Main Street Commercial Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

From the record

“Main Street Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Reedsburg, Wisconsin that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It was listed alongside the Park Street Historic District.”
Wikipedia article Main Street Commercial Historic District (Reedsburg, Wisconsin), CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 58 National Register listings published here for Sauk County · listed in 1984 · category: District.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article

The listing

Address. Roughly bounded by N. Park, S. Park, N. Walnut, and S. Walnut Sts. on Main, Reedsburg, 53959
When was it listed? December 1984
Category. district
Also known as. Reedsburg MRA
City. Reedsburg city
National Register reference number. 84000654 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Reedsburg city. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From Outline Sketches of Sauk County; Including Its History, from the First Marks of Man's Hand ... and Its Topography, Both Written and Illustrated, published 1861 - Reedsburg City

Infantry Cavalry

From this "list, we find that Reedsburg lost a larger number than any one supposed, being about one-foimh of all who enlisted. Of these, eight were killed, six died of wounds, and eighteen of disease. The 19th, Regiment took more from this town than any other, and consequently lost more.

Read the rest of this passage

The ground it stands on

136,562 words

The chapter on Reedsburg City in Outline Sketches of Sauk County; Including Its History, from the First Marks of Man's Hand ... and Its Topography, Both Written and Illustrated, published 1861 names Reedsburg. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

At the regular election of this year David C. Beed, Lewis BuSteriield and John Kork were .elected supervisors, O. 11. Perrv. Clerk. At the town meeting in April, 1850, Samuel JSTorthip was elected chairman ot the board of supervisors. The other officials were reelected. JLTJw name of Baraboo for the town became objectionable as there was a" village by this name upon the rapids of the river, laid out prior to the organization of this town. The shear town of the count}" was laid out adjoining the village of Baraboo and called Adams by the county commissioners in April, 1847. The postoffiee was called Baraboo at the county seat, although located in the village of Adams. The only postoffice in the town of Baraboo was called Reedsburg. Several names became confounded with that of Baraboo in different localities, hence the town of Reedsburg was organized to extricate themselves from this medley.

Passage source: Outline Sketches of Sauk County; Including Its History, from the First Marks of Man's Hand ... and Its Topography, Both Written and Illustrated, published 1861.

Upon petition of J. H. Rork and others, while this gentleman was acting as chairman of the board of supervisors of this town, a new town was created out of the towns of Baraboo and Eagle. It comprised the present towns of Winiield, La Valle, Woodland, the north half of Ironton and Reedsburg. This act was taken December 11th. 1850. It was named Reedsburg in honor of the first settler of the village of Reedsburg, David C Reed, who caused to be erected the first saw and grist mill here.

Passage source: Outline Sketches of Sauk County; Including Its History, from the First Marks of Man's Hand ... and Its Topography, Both Written and Illustrated, published 1861.

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 Reedsburg City - 136,562 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

105 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 105 fires within 5 miles of Main Street Commercial Historic District between 1992 and 2020, burning about 159 acres in total. 3 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
Debris and open burning	43
Equipment and vehicle use	24
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	19
Arson/incendiarism	5
Smoking	3
Natural	3
Recreation and ceremony	3
Misuse of fire by a minor	2
Other causes	1
Power generation/transmission/distribution	1
Fireworks	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
28 September 2004	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	not named
28 September 1995	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	not named
2 September 1996	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	not named
15 September 2020	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	TWIN PINE
4 August 2001	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	not named
30 August 2003	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	not named
17 August 1996	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	not named
14 August 2015	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources	ABLEMAN ROAD FIRE

Every fire recorded in Sauk County

Mines and quarries near this property

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Main Street Commercial Historic District: 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
	Schultz Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer

