Leighton, Wisconsin

Leighton is a ghost town in Oconto County, Wisconsin. The town most likely became a ghost town in the early 1910s. The town established a post office in 1882 and remained in operation for 4 years before being discontinued in 1886. Leighton was located approximately 1 mile west of Stiles Junction on County Highway 22. The town was near where the Leigh family had built a mill.

History of Leighton
The town of Leighton was named for the Leigh family who had lived in the area and also established a mill nearby.

A railroad was constructed in Leighton in late 1879. The first white female born in Oconto County, Effie A. Leigh, was born in the town of Leighton. John Leigh, the original proprietor of Leighton, was a native of Ireland. The Stiles Junction school, originally called the Leigh Town School before the town became abandoned, was located in Leighton.

Native Americans were a common sight in Stiles and Leighton. A burial ground for Native Americans was put in Leighton.

In 1886, a forest fire that had been raging in the county burnt down a local farmers barn. The entire settlement of Leighton was in great danger of being destroyed. Luckily, everyone had escaped. In total, 2 barns, five tons of hay, and 2 hogs were destroyed/killed in the fire. In 1887, the sawmill in Leighton owned by John Leigh was destroyed in a fire.