveEau Claire Co.Old TyroneDunn Co.OnevaForest Co.PeroteMenominee Co.PetersvilleWaupaca Co.Pilot KnobAdams Co.Pine CreekTrempealeau Co.PrimroseDane Co.QuincyAdams Co.Roche a CriAdams Co.RodneyWaushara Co.RogneysJackson Co.SavoyBuffalo Co.Scotts JunctionMonroe Co.Shady SideWalworth Co.Speck OaksJackson Co.SpringbluffAdams Co.SpringdaleBuffalo Co.StaadtsMarathon Co.StettinMarathon Co.Sunset PointLa Crosse Co.SyeneDane Co.TrowClark Co.Welch PointDunn Co.WilletGreen Co.WilliamsburgTrempealeau Co.WordenClark Co.WrightsvilleJackson Co.YellowstoneLafayette Co.

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