Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Thornton was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Below: maps from 1910 on and old-book passages.
The Thornton post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, New Hope (1878), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Thornton’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Thornton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Thornton.
From Wikipedia’s history of Thornton.
The Western Pacific Railroad was extended to Thornton in 1907. A post office called Thornton has been in operation since 1910. The community was named for Arthur Thornton, the original owner of the town site.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Thornton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Mar3' Alvernia Thornton began her education in the Thornton grammar school; then after a course at Mills Seminary, Oakland, she attended the San Joaquin College at" Woodbridge. On February 7, 1893, at the old Thornton home, occurred her first marriage, which united her with Harry W. Awre, a native of England and a son of Henry and Elizabeth Awre. On June 30, 1906, in Sacramento, occurred
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Thornton, going to Meredith Bridge, where he remained about a year, being for a portion of tiie time deputy in the postolfice, and also for a time engaged in a lawyer's oliice. From there lie went South, and for about three years held the position of educator in the family of a wealthy slave-owner named Hendrick, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. From there he went
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nobody well known was born in Thornton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Thornton’s post office has been open since 1910. Another post office, New Hope, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Thornton post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2012