Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 46 buildings. Below: maps from 1885 on and the census since 1880.
The Carrollton post office opened in 1822, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Carrollton is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
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 Carrollton’s 186 sits above most of its state (96% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 46 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
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 Carrollton’s history is told.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1885Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Carrollton yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Carrollton is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,485 as of the 2020 census.
Its first post office opened in 1822. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 2,484 in 2010, 2,485 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Carrollton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Concerning the settlements east of Carrollton soon after the organization of the county, Mr. Tunnell says, in an article in the Carrollton Press, 1860: " The first improvement east of Carrollton was made in 1818 or 1819 by Martin Wood, who is now living near Athens, in this county. It is now the residence of Mr. Curtius, a farm well known by every man in the country about CarroUon. Young Wood was a brother of Martin. By an unfortunate accident, while young, he was severely burned, disfiguring his face and disabling his hands to such a degree as
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
inconvenience in not having any connection with the outside world by means of a stated mail. Such connection was a desideratum. How to secure it, was a question of no small moment to these isolated, mailless new settlers. Their nearest post-office, at this time, was Carrollton, whither they were obliged to send weekly some one, in order to reach such mail matter as the post-office there might furnish them. To remedy this inconvenience it was suggested that a town be laid out and a postoffice established here, if possible ; for, it should be borne in mind, that,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
inconvenience in not having any connection v^ith the outside world by means of a stated mail. Such connection was a desideratum. How to secure it, was a question of no small moment to these isolated, mailless new settlers. Their nearest post-office, at this time, was Carrollton, whither they Avere obliged to send weekly some one, in order to reach such mail matter as the post-office there might furnish them. To remedy this inconvenience it was suggested that a town be laid out and a postoffice established here, if possible ; for, it should be borne in mind, that,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
first settled in Edwardsville, where Charles S., the elder, was engaged in the land office as clerk. In 1878 he moved with the family to Carrollton, where he was engaged as a clerk in the recorder's office, was also engaged in teaching for some time, he having a good education, which combined with his business tact, made him
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Carrollton. 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 Carrollton.
Between 1,934 and 2,866 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Carrollton’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Carrollton post office opened in 1822, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Carrollton is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. 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.
One place: the Carrollton Courthouse Square Historic District (listed 1985).
35% of Carrollton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.5 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1959.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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