Family standing in a lush green field with tractor - historic farms and ranches

By car · County in Wisconsin

Historic Farms and Ranches in Columbia County, WI

Farmsteads and ranches on the register near you, many still worked by the families who listed them.

Architecture is history you can still walk into. Columbia County is one of 72 counties in Wisconsin. The trick is knowing which doors have a story behind them.

A couple of people riding on the backs of horses - historic farms and ranches — Photo: Bailey Alexander on Unsplash

Boy hugging a calf in a grassy field - historic farms and ranches — Photo: Christopher Stites on Unsplash

2 men riding horses on grass field during daytime - historic farms and ranches — Photo: Taylor Brandon on Unsplash

On the record near Columbia County, WI

The 12 nearest

16 listed sites on the record match historic farms and ranches within 60 miles of Columbia County, WI, out of 95 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 46 listed sites carry Columbia County as their county.

Holsten Family Farmstead19 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Columbia · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Schumann, Frederick, Farmstead23 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Berry · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
Dunlap, Adam, Farmstead25 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Mazomanie · listed 2001National Register of Historic Places
Hammond Farmstead29 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Cottage Grove · listed 2023National Register of Historic Places
Bedrud--Olson Farmstead38 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Christiana · listed 1999National Register of Historic Places
Donald, John Sweet, Farmstead38 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Springdale · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
Shelton, William and Mary, Farmstead39 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Seven Mile Creek · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
Fritz, John, Farmstead41 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Montrose · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
Ames, Francis Marian, Farmstead42 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Rutland · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Porter, J. K., Farmstead44 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Evansville · listed 1980National Register of Historic Places
Robinson, John C. and Mary, Farmstead47 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Union · listed 2010National Register of Historic Places
Beck, Michael and Margaritha, Farmstead47 miles from the center of Columbia County · Building · Jefferson · listed 2018National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Columbia County, WI. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historic Farms in Columbia County, step by step

1
See every listed site of this kind in the area
2
Sort by distance and pick the closest few
3
Read the record for the year, the builder and the use
4
View from the public way and note what has changed
5
Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Columbia County, WI ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Columbia County, WI?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Columbia County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Columbia County, WI the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Columbia County, WI are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.