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Town of Waukesha

Author: Pilar Melero
The first town hall for the Town of Waukesha, pictured here in the 1930s, was built in 1842.
The history of the Town of Waukesha parallels that of Waukesha County. It was established originally on January 2, 1838 as part of the Town of Muskego within Milwaukee County (as was the rest of what is now Waukesha County). In 1839, it became a separate township under the name of Prairie Village, changing to… Read More

Town of Wayne

Author: Krista Grensavitch
Bird's eye view of an extensive area of the Theresa Marsh State Wildlife. Trees and shrubs appear as far as the eye can see. A flock of birds flies above the landscape in the image's center. Two agricultural structures are visible on a hill in the background.
Named in honor of the Revolutionary War’s General Anthony Wayne, the Town of Wayne is located in northwestern-most point in Washington County. It borders Fond du Lac County to the north and Dodge County to the west. When European incomers arrived and settled the area, beginning in 1846, they found a dense hardwood forest. Much… Read More

Village of Bayside

Author: Jenna Jacobs
Image of the Lion Gate that features a lion statue placed on top of stone walls. Written on the sculpture's base is the name of one of its creators, which is "Fred Usinger." On the stone wall, several feet beneath the statue is inscribed "Country Life in Donges Bay 1890 – 1911.” Next to the gate is a street name sign that reads "E Fairy Chasm Rd." Lush trees growing behind the stone walls appear in the right portion of this image.
Located along LAKE MICHIGAN, about twelve miles north of downtown MILWAUKEE, the Village of Bayside occupies the northern end of MILWAUKEE COUNTY’s lakeshore and extends into OZAUKEE COUNTY. The Village had a population of 4,389 in 2010 and a median estimated home value of $325,600 in 2014. An AGRICULTURAL and summer home region in the… Read More

Village of Big Bend

Author: Jenna Jacobs
Low-angle shot of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon facade set on a green lawn. The image shows two sides of the one-story building. The main entrance is on the left, flanked by two rectangular windows. On the right are three windows in the same style. The entrance door and exterior wall are made of wood in white paint. Two stone chimneys are on its roof.
The Village of Big Bend is located along the Fox River within the Town of Vernon, southwest of MILWAUKEE. Like much of WAUKESHA COUNTY, Big Bend and Vernon began as farming communities. The Town of Vernon was founded in 1839, while the Village of Big Bend was incorporated out of Vernon’s land in 1928. In… Read More

Village of Brown Deer

Author: Jenna Jacobs
Facade of the Brown Deer Little White Schoolhouse facing slightly to the right against the blue sky. The small single-story building consists of white-colored wooden exterior walls and a chimney atop its gable roof. The main entrance features a single white door set between two rectangular windows with white shutters. A large green lawn and several trees grow in its surroundings.
Located in northern MILWAUKEE COUNTY, the suburban village of Brown Deer is bordered on the west and south by the CITY OF MILWAUKEE. With an area of 4.5 square miles and a 2010 population of 11,999, Brown Deer is sometimes seen as a bridge between the city and the other North Shore suburbs of SHOREWOOD,… Read More

Village of Butler

Author: Michele Saltzman
Wide shot of the Butler Rail Yard showing a freight train in predominantly yellow color passing on one of several railroad tracks. Several buildings and a blue sky appear in the background. Utility poles stand in the foreground.
The Village of Butler lies on WAUKESHA COUNTY’S eastern border, surrounded by Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, and Milwaukee. The small, industrial village owes its existence to the railroad industry. In the twenty-first century, residents continue to celebrate that connection. In 1909, the Milwaukee, Sparta, and North Western Railway built a railroad yard on Milwaukee’s 124th St. border… Read More

Village of Chenequa

Author: Niles Niemuth
Panoramic view of Pine Lake and the centerpiece of the village of Chenequa in sepia tone. George Brumder's summer house appears in the distance among tall trees next to the large body of water.
The Village of Chenequa is centered on Pine Lake in the LAKE COUNTRY area of WAUKESHA COUNTY, approximately 30 miles west of the city of Milwaukee. In 2010 Chenequa’s population was estimated to be 590. The Potawatomi were the last native peoples known to have inhabited the area, with villages established on the eastern and… Read More

