History of the Town of Sheboygan Falls
The first permanent settler in the Town of Sheboygan Falls was Colonel Silas Stedman. This area was a very valuable site due to the confluence of rivers and waterfall that powered early mills. Stedman contracted to have mill built along the river, the Stedman Sawmill. A railroad line was constructed in 1873 between the City of Sheboygan Falls and City of Plymouth at the location of the present railroad.
The area was originally named Rochester. In 1850, the State Legislature renamed the area to Sheboygan Falls. The platted hamlet, what is now the City of Sheboygan Falls, drew many settlers from 1837 to 1850. The Village of Sheboygan Falls was organized on May 1, 1854. It was not until 1913 that Sheboygan Falls became a city. The area now known as Johnsonville was always called “Schnappsville” by German settlers in that area.
The Town of Sheboygan Falls encompasses one unincorporated community – Johnsonville, and includes parts of two cities – Plymouth & Sheboygan Falls. The unincorporated community of Johnsonville established a volunteer fire department in 1940 and is home to the Johnsonville Sausage LLC. The City of Sheboygan Falls established a saw mill in 1834 and a fire department in 1863.
As of January 1, 2007, the Town of Sheboygan Falls had an estimated population of 1,758 persons and encompassed an area of approximately 20,076 acres. The Town of Sheboygan Falls is located in Sheboygan County in eastern Wisconsin. The Town is located in the eastern half of Sheboygan County, approximately 5 miles west of the City of Sheboygan, 30 miles east of the City of Fond du Lac, 45 miles north of the Milwaukee Metropolitan area, 65 miles south of the Green Bay Metro area and 100 miles northeast of the City of Madison. Adjacent municipalities to the Town of Sheboygan Falls include the Town of Plymouth to the west, Town of Rhine to the north-west, Town of Herman to the north, Town of Mosel to the north-east, Town of Sheboygan to the east, Town of Lima to the south and the Town of Lyndon to the south-west. There is also the Village of Kohler east-southeast, City of Plymouth to the west and the City of Sheboygan Falls in the southeast corner of the Town.