Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1957 on and the census since 1880.
Randolph dates its founding to 1877 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
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 Randolph’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Randolph.
Randolph was platted in 1877, shortly before the completion of the railroad through the territory. The community name was bestowed by agriculturalist Frank Peavy, who named it after Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Winston Churchill.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Peaked at 404 in 1920; 189 people lived here in 2020.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Randolph’s Wikipedia page.
Passages that mention Randolph, cut from the printed page as they were published.
I The hamlet of Randolph was platted in September of 1877. Samuel Buckner was the one to lead the business interests of the place by opening | a store’ which was subsequently followed by another under the management of the Spencer brothers. When the “railroad was completed, I November 10, 1878, the place began to grow a little, and its business i interests to proportionately increase. The village now numbers about I two hundred. 4 here is one church in Randolph, the
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.
Born hereVirginia D. Smith is born here
Born hereMax Marshall is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Randolph. 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 Randolph.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Randolph’s post office has been open since 1879.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1877, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Randolph’s post office opened in 1879, and the census of 1880 counted 213 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 (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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