Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Root Creek

Ghost town in Wisconsin.

Record

About Root Creek

Root Creek was a hamlet in Sections 21–22 and 27–28 of the Town of Greenfield in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, on the Milwaukee-Janesville plank road, at what is now roughly the intersection of that thoroughfare (now Forest Home Avenue) and 68th Street. The body of water after which it was named is nowadays referred to as the Root River.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Root Creek, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Root Creek is

USGS topographic map around Root Creek
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

15 historic USGS maps cover Root Creek

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Root Creek

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Wisconsin index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Root Creek, Wisconsin": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q18391103.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).