Village of Dousman

Author: Michele Saltzman
Long shot of the Dousman station of the Chicago and North Western Railway in sepia tone. It shows a crisscrossing railroad track line on the left and center of this image. To the right is the station's building, which features an open gabled roof and a chimney. Some people stand on the platform while a train approaches.
Dousman is a small village located about 35 miles west of Milwaukee in Waukesha County’s “Lake Country.” It was named after Talbot C. Dousman, a prominent local politician who settled there in in the mid-1830s. Historically a popular location for summer visitors to the Lake Country, Dousman was the most important community center in the… Read More

Village of Elm Grove

Author: James K. Nelsen
Grayscale wide shot of four nuns in white dress kneeling while facing left at the center background. A silhouette of another nun holding a bible appears dominantly on the right to the center front. A man in priestly garb stands at the left up a short flight of stairs.
The Village of Elm Grove is a community of about six thousand people in eastern Waukesha County. It borders the Village of Wauwatosa to the east and the City of Brookfield in all other directions. It was part of the Town of Brookfield until 1955. It is governed by a seven-member volunteer board. All trustees,… Read More

Village of Fox Point

Author: James K. Nelsen
Postcard illustrating a panoramic view of the Fox Point Club. It features a building complex set among a large and well-maintained park. A pathway to the main entrance is shown in the center of the image. Colorful landscaping flowers grow along the path.
Fox Point is a suburb of Milwaukee. It is located on the North Shore, east of Milwaukee along Lake Michigan, and was incorporated as a village in 1926. As a village, it does not have full-time elected officials. Rather, it has a village board that consists of a president and six trustees. They serve three-year… Read More

Village of Grafton

Author: Jenna Jacobs
Long shot of the Paramount Plaza surrounded by a sidewalk and buildings. The image shows a statue of a musician playing a guitar. It is located close to an elongated stone wall with a black-colored sign reading "Paramount Plaza" and is surrounded by green landscaping plants. Some black benches are placed in the area.
The Village of Grafton, located twenty miles north of Milwaukee in OZAUKEE COUNTY, is centered on the Milwaukee River. The village is bordered by the City and Town of Cedarburg to the west and the TOWN OF GRAFTON to the east. In 1896, the Village of Grafton was incorporated from the Town of Grafton. When… Read More

Village of Hartland

Author: Niles Niemuth
Long shot of the Hartland Railroad Depot. Cream City bricks compose its single-story structure. The image shows two sides of the building. The left side features an entrance, two arched windows, and a bullseye window under the gable roof. The right side also has a door and two windows. A green lawn surrounds the depot that stands by a road.
According to legend, in 1838 Stephen Warren, the first white settler of the Hartland area, walked from the city of Ann Arbor in Michigan to the WAUKESHA area in search of desirable farm land. Warren established a farmstead where his family joined him. The Warren family was followed by native-born migrants in addition to Swedish,… Read More

Village of Lac La Belle

Author: Michele Saltzman
Aerial shot of Lac La Belle village showcases a wide expanse of green spaces with sparse houses. A large body of water in the background divides the spaces. Above is the blue sky.
The Village of Lac La Belle is a small, affluent community located about 38 miles west of Milwaukee along three miles of Lac La Belle, one of WAUKESHA COUNTY’S biggest lakes. With only 289 residents as of 2010, Lac La Belle was the least populated village in the county. In 2025, the Village of Lac… Read More

Village of Lannon

Author: Niles Niemuth
A grayscale photograph highlights a portion of the Lake Shore stone quarry. It shows a cross-section of rock and limestone. A wooden building and a smokestack appear in the upper left. Double-track railways are located on lower ground in the foreground.
The Village of Lannon is a small community in northeastern WAUKESHA COUNTY incorporated in 1930. As of the 2010 census the village had a population of 1,107. Lannon is located on the Niagara Escarpment, a geographic feature that stretches across the Great Lakes region and contains a significant amount of limestone. The first limestone quarry… Read More

