2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 42 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper from 1930 on and old-book passages.
Founding year: the first Carthage post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1838.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Carthage’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Carthage is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Carthage’s overall grade.
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 Carthage’s 188 sits above most of its state (96% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 43 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.8 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1838 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 →
What stands out about Carthage’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first European-American settlers arrived in Carthage and in Hancock County in the first few decades of the 19th century. While sharing a name with the ancient city of Carthage, it is likely named more directly for Carthage, Tennessee. By 1833, they had erected simple buildings in Carthage. That year, a log cabin was built to serve as the county courthouse, and the county seat was moved from Montebello to Carthage. The town was platted in 1837.
Passages that mention Carthage, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws1880 · page 752Read the page →
Read the text
ceived. The men called on Aldrich for a speech, but he declining, Sharp was called for and he addressed them in his usual fiery style, but declined to recommend any course of procedure. He then mounted his horse and returned to Carthage, meeting the Governor's messengers a mile or two away. After he had left, volunteers were called for to go to Carthage, and the result was, that a part of this force marched to Carthage, and killed Jo and Hyrum Smith.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws1880 · page 464Read the page →
Read the text
The temple of justice at that day was a log cabin of limited dimensions roofed with clapboards. The Bench and Bar boarded with a family at the edge of the timber, near the subsequent residence of Mr. Baldwin. The 'hotel' of Carthage was a sort of rail pen twelve feet square, the provisioTis and whisk}' being dealt out through the cracks to the outsiders. The site of the present court-house was a frog-pond, and yet this unpromising beginning had culminated in the present city of Carthage, one of the neatest and pleasantest vil-
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.
By decade
Carthage, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Carthage’s history
What year was Carthage founded?
The Carthage post office opened in 1833, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1838.
How does Carthage rank for history?
Carthage is more historic than 95% 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.
What is on the National Register in Carthage?
Two places: the Carthage Jail (listed 1973) and the Carthage Courthouse Square Historic District (1986).
How old are the homes in Carthage?
30% of Carthage’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.8 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1957.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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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