Edgerton, Wisconsin

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Edgerton is a small city in Wisconsin, split between Rock and Dane counties. It sits near the Rock River and is close to Lake Koshkonong. The city covers about 4.14 square miles of land and had a population of 5,945 in 2020.

History and name
Edgerton was once known as "Tobacco City U.S.A." because tobacco farming shaped its growth. It was originally called Fulton Station and later named after 19th‑century businessman Elisha W. Edgerton (or his brother, engineer Benjamin Hyde Edgerton). In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Edgerton was a center for the tobacco industry, with as many as 52 tobacco warehouses.

Notable places and people
Along Washington Street you can see old Queen Anne–style mansions from the city’s prosperous era. The Carlton Hotel on Henry Street was tied to tobacco buyers and sellers, though it burned down in the 1990s. The Pomeroy and Pelton Tobacco Warehouse is the oldest free‑standing brick tobacco warehouse in Wisconsin and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Edgerton is also linked to Pauline Jacobus, who helped start Pauline Pottery in the area in the late 1800s; a log cabin from the Bogart site and the original pottery factory warehouse still survive.

Education and law
In the 1880s, Catholic parents challenged Bible readings in public schools. In 1890, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that reading the Bible in school was sectarian instruction, a decision that became a precedent in later cases about church and state in schools.

Culture and events
Edgerton hosts Tobacco Days every year, featuring music, a parade, a craft fair, and demonstrations of tobacco history. The Sterling North Book and Film Festival is held each year at the Sterling North Home and Museum, the childhood home of author Sterling North. North’s famous book Rascal is linked to Edgerton, which he called Brailsford Junction.

Nearby recreation
Saunders Creek runs through the area, and Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin’s third-largest lake, is nearby for boating and water sports. The Rock River also offers recreation and connects to the Mississippi River.

People and community
Edgerton’s population is mostly White, with a small mix of other races and Hispanic residents. The city’s ZIP code is 53534, and the area code is 608.