57 topographic sheets cover 65 settlements here, and 51 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
51 National Register listings published here, 1 of them a National Historic Landmark · the county-history sources tell 1 story and name 2 people · people the book names include Address By Ernest J. Perry (Fond Du Lac City, 1912) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: Scraps Of War History. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
The first man to shed Wisconsin blood on a Southern battlefield in the rebellion, was Lieut. William A. Matthews, of Company G, First Wisconsin Volunteers, who was severely wounded at the battle of Falling Waters, in July, 1861, in Virginia. He enlisted at Fond du Lac, his home. The last Wisconsin blood shed was at the capture of Jeff Davis, in Irwin County, Ga., May 10, 1865, when several men were wounded by volleys fired by a detachment of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry upon a detachment of the First Wisconsin Cavalry.
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 111 of them, burning about 2,612 acres. None started naturally and 9 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 49 |
| Debris and open burning | 37 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 10 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 829 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | DODGEVILLE CO-OP 5 |
| 24 October 1998 | Equipment and vehicle use | 630 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 April 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 508 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | MULLET CREEK |
| 20 April 2006 | Debris and open burning | 75 acres | Horicon National Wildlife Refuge | PINE WF |
| 9 May 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 72 acres | Leopold Wetland Management District | ROSENDALE |
| 22 November 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 58 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 20 April 2006 | Debris and open burning | 47 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 8 November 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 42 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 440 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 26 injuries and about $78,426,880 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 222 |
| Hail | 98 |
| Tornado | 56 |
| Lightning | 23 |
| Flood | 13 |
| Flash Flood | 12 |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1974 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 killed, 5 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Tornado (F2) | Marytown | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $450,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Tornado (F5) | Oakfield | 12 hurt, $39,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1977 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 2 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 1964 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1990 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | 1 hurt, $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| August 1968 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Lightning | Fond Du Lac | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brandon | $7,600,000 | A swath of widespread tree and crop damage across the southern portion of the county. Sections of trees and crops completely flattened. Various roads closed due to fallen trees. The widespread wind damage and tornadoes caused structural damage to hundreds of homes, with affected damage to 200 homes, minor damage to 100 homes, major damage to 10 homes, and one home destroyed. One business sustained minor damage. |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F3) | Alto | $6,000,000 | This tornado was a continuation of the tornado that moved through the southern part of the city of Markesan (Green Lake Co.). It entered Fond du Lac County just south of Lake Maria Road, about 4.7 miles SW of Alto. It moved east-southeast on a line toward Waupun at F3 strength (estimated 175-200 mph), and actually merged with the Lake Maria tornado that moved east out of extreme southeastern Green Lake County. The merger took place just east of a dogleg/bend of Oak Grove Rd., about 2.2 miles SSW of Alto. The civil Town of Alto reported that 19 residential homes had major damage and 1 was destroyed. One business had major damage. Fourteen farms were affected with a tally of 8 ag-buildings/homes with minor damage, 19 with major damage, and 16 destroyed. Crop damage was severe. Public sector damage (roads/bridges) was about $225K. In the city of Waupun (Fond du Lac side), 4 homes had major damage, and roughly 150 had minor roof/siding damage due to severe tree damage. Average path width was about 300 yards. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Ripon | $4,640,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding across much of western Fond du Lac County. Water depths on road surfaces reached 3 feet or more and there were gravel washouts. Some farm fields remained flooded into early July. The breakdown for residential home losses were: 4000 minimally affected, 2100 with minor damage, 125 with major damage, and 15 destroyed (total of $3.87 million for home losses). The breakdown for business losses were: 35 with minor damage (total of $242 thousand). Crop losses were estimated at $9 million. Public sector damage was about $772 thousand. There were several roads and bridges that sustained damage. |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F3) | Alto | $1,610,000 | This tornado was a continuation of the tornado that moved east from the Lake Maria area of extreme southeastern Green Lake County. It maintained its F3 strength (175-200 mph) and moved east along Marshview Rd, only to merge with the F3 tornado moving east/southeast out of the Markesan area of southeast Green Lake County. The merger took place just east of a dogleg/bend of Oak Grove Rd., about 2.2 miles SSW of Alto. The civil Town of Alto reported that 8 residential homes had major damage. Four farms were affected with a tally of 8 ag-buildings/homes with minor damage, 19 with major damage, and 16 destroyed. Crop damage was severe. Public sector damage (roads/bridges) was about $100K. Average path width was about 275 yards. |
