The Stoughton Downtown Historic District

The Stoughton Downtown Historic District. . , The greater Stoughton area was hunted and trapped by the Ho-Chunk Nation and other Native American tribes through the 1700's. Surveyed in 1833, the Stoughton area was described as being populated with timber and carpeted with prairie along the Catfish River [renamed Yahara]. When Luke Stoughton, a Yankee, came to the area, he was struck by its possibilities suitable for sawmills and gristmills. He purchased 800 acres in 1847, opening it for settlement. By 1853, land donated by Mr. Stoughton, enabled the railroad to come through this community, bringing passengers and service., Farmers' wheat crop was brought to Stoughton for grinding, which in turn, encouraged T.G. Mandt, a Norwegian, to build a wagon factory in 1865. It employed over 200 Norwegians. Later, the tobacco crop provided work for a flood of new residents, mostly Norwegians. With the wagon factory, tobacco industry and the railroad, Stoughton's economy flourished. By the turn of the century, Stoughton was a major economic center in Southern Wisconsin., Downtown Stoughton in 1871 , Shopping on Main Street circa 1908 , Paving Main Street in 1906, Cut lumber from Stoughton's surrounding land was used in the construction of the first generation of Stoughton's buildings on Main Street. One of the first buildings was a general merchandise store on the NW corner of Main and Division Streets. [1847] Shortly after, an inn was built on the SW corner of that intersection. Between the mid-1880's until 1904, 76 business buildings were erected on Main Street from the Yahara River to the railroad tracks. Stoughton had the reputation of being the "first in commercial importance in Dane County", providing Dane and Rock counties with extensive retail, financial and professional services., These historical uses are reflected in the district's diverse buildings and unique streetscapes. An architecturally significant collection of Victorian and early twentieth-century commercial buildings in the district range from Italianate to the Beaux Arts. Today many of the district's historic buildings retain a high degree of integrity, and their original exterior materials and features, which reflect the prosperity and important commercial role of the district during its historic period., See Stoughton's Main Street as it looks now compared to how it looked in the early 1900s. , 1. Visit one of the three locations indicated by a [symbol] in the map above. , 2. Locate the historic district symbol on the sidewalk and use your phone to scan the QR code (or type the URL into your brower). , 3. Compare the photo from Stoughton's past to the present-day view you have from that location., The Department Store 1907 , Buildings by George Becker with uniform appearance and shared cornice structure - 1889 , Stoughton Public Library built with a grant from the Carnegie Foundation - 1907 , Roe Building 1913 , Firehouse 1884 , Stoughton City Hall and Opera House 1901 , Grand Hotel 1891 , Levi Kittilson and Co. Tobacco Warehouse 1891 , Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Pacific Passenger Depot 1913 , Chicago, Milwaukee and St Paul Railroad Depot - 1885 , Ole C. Lee and Co. Tobacco Warehouse 1885, 1847 , Luke Stoughton purchases land and plans the Village of Stoughton. , 1853 , Train service opens between Stoughton and Milwaukee. , 1868 , Stoughton becomes a village. , 1871 , Tobacco trade in Stoughton begins. , 1877 , James Hutson builds a large tobacco warehouse. , 1881 , Stoughton incorporated as a city. , 1883 , Fire destroys the Mandt Wagon Works , 1889 , Mandt Wagon Works becomes the Stoughton Wagon Co. , 1896 , The T.G. Mandt Vehicle Co. is formed. (Stoughton now has two wagon companies). , 1901 , City Hall moves across the street to newly completed location with a clock tower. , 1906 , Main Street is paved. , 1913 , Stoughton Railroad Depot built. , 1921 , Badger Theater is built. , 1983 , The "Auditorium Restoration Committee" is formed to raise funds for restoring what is now known as the Stoughton Opera House. , Today , In the following decades, Stoughton embraces its historic character and actively works to preserve and protect its historic downtown buildings.