Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1981 on and the census since 1920.
Middletown dates its founding to 1846 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1920.
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 Middletown’s history is told.
Peaked at 535 in 2000; 363 people lived here in 2020.
11 censuses, 1920–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Middletown’s Wikipedia page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Middletown.
Middletown was laid out in 1846. In 1940, the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant was established just to the south of Middletown.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Middletown, cut from the printed page as they were published.
by steamboat to Burlington ; thence he proceeded at once to his brother Warren Dee's farm on the line of Augusta Township. Warren Dee had come in the fall of 1838, just before the land-sale, bought a claim and entered it. This claim was located two miles southwest of what is now the village of Middletown. George W. Dee bought a claim of his brother, built a log cabin upon the same, entered it, and at the time of the land-sale paid $200 for the same.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Middletown is situated four miles southeast of Danville on the line of the B. & M. Railroad. Josiah T. Smith, now in California, came from Ohio to Danville Township in April, 18o9, and settled on the site of present village of Middletown. He laid out a portion of his land into town lots, which were surveyed by T. L. Sergent, in December, 1846. Subsequently other lots were surveyed by John D. Wright, County Surveyor, October 4, 1847. During the year 1847; a preliminary meeting of settlers Avas held to decide on a name, to
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyThe U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Middletown.
1981Danville sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Middletown.
In 1846, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Middletown’s post office opened in 1847, and the census of 1920 counted 112 people here.
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 (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
2024
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2004