| September 2002 | Tornado (F1) | Eden | $750,000 | A tornado, rated as F1 with winds of about 78 to 87 knots (90 to 100 mph) damaged three, large, cover-all, dairy barns. Severe damage was noted on the western-most barn. In addition, some trees were uprooted or had limbs ripped off. The three barns were part of Fond du Lac's largest dairy farm. Luckily, only one of the 1400 dairy cows was injured. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Marytown | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Flash Flood | Fond Du Lac | $300,000 | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oakfield | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1986 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1985 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 1984 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 1967 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 1964 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 2006 | Lightning | Ladoga | $200,000 | Lightning struck a shed. The resultant fire buring the shed to the ground, and the contents were a total loss. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Eldorado | $200,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fond Du Lac | $155,000 | no account filed |
| March 2019 | Flood | Taycheedah | $100,000 | Ice jams on the various branches of the Fond du Lac river caused significant flooding in the city of Fond du Lac. Most east/west roads across the river were closed due to flooding. A large section of highway 23 was flooded and closed in Fond du Lac. Hundreds of people were evacuated from homes and two apartment buildings. Water rescues were needed for those who were stranded in their homes or vehicles. The American Red Cross opened shelters to aid the flood victims. Schools were cancelled on Friday, March 15th. |
| May 2016 | Tornado (EF1) | Brandon | $100,000 | An EF-1 tornado damaged the roofs of approximately 10 homes, 2 businesses, and 1 church. The roof damage covered less than 20 percent of the roof in most cases. The damage ranged from the removal of shingles to the entire removal of the roof material. Awnings and gutters were also damaged on the structures including a small number of windows. Numerous tree limbs were downed including some trees snapped at the base of the trunk, and approximately one tree uprooted. One large 20 foot trailer was overturned by the tornadic winds. |
| May 2007 | Lightning | Brandon | $100,000 | Lightning struck an older home that was subsequently destroyed by a fire. No one was at home at that time. |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Campbellsport | $100,000 | A weak F1 tornado (90-100 mph) spun up about 6 miles southwest of Campbellsport in southern Fond du Lac County, at a point ½ mile east of the Dodge County line on Superior Drive. It tracked east-southeast to 4 miles south-southwest of Campbellsport and moved into Washington County where Lake Bernice Dr. intersects with ST. Kilian Dr. Mainly moderate tree and crop damage was noted, but one pole shed was destroyed. Average path width was about 125 yards. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oakfield | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oakfield | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Tornado (F0) | North Fond Du Lac | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Lightning | Elmore | $80,000 | Lightning struck a rural home and the resultant fire burned the house to the ground. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Eden | $75,000 | Law enforcement officials reported a 100-year old barn was blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 50 knots (58 mph). |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rosendale | $75,000 | Severe wind gusts destroyed a barn, and toppled nearby trees and power lines. |
| September 2000 | Lightning | Fond Du Lac | $75,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Eden | $75,000 | no account filed |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ripon | $75,000 | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Byron | $60,000 | Straight-line winds sheared off a stave silo and collapsed a large barn. Tree damage also occurred including a 2-3 foot diameter tree down. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ladoga | $50,000 | A barn collapsed while being occupied by 30 to 40 cattle. Some deceased cattle reported. |
| June 2024 | Flood | Waupun Arpt | $50,000 | The city of Waupun sewer plant was flooded with many reports of sewage backups in basements. The city issued a disaster declaration for the flooding. Floodwaters reached the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St. bridge and it was closed. Gateway Dr. just east of Fond du Lac St. is closed. Upstream, water starts to over top the dam at Shaler Park. Yet farther upstream, County Park Rd. at the bridge is closed. Otherwise, floodwaters affect a park and many other roadways adjacent to the river. |
| March 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Kilian | $50,000 | Downburst winds removed small portions of the roof decking and shingles from the church and school buildings. Some of the siding and gutters were removed from the school. A home sustained minor damage to the siding, shingles, and screened-in porch. Some windows were broken in several of the structures. Several trees or tree limbs were downed in the area. A dumpster was pushed and rolled across a parking lot. A trailer was also thrown and damaged. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Fond Du Lac | $50,000 | A flash flood occurred across the city of Fond du Lac that resulted in widespread basement flooding, and minor road damage consisting of gravel and shoulder washouts. Water depths on some streets reached 2 to 4 feet. A coop observer in the city measured 3.9 inches of rain while the storms were rolling through the city. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Flash Flood | Ripon | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fond Du Lac | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Fond Du Lac | $40,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Flash Flood | Alto | $30,000 | Street and road flooding in southern and eastern Fond du Lac County with some road closures needed. This included the communities of Eden, Byron, Oakfield, and Alto. Some road washouts have occurred. Basement flooding as well. Flooding at a campground in the Kettle Moraine. Lowland flooding throughout the area. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mt Calvary | $30,000 | A portion of a roof blown off a house and barn. Doors blown off a barn and an ATV rolled 30 feet. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elmore | $30,000 | Numerous trees down in Elmore and Campbellsport. Minor damage to homes in Elmore. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rosendale | $30,000 | Law enforcement officials reported trees downed by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 65 mph (56 knots) across the Village of Rosendale. |