Every working recorded in Sauk County

Storms near this property

52 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Reedsburg, the town this property stands in, in 52 storm reports between 1994 and 2022: 25 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 6 flood, 3 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. 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
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	1 hurt	no account filed
October 2006	Hail	Reedsburg	$900,000	A hailstorm dumped hail stones with diameters from 1.00 to 1.75 inch from Reedsburg to Baraboo, with most of the activity in the Reedsburg area. Hundreds of vehicles were damaged by the hail stones. Three insurance companies reported 375 claims totaling about $900,000.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$100,000	Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts to 65 knots (75 mph) toppled many trees and damaged several power-lines.
August 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$50,000	no account filed
May 2004	Lightning	Reedsburg	$25,000	no account filed
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$15,000	A couple dozen trees down 18 to 24 inches in diameter.
May 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$10,000	Law enforcement officials reported trees downed by powerful thunderstorm winds that gusted to an estimated 65 mph (56 knots) along a path from Reedsburg to 3 miles wesdt of Lake Delton.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$10,000	Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts to around 56 knots (65 mph) toppled many trees and power-poles/power-lines in and around Reedsburg.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$10,000	no account filed
June 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$9,000	no account filed
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$8,000	Scattered tree damage across the northern portion of the county.
June 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$8,000	Scattered trees and branches down throughout the county. Some trees sheared off near the tops.
July 1997	Lightning	Reedsburg	$8,000	Lightning bounced off a large tree and struck a home, blowing a hole in the wall and causing smoke damage to home.
July 1997	Lightning	Reedsburg	$6,000	no account filed
September 2016	Flood	Reedsburg	$5,000	The Baraboo River peaked around 16.9 feet the early morning of September 24th in Reedsburg. Floodwaters affected West Second Street, Granite Ave., South Webb Ave. Water touched the lowest part of the concrete deck of the Webb Avenue bridge. Water is close to the overhead doors at the Public Works Building. Floodwaters are 3 to 3.5 feet deep in the Public Works Yard. South Park next to the Wastewater Plant is underwater. Floodwaters are into the swimming pool control room in Webb Park. Floodwaters are into Webb Park and Smith Conservancy. There was water is many basements on the west side of Reedsburg.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$5,000	Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts toppled several large trees and broke branches that brought down some power-lines.
September 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$5,000	Powerful thunderstorm downburst winds gusting to an estimated 56 knots (65 mph) toppled several large trees. Tree branch debris knocked down some power lines.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$5,000	Trees and power-lines down.
June 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$5,000	no account filed
August 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$3,000	Several trees down in the Reedsburg area.
July 2017	Flood	Reedsburg	$2,000	The Baraboo River at Reedsburg crested at 16 ft. which is moderate flood stage. There is widespread inundation of lowland in the Reedsburg area at this level. Floodwaters affect West Second Street, Granite Avenue and South Webb Avenue along the river. Water affects the concrete deck of the South Webb Avenue bridge. Floodwaters are into Webb Park and Smith Conservancy. The Public Works Yard is under 2 to 2.5 feet of water.
September 2016	Flood	Reedsburg	$2,000	The Baraboo River at Reedsburg reached minor flood stage and peaked at 15.80 feet. Floodwaters affected Granite Ave. and South Webb Ave. along the river and touched the concrete deck of the South Webb Ave. bridge. There is widespread inundation of lowland including Webb Park and Smith Conservancy.
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$2,000	no account filed
March 2019	Flood	Reedsburg	$1,000	The Baraboo River at Reedsburg reached minor flood stage, cresting at 15.45 feet the early afternoon of March 15th. Floodwaters affect Granite Ave. and South Webb Ave. along the river. There is general inundation of lowland in the Reedsburg area. The walking path in Webb Park and Smith Conservancy is covered with water. The Public Works yard is under 18-24 inches of water.
May 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$1,000	no account filed
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$1,000	no account filed
June 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$1,000	no account filed
June 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$500	Two inch limbs down.
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$500	no account filed
September 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	$200	no account filed
May 2018	Flood	Reedsburg	-	The Baraboo River reached minor flood stage in Reedsburg, cresting around 15 ft. \|Floodwaters affect Granite Avenue and South Webb Avenue along the river. There is general inundation of lowland in the Reedsburg area. The walking path in Webb Park and Smith Conservancy is covered with water. The Public Works Yard is under 12-18 inches of water.
July 2008	Hail	Reedsburg	-	Also reports of trees down near La Valle.
April 2014	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
May 2012	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
June 2011	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
May 2011	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
June 2010	Funnel Cloud	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
May 2006	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
July 2006	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
March 2004	Funnel Cloud	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
March 2004	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
May 2004	Heavy Rain	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
August 2004	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
August 2004	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
May 2002	Flood	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
March 2000	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
May 2000	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
July 1999	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
July 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Reedsburg	-	no account filed
September 1994	Hail	Reedsburg	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Sauk County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
City Hotel	0.1 miles	1984
Reedsburg Post Office	0.1 miles	2000
J. W. Corwith Livery	0.1 miles	2004
Chicago and North Western Depot	0.1 miles	1984
Abner L. Harris House	0.2 miles	1984
Reedsburg Woolen Mill Office	0.2 miles	1984

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 84000654 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Sauk County	All 58 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
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.