Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Theodore

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
DHistory
History · Theodore

Half of Theodore’s homes were built after 1989

More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #157 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it

Most of Theodore was built recently: 0.6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1922 on and the census since 1890.

0on the National Register
0.6%homes built before 1940
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

About Theodore’s history

How historic is Theodore?

D

More historic than 8% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
History grade

What drives Theodore’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Theodore is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #157 of 187 in Alabama. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Theodore’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 19400.6% of homes (±0.7) · typical AL town 3.2% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical AL town 2.7 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 8%
NewerOlder
Alabama towns of 2,500+ (187)Ahead of 16%

Alabama towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Alabama town has 2.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Theodore’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (26% of Alabama towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Theodore’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Theodore are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages10 hamlets and corners are still on the map.On the map since 19226 editions of the USGS map, 1922 to 1982. Watch Theodore change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Theodore’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Theodore’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Barnes Road Trailer ParkDe La Be Forrest Mobile Home ParkHarrison Trailer ParkIrene Hoffman Trailer ParkKatherine Hankins Trailer ParkNicholson Trailer ParkPlantation Square Estates Mobile Home ParkShady Grove Mobile Home ParkSouthern Breeze Mobile Home ParkTheodore Mobile Home Park
1cemetery inside Theodore
Magnolia Springs

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the map

Theodore on the map, 1922 to 1982

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Theodore. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Theodore on the 1922 USGS mapTheodore on the 1942 USGS mapTheodore on the 1953 USGS mapTheodore on the 1967 USGS mapTheodore on the 1974 USGS mapTheodore on the 1982 USGS map1922Mobile sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Theodore.

The story so far

Theodore, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Theodore yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Theodore is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 6,270 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan area. Prior to 1900 this area was known as "Clements", but it is now named for William Theodore Hieronymous, a sawmill operator and postmaster.

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 6,130 to 6,270 (+2%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Theodore, 1922 to 1992

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1922On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1980Born hereWillie Quinnie is born here
  4. 1981Born hereEtric Pruitt is born here
  5. 1992Born hereC. J. Mosley is born here
By decade

Theodore, decade by decade

Today45 recent
Little White Church chapel of Theodore First Baptist Church2018Little White Church chapel of Theodore First Baptist …Recovering pelicans, Alabama Credit Tom MacKenzie, USFWS2011Recovering pelicans, Alabama Credit Tom MacKenzie, US…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath2010Bellingrath Gardens and Home, the creation of Mr. and…Untitled photo2010Untitled photoUntitled photo2010Untitled photoObamaoilspill2010Obamaoilspill
People over time

Theodore, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,5007,0007,5001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 6,811

Between 277 and 6,811 people in every census since 1890.

6 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Theodore’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Theodore

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
C. J. MosleyAmerican football player · b. 1992
E
Etric PruittAmerican football player · b. 1981
W
Willie QuinniePlayer of American and Canadian football · b. 1980
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Mobile115 historic placesATillmans CornerIts storyD

Questions about Theodore’s history

How does Theodore rank for history?

Theodore is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #157 of 187 in Alabama. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Theodore?

0.6% of Theodore’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1989.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (5), the Library of Congress (40), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.