| June 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Alto | $30,000 | This EF1 tornado touched down about 4.4 miles west-southwest of the town of Alto in Fond Du Lac County, on Marshview Road, about one-third of a mile north of Lake Maria Road, and tracked about 2.6 miles to the north-northwest before crossing into Green Lake County, about 3.7 miles south-southwest of Fairwater, at County Road S approximately 1/4 mile east of Schure Road. This tornado exhibited three separate damage tracks within the path, suggesting three separate vortices formed and dissipated during the life span of the tornado. The average path width was 75 yards, with a maximum path width of 105 yards. The tornado blew over trees and flattened a pole shed. The EF1 rating was determined by using DI 21(MBS) DOD5 LB to EXP with estimated winds speeds of 105 mph. The exact starting point was 43.77112/-88.88480 and the exact ending point was 43.78370/-88.88558. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Ripon | $30,000 | About 300 trees were damaged or detroyed by the hail at a tree nusury 3 miles east of Ripon. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Eldorado | $25,000 | Heavy rains led to widespread flash flooding around the city of Fond du Lac. The river flowing through downtown rose out of its banks up to the bridges and most roads were under 2 to 4 feet of water. Several vehciles stalled in the deep water and sustained water damage. |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Fond Du Lac | $25,000 | Some water damage to homes and businesses. Gravel washouts and some roads closed due to water depths of 1 foot. |
| June 2001 | Lightning | Fond Du Lac | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1989 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1981 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 41 workings inside this county. 20 still produce and 21 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 16 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 12 |
| Limestone, Dimension | 8 |
| Stone | 3 |
| Calcium | 1 |
| Clay | 1 |
| Stone, Dimension | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buechel Stone Center | Stone, Dimension | Producer | ||
| Eden Quarry & Mill | Calcium | Plant | ||
| Oakfield Brick Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| El Dais Stone Company Plant | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Oakfield & Byron Quarries | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Own Crews | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Eden Stone Company Inc Eden Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Producer | ||
| Fon Du Lac Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Oak Stone Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Oakfield Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Producer | ||
| Oakfield Quarry,Eden Stone Co Inc | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Panetti Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken, Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Rademann Stone & Landscape Co | Limestone, Dimension | Producer | ||
| Waupun Stone Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Fond Du Lac Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Howard Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Larson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Leahman Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Lehner Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Linck Waupun Quarries | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Nellis Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Rodeinger Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Silica Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Waupun Ready Mix Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Wegenke Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Abler Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Bronson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Byron Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Ebert Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Elmer Fuhrmann Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Fond Du Lac Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Fuhrmann Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Gelling County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Gobels Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Gobels Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Hoppe Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| John L. Schmitz Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Majerus Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| R & R Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Reischke Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Silverthorn Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, Past and Present devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 23 are reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.
2 books written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 21 chapters in all. Every chapter is public domain, machine-read from the scan and reproduced complete. A chapter already given under one of the county's towns is not repeated in this list.
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 11 | 182,957 words in 12 parts |
| Chapter 2 | 8,224 words |
| Chapter 3 | 235,889 words in 15 parts |
| Biographical sketches | 258,052 words in 17 parts |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Introductory | 26,722 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 2: Story of the Rocks and Fields | 4,714 words |
| Chapter 3: Creation of Fond Du Lac County | 13,466 words |
| Chapter 4: Officials | 460 words |
| Chapter 5: Progress | 6,900 words |
| Chapter 6: The Log Cabin Was the Palace of the Pioneer - Chinked Logs, Covered | 5,185 words |
| Chapter 7: Much in Little | 4,941 words |
| Chapter 8: War and Warriors | 7,325 words |
| Chapter 9: Transportation | 4,848 words |
| Chapter 10: The Bench and Bar | 12,256 words |
| Chapter 11: Medical Fraternity | 3,038 words |
| Chapter 12: The Press | 7,469 words |
| Chapter 13: Financial | 2,724 words |
| Chapter 15: Reminiscent | 13,209 words |
| Chapter 17: Religious | 7,966 words |
| Chapter 18: Educational | 20,540 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 20: City of Waupun | 2,603 words |
Everyone Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, Past and Present stops to write about, with the section that describes them. Among them are the men who founded the place and governed the Territory. Each name opens the passage itself, in the words of 1912.
Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
Calumet town · 53049 · On Pipe Creek · Brothertown quadrangle
12 sheets, 1910 to 1992
Fond du Lac city · 54935 · On East Branch Fond Du Lac River · Fond du Lac quadrangle
13 sheets, 1910 to 1992
Taycheedah town · 54935 · On Taycheedah Creek · Fond du Lac quadrangle
13 sheets, 1910 to 1992
North Fond du Lac village · 54937 · On Mosher Creek · Fond du Lac quadrangle
13 sheets, 1910 to 1992
Taycheedah town · 54937 · On Taycheedah Creek · Fond du Lac quadrangle
13 sheets, 1910 to 1992
St. Cloud village · 53079 · On Feldners Creek · Saint Cloud quadrangle
10 sheets, 1954 to 1992
Taycheedah town · 54935 · On Taycheedah Creek · Fond du Lac quadrangle
13 sheets, 1910 to 1992
The vanished settlements of Fond du Lac County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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