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History · Gale

Gale’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Gale. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

0old images & papers
1historic places
0recent photos

The story so far

from Wikipedia & the U.S. Census

Gale is a town in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,708 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Butman Corners and Frenchville are located in the town.

Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,695 people in 2010, 1,708 in 2020. Half of its homes were built before 1985.

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Gale yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Intro from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Population and housing: U.S. Census Bureau.

Be one of the first

Start Gale’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Gale’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Famous people from GaleWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Gale.Meet them →
By decade

Gale, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Gale is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Gale has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Capt. Alexander A. Arnold Farm in Galesville, 2.3 miles away.

Gale and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Gale. Tap a dot.
Capt. Alexander A. Arnold FarmJohn Cance F. HouseBartlett Blacksmith Shop-Scandinavian HotelDowntown Historic DistrictRidge Avenue Historic DistrictJohn Bohrnstedt House

Closest to Gale

Capt. Alexander A. Arnold FarmGalesville · Built 18742.3miJohn Cance F. HouseGalesville · Built 19082.9miBartlett Blacksmith Shop-Scandinavian HotelGalesville · Building3miDowntown Historic DistrictGalesville · District3miRidge Avenue Historic DistrictGalesville · District3.3mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Capt. Alexander A. Arnold Farm’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Gale?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Gale’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Galesville📜 Ettrick📜 Holland📜 Ettrick

From the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Gale, WITrempealeau CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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