Montello Historical District

Montello was once home to the Mound Builders, the Winnebago, and the Menominee, and later drew voyageurs to a landscape of bluffs and Indian mounds around Lac de Boeuf, or Buffalo Lake. Sandhill cranes, deer, fish, and ducks thrived in the oak openings and in waters enriched by wild rice. The Fox and Montello Rivers carried the canoes of Native Americans and voyagers, and later pleasure boaters passing through the Montello locks. A pioneer settlement there harnessed diverse natural resources, while the railroad carried famous Montello granite along with the products of many mills and farms. By 1883, the town was in the early days of quarry development and supported many businesses, and though landforms, buildings, and street names may have changed, Montello remains a thriving modern community amid nature's beauty and a rich heritage.

Montello, Wisconsin · United States