Elkhorn’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold just one old photo of Elkhorn. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗In 1836, Colonel Samuel Phoenix spotted a rack of elk antlers in a tree and proclaimed the area as "Elk Horn."
The area's beauty and fertile soil led Daniel Bradley, his brother Milo, and LeGrand Rockwell to create a community in the area. Its growth to a population of 539 led to the first town meeting in 1846. Elkhorn was designated county seat that same year because of its location in Walworth County.
In 1851, Elkhorn became the location of the Walworth County Fair, which is now hosted annually at the Walworth County Fairgrounds which lasts for six days having Labor Day as the last. The Walworth County Fair is the largest county fair in Wisconsin.
In the 1870s, saline water from springs located in Elkhorn was believed to cure rheumatism.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Elkhorn’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Elkhorn’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewElkhorn WI - 1911, 1911: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Elkhorn
See all 18 →
Elkhorn, decade by decade
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Elkhorn WI - 1911 (1911) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Historic places
National Register · via Wikidata
From Wikimedia Commons (1) and the National Register (5). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.