Editing Plain, Wisconsin (section)

==History==
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[[Image:Octagon barn and owner's mailbox near Plain, Wisconsin.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tim Thering Octagon Barn (Plain Wisconsin)|Octagon Barn and owner's mailbox]] near Plain, Wisconsin]]
[[File:Plain Village Hall.jpg|thumb|Plain Village Hall]]
The village of Plain<ref>{{Cite web | title=Village of Plain | url=https://www.villageofplain.com/ | access-date=2025-03-28 | website=www.villageofplain.com}}</ref> is located on [[Wisconsin Highway 23]] and County Road B in the Township of [[Franklin, Sauk County, Wisconsin|Franklin]]. The area of Plain was originally known as Cramer's Corners<ref>Harry Ellsworth Cole, ''A Standard History of Sauk County, Wisconsin'' (1918 - The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York)</ref> after four Cramer brothers (John, Jeremiah, Adam and Solomon, Sr.) moved to the Plain area in the early 1850s. They came from Troy Township in [[Richland County, Ohio]] and [[Morrow County, Ohio]]. Joseph Cramer was originally from [[Letterkenny Township, Pennsylvania]].<ref>Kenneth Kraemer, ''The Other Cramers: Building a Wisconsin Community'' (2018).</ref>

The Cramers are listed as land owners in the 1859 Town of Franklin map.<ref>Map of Sauk County, Wisconsin. 1859. Compiled by William H. Canfield, Surveyor and Civil Engineer</ref> This Cramer family should not be confused with the Kraemer [Krämer] family from Irlach, Bavaria, Germany, who settled in Plain, Wisconsin, in 1867. Several rough buildings were erected and the area acquired the nickname of Logtown (also spelled Log Town).<ref>''Weekly Home News'' (Spring Green, Wisconsin), February 21, 1884, page 2</ref>

A post office was proposed to be established at Plain on March 31, 1858, with B. V. Bunnel as postmaster. The proposed mail route was Prairie du Sac, Sauk City, Harrisburg, Plain, Maqua to Sextonville in Richland County.<ref>''General Laws Passed by the Legislature of Wisconsin in the year Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Eight; together with Joint Resolutions and Memorials'' Published by Authority. Madison: Calkins & Webb, Printers. 1858, pages 231 and 232</ref> Plain formally became a village in 1912.<ref>Hildegarde Thering, ''A History of Plain, Wisconsin'' (Plain, Wisconsin: privately published, 1982)</ref>

The origin of the village's name is widely rumored<ref>Hildegarde Thering, ''A History of Plain, Wisconsin'' (Plain, Wisconsin: privately published, 1982), page 139</ref><ref>Robert E. Gard & L. G. Sorden, ''The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names'' Published by October House Inc., New York. 1968</ref> to have been selected as an homage to the Shrine of the Virgin Mary at Maria Plain on the hill known as Plainberg in the village of [[Bergheim, Austria]] outside [[Salzburg, Austria]]. There are, however, no known documents, newspaper articles or books of the time to support this claim, and writings of the time indicate a less colorful origin. Plain was "called Plain because the inhabitants were plain people".<ref>''Baraboo And Other Place Names in Sauk County, Wisconsin'' H. E. [Harry Ellsworth] Cole, Baraboo, Wis. The Baraboo New Publishing Co., Baraboo, Wisconsin. December 1912.</ref>

In September 1915, a subscriber of the local newspaper wrote of his desire to have Plain re-christened as the town had expanded and improved so much over the past three years that it had outgrown the "plain"-ness of its name. The unnamed author wrote: "Within a few weeks very strong efforts will be made at proper headquarters to have the name of Plain changed, as that name does not agree with the rushing strides our burg is making. First of all there is no meaning to the word Plain, as it is an adjective; we must have at least a noun and why not put a 'ville' or 'city' to it."<ref>''Weekly Home News'' (Spring Green, Wisconsin), September 23, 1915, Wants Plain Re-Christened, signed "Onlooker"</ref>

Old Franklin Township Historical Society (OFTHS) in Plain, Wisconsin, was organized in 2004<ref>''Home News'' (Spring Green, Wisconsin), March 24, 2004, Meeting on fate of Franklin Town Hall planned</ref><ref>''Baraboo News Republic'' (Baraboo, Wisconsin), July 26, 2004, Old hall is transformed into new museum</ref> in the former Town Hall of [[Franklin, Sauk County, Wisconsin]] located on Highway 23 at 915 Wachter Avenue. Museum exhibits are open to the public during open house events and by special request.<ref>[https://oldfranklintownshiphistoricalsociety.weebly.com/ Old Franklin Township Historical Society]</ref>