Village of Lisbon

Author: Michele Saltzman
Bird's eye view of the a farm area in Lake Five community in the town of Lisbon. Green landscape fills most of the image. Sparse residential places are built among trees. A barn with a grain silo sits in the center foreground of the image.
The Village of Lisbon is a rural community of approximately 10,000 residents spread out over 27 square miles. It is about 25 miles northwest of Milwaukee in WAUKESHA COUNTY. The first families to settle the area were the English Redfords and Weavers, who arrived in the mid-1830s. After 1838, when Lisbon became an official Town,… Read More

Village of Menomonee Falls

Author: William I. Tchakirides
A map features a rectangular painted picture of the bird's eye view of Menomonee Falls, illustrating the buildings, roads, and the green landscape in the village. Some buildings are given a symbol in the form of a letter or number. Letters A to C marks different churches. D is a public school. E is a post office. F is temperance hall. Among the buildings numbered from 1 to 23 are residential places of important figures and industrial places.
Home to roughly 36,000 residents in 2010, Menomonee Falls is Wisconsin’s most populous village. Located approximately fifteen miles northwest of Milwaukee in WAUKESHA COUNTY, the settlement was named for the Menomonee River, a tributary of the MILWAUKEE RIVER. Native Menomonee people inhabited the area before white settlement, which began in earnest after 1840; the village… Read More

Village of Nashotah

Authors: Michele Saltzman and Jenna Jacobs
Grayscale long shot of the Nashotah Railway Depot in the distance, sitting on sloping terrain. Railway tracks stretch from left to right foreground. The depot is on the left background. The building's side that faces the railroad tracks features a grand staircase and a portico with two supportive columns, among others. Two empty baggage wagons stand between the tracks and the depot on the left. On the right of the depot is a steep driveway leading up to a windmill.
The Village of Nashotah is located about forty miles northwest of MILWAUKEE in WAUKESHA COUNTY’s LAKE COUNTRY. The Village’s name comes from a Native American term meaning “twins.” Nashotah is named for the nearby Upper and Lower Nashotah Lakes, although the lakes themselves are not within the Village. The Village does border Lake Nagawicka and… Read More

Village of Newburg

Author: Krista Grensavitch
Grayscale long shot of the Newburg's steel truss bridge stretching in the distance at the image's center. The steel truss soars along and above the bridge's deck. Guard rails are installed on both sides of the bridge. A roadway spans from the foreground toward the deck. Two utility poles stand among weeds on the street's left side. Lush tall trees appear in the far background, across the bridge.
The Village of Newburg was incorporated in 1973 and spans both Washington and Ozaukee counties, though a majority of the land area and population lies within Washington County. Incorporated with a population of just 634 residents, the Village of Newburg was formed out of parcels of land from the TOWN OF SAUKVILLE in Ozaukee County… Read More

Village of North Prairie

Author: Michele Saltzman
Long shot of the Morey Milk Condensery in grayscale. The entrance is on the right under the shade of a big, lush tree. The building extends to the left background. A tall chimney appears in the far left. A grass field spans the foreground.
North Prairie is a village in WAUKESHA COUNTY, about thirty-three miles southwest of Milwaukee. It is surrounded by EAGLE, MUKWONAGO, GENESEE, and OTTAWA. In the nineteenth century, North Prairie was an unincorporated village in the Town of Genesee. Three prospectors from Mukwonago—Thomas Coats, William Garton, and Thomas Sugden—settled and named the village in 1836. Within… Read More

Village of Oconomowoc Lake

Author: Michele Saltzman
A simple map of the Oconomowoc lake residences illustrates the many mansions built around the lake area. The map displays the mansions' family names and drawings of the buildings. Several boats are drawn on the water body. A compass rose is at the image's bottom portion.
Oconomowoc Lake is a village in WAUKESHA COUNTY, about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. The village completely surrounds the large lake it is named after, which is the village’s focal point. Originally part of the Towns of SUMMIT and OCONOMOWOC, the community came into being in the early twentieth century. Like the nearby village of… Read More
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