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B−History
History · Bloomingdale Township

Bloomingdale Township dates to 1833, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 50% of U.S. towns · #398 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

Most of Bloomingdale Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1908 on, and the census since 1880.

1833founded
2on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Bloomingdale Township began

When was Bloomingdale Township founded?

1833

Bloomingdale Township dates its founding to 1833 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 226 in 18802020 census: 111,875193 years

How historic is Bloomingdale Township?

B−

More historic than 50% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1837.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Bloomingdale Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bloomingdale Township is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #398 of 768 in Illinois. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bloomingdale Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1833, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19401.5% of homes (±0.6) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register2 listings, 0.2 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 50%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 48%

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Bloomingdale Township ranks #239 on History.

Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bloomingdale Township’s 0.2 sits near the middle of its state (57% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

Newer cities are common at Bloomingdale Township’s size: in the typical U.S. city of 100,000 or more, 5% of homes predate 1940.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1833.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). 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 Bloomingdale Township’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Bloomingdale Township, and 3 old place names are still on the map.On the map since 19087 editions of the USGS map, 1908 to 1993. Watch Bloomingdale Township change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bloomingdale Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewGlendale Country Club Route 20 - at Gle…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Bloomingdale Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00018801900192019401960198020002020403 in 1890Low: 235

Lost a third of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

Another post office, Meacham, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Meacham
1874–1924
Medinah
1924–today
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Glendale HeightsKeeneyvilleMedinah

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Bloomingdale Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bloomingdale Township.

Read it all →

Bloomingdale is one of the earliest villages settled in what is now DuPage County. The Meacham family settled here in 1833, and by the end of the following year, 12 to 15 families had settled in the locality. It was originally named Meacham's Grove. The community was served by the Chicago-Galena Highway, modern day Lake Street. It became an important stop for stage coaches and westward travelers. Originally a Cook County settlement, it was annexed by DuPage County in 1839. The northern part of the village wanted to develop commercially while the southern part wished to remain a farming community. In 1923, the village split to accommodate this—the northern portion of the town was incorporated as Roselle. From 1950 to 1980, the population increased from 338 to 12,659.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Bloomingdale Township, 1833 to 2020

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1833
    FoundingBloomingdale Township is established
  3. 1874Post officeThe Meacham post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1908On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1924Post officeThe Meacham post office closes
  7. 1924Post officeThe Medinah post office opens
  8. 1957In the archiveGlendale Country Club Route 20 - at Glen Ellyn Road, Bloomingdale, Ill (NBY 428737)
  9. 21st century
  10. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 22,382
By decade

Bloomingdale Township, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1950s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1950s1 item
Glendale Country Club Route 20 - at Glen Ellyn Road, Bloomingdale, Ill (NBY 428737)1957Glendale Country Club Route 20 - at Glen Ellyn Road, …
1960s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today17 recent
The RoomPlace (Bloomingdale, Illinois) 12024The RoomPlace (Bloomingdale, Illinois) 1Meijer (Bloomingdale, Illinois) 12024Meijer (Bloomingdale, Illinois) 1WSCR's main and auxiliary towers2020WSCR's main and auxiliary towersWSCR WBBM transmitter building2020WSCR WBBM transmitter buildingStratford Square Mall ^ Carol Stream from the sky2013Stratford Square Mall ^ Carol Stream from the skyRoosters2012RoostersBloomingdale, IL, USA2012Bloomingdale, IL, USABloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (6)2012Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (6)Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (5)2012Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (5)Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (4)2012Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (4)Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (3)2012Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (3)Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (2)2012Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (2)Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (1)2012Bloomingdale, IL, USA - panoramio (1)Bloomingdale School–Village Hall2010Bloomingdale School–Village HallResidence Inn by Marriott Chicago Bloomingdale (DuPage County, IL)2008Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago Bloomingdale (DuPag…Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes Resort (DuPage County, IL)2008Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes Resort (DuPage County, IL)Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Bloomingdale (DuPage County, IL)2008Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Bloomingdale (DuPage Co…
On the map

Bloomingdale Township on the map, 1908 to 1993

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

Bloomingdale Township on the 1908 USGS mapBloomingdale Township on the 1948 USGS mapBloomingdale Township on the 1953 USGS mapBloomingdale Township on the 1962 USGS mapBloomingdale Township on the 1972 USGS mapBloomingdale Township on the 1980 USGS mapBloomingdale Township on the 1993 USGS map1908Wheaton 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 Bloomingdale Township.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Glendale Country Club Route 20 - at Glen Ellyn Road, Bloomingdale, Ill (NBY 428737)
Retake this viewGlendale Country Club Route 20 - at Glen Ellyn Road, Bloomingdale, Ill (NBY 428737), 1957

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Bloomingdale Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Bloomingdale Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Wayne Township3 historic placesC+Milton Township14 historic placesB+Addison Township1 historic placeBCarol StreamIts storyD−Schaumburg Township2 historic placesCElk Grove VillageIts storyD

Questions about Bloomingdale Township’s history

What year was Bloomingdale Township founded?

In 1833, according to Wikidata. Bloomingdale Township’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1880 counted 226 people here.

How does Bloomingdale Township rank for history?

Bloomingdale Township is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #398 of 768 in Illinois. 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 Bloomingdale Township?

2% of Bloomingdale Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1978.

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 (18), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.