Coloma

Coloma 852

Coloma, Wisconsin, is a village of about 450 inhabitants located at the intersection of I-39 and state highway 21 in Waushara County. It's about halfway between Tomah (west) and Oshkosh (east).

Coloma was named by Charles White after Coloma, California, a gold mining area. Coloma, Wisconsin, was originally called Ross Corners after the local postmaster. When the railroad was built through the area, it missed the settlement by 2 or 4 miles (depending on the story you believe) and Coloma Station was developed.

Wikipedia, the Visit Coloma website, and The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names have slightly different version of the creation of Coloma. I think they all agree though.

The book says that Coloma Station became today's Coloma. (It doesn't mention Ross Corners.)

Wikipedia says that the post office at Ross Corners moved to Coloma Station, and Ross Corners became known as Coloma Corners. It doesn't specifically say this, but I assume Coloma Corners turned into present-day Coloma.

Visit Coloma says that the original settlement (that would be Ross Corners) was on the stagecoach route but moved to Coloma Station (4 miles away) where the railway came through. This became Coloma and the older settlement (Ross Corners) became Coloma Corners.

Google Maps still shows (as of this writing) where the Coloma Municipal Airport used to be northwest of town. I don't know what the block of land to the south is, but it seems to be owned by the village as well.

Coloma Municipal Airport (closed)