In 1875, Andreas characterized Cresco in a fashion that is still apt today: “This flourishing new city is surrounded by far-stretching and rich prairies, the beauty of which is only exceeded by their high value as a rich productive district.”
4This richness was augmented by the town's location on one of the main lines of the Milwaukee Railroad, at a junction of that railroad with the Davenport and Saint Paul Railroad. The original plat for the city was established in 1866 and ran parallel and at right angles to the railroad. A large public square was set aside and in the late 1870s the county courthouse was situated here.