Tomah, Wisconsin
13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1916 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Tomah City. It lies in ZIP code area 54660. It stands on Deer Creek. The Survey maps it on the Tomah quadrangle. 9,570 people lived here at the 2020 count.
On record in Tomah
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 3 records
Tomah Boy Scout Cabinlisted 2017
Tomah Post Officelisted 2000- Tomah Public Librarylisted 1976
Population over time
2 figuresTomah grew from 9,093 to 9,570 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9,093 | |
| 2020 | 9,570 | +477 (+5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 13 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1916 USGS Tomah quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1949 USGS Tomah quadrangle1:62500
- 1958 USGS La Crosse quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS La Crosse quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS La Crosse quadrangle1:250000
- 1976 USGS La Crosse quadrangle1:250000
- 1976 USGS Tomah NE quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1983 USGS Tomah quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Sparta quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
In the county-history sources
11,119 words on this townshipHistory of Monroe County, Wisconsin, Past and Present : Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County [microform], published 1912 names this settlement in its chapter on Tomah City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
Woven around the adoption of the name of this beautiful city are a number of interesting facts. How and why it was given this name appears a little later in the chapter. "Tomah" is truly an euphonious word, pleasing to hear, giving the idea of gentleness and yet sturdy strength. The village and the city bears the name of that celebrated Menomonee chief whose life and character show him to have been a mighty man among his people and in his time. So the city, his namesake, has become a familiar word throughout the state and stands for sturdy municipal strength and progress.
Passage source: History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, Past and Present : Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County [microform], published 1912.
In 1855 he, with his brother-in-law, came to Madison by rail and then walked from there to the present site of Tomah and established a farm home, where he lived for many years until 1903 when, owing to his advanced age, he retired from active farm life and has since resided in the city of Tomah. He was married to Miss Lucilica Constance Ryland, November 4, 1858.
Passage source: History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, Past and Present : Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County [microform], published 1912.
In 1855 Griswold Gillett, the father of Robert E., took up 160 acres of land adjoining the southeast corner of the original village, on a land warrant for service rendered the United States, government in the war of 1812. This became the homestead of the family, and on this farm the third house in the village was. built. After the trade which had been made between Robert E. Gillett and Jesse Boorman, plans were at once made for laying out the town site. AVhen the plot of ground was selected it was necessary to find a name for the proposed village, and it appears that the son, Robert A. Gillett, after the perusal of an old history of the state in Avhicli a record was found telling that an old and highly esteemed Indian chief, contemporaneous with and friendly to Chief Oshkosh, had at one time gathered his tribe for conference in the council house located on the headwaters of what is now known as Council creek, he chose the name "Tomah," which was accordingly adopted. In connection with this chapter it is eminently fitting that here be given a short account of the founder of the city and his son, remarkable men, both of them, in many ways.
Passage source: History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, Past and Present : Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County [microform], published 1912.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Tomah City - it names this place 44 more 44 times.
Fires near this place
236 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 236 fires within 5 miles of Tomah between 1992 and 2020, burning about 271 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 5 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Equipment and vehicle use | 59 |
| Debris and open burning | 57 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 53 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 38 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 6 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Other causes | 4 |
| Fireworks | 4 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1995 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 September 1995 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 September 1995 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 30 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 25 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 142 FIRE |
| 23 September 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | MM 46 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Tomah: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacobs Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 76 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Tomah in 76 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 43 thunderstorm wind, 29 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2011 | Hail | Tomah | $6,500,000 | Hail ranging in size from a penny to tennis ball fell in Tomah. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $190,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $100,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $75,000 | Numerous trees were uprooted or blown down in Tomah. Some of these fell on buildings and vehicles with one causing a gas line rupture. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $68,000 | A roof canopy was blown off the top of a grandstand at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Tomah. There was also lots of tree damage in the surrounding area. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Tomah | $40,500 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $20,000 | The roof was blown off a barn near Tomah. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $20,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Tomah | $20,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Tomah | $20,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $18,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Lightning | Tomah | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $12,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $12,000 | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds damaged trees, roofs and siding just south of Tomah. |
| August 2006 | Hail | Tomah | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Tomah | $8,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $5,000 | Emergency manager reported several fallen trees and large limbs near Tomah. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $5,000 | Several signs were damaged in Tomah. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $3,000 | Emergency manager reported a snapped maple tree near Tomah. |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $3,000 | Trees and large branches were blown down in Tomah. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $2,300 | Trees were blown down and at least one fell onto a power line causing a small fire. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $2,000 | Several large trees were blown down in Tomah. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $2,000 | An estimated 65 mph wind gust occurred on the west side of Tomah that damaged signs near the fairgrounds. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $2,000 | Trees were blown down south of Tomah. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $2,000 | Trees were blown down near Tomah. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $1,500 | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $1,500 | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $1,000 | A street was blocked by blown down trees on the northwest side of Tomah. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $1,000 | Three 5 to 7 inch diameter tree branches were blown down onto vehicles parked under the trees. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $1,000 | A tree was blown down, while damage was also reported to a parking lot light at a local business in Tomah. |
| June 2001 | Hail | Tomah | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $750 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Tomah | $750 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $500 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $500 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | $200 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Tomah | - | Emergency management reported quarter sized hail near Tomah. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Tomah | - | Local amateur radio reported nickel sized hail in Tomah. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | - | Emergency management reported a wind gust of 60 mph in the city of Tomah. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Tomah | - | Quarter sized hail was reported just south of Tomah. |
| August 2020 | Heavy Rain | Tomah | - | Just outside of Tomah, 5.60 inches of rain fell. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | - | An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred near Tomah. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | - | An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred in Tomah. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | - | A storm chaser estimated a wind gust of 70 mph in Tomah. |
| September 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomah | - | An estimated 60 mile per hour wind gust occurred in Tomah. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Tomah | - | Ham radio operators estimated ping pong ball size hail south of Tomah. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Tomah | - | Hail the size of quarters was reported near the intersection of Highway 16 and County Road M. |
| April 2014 | Hail | Tomah | - | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Hail | Tomah | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Tomah | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Tomah | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Tomah | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Tomah | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Tomah | 2.4 miles | 14 | |
| Jacksonville | 3.4 miles | 13 | |
| Tunnel City | 3.8 miles | 14 | |
| Spring Bank Park | 6.5 miles | 14 | |
| Oakdale | 6.6 miles | 13 | |
| Valley Junction | 7.1 miles | 11 | |
| Wyeville | 7.2 miles | 11 | |
| Kirby | 7.9 miles | 14 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Tomah | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1570021 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1575494. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.








