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B−History
History · Chebanse

Chebanse dates to 1854, and 34% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 51% of U.S. towns. What drives it

1854founded
0on the National Register
34%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Chebanse began

When was Chebanse founded?

1854

Chebanse dates its founding to 1854 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1855.

2020 census: 1,044172 years

How historic is Chebanse?

B−

More historic than 51% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1855.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Chebanse’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chebanse is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Chebanse’s overall grade.
Founding era1854, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194033.5% of homes (±10.0) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%ANational RegisterNo listings counted · typical IL town 0.5 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 51%
NewerOlder

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 Chebanse’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.0 points). Two sources give 1854.

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 Chebanse’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Chebanse are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Chebanse’s homes were built before 1958.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Chebanse’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Chebanse came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Chebanse.

Read it all →

Chebanse was established in 1854 as the first stop on the Illinois Central Railroad south of Kankakee.

"Chebanse" derives from zhishibéns, meaning "the little duck" in the Potawatomi language.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Chebanse, 1854 to 1878

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1854
    FoundingChebanse is established
  3. 1855Post officeThe Chebanse post office opens
  4. 1864Born hereFlorence E. Wells is born here
  5. 1878Born hereWilliam Quesse is born here
By decade

Chebanse, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Chebanse, IL2026Chebanse, ILILMap-doton-Chebanse2006ILMap-doton-Chebanse
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Chebanse

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
F
Florence E. WellsOwner of Driftwood Cottage, the first house bui… · b. 1864
William QuesseAmerican labor leader · b. 1878

Questions about Chebanse’s history

What year was Chebanse founded?

In 1854, according to Wikidata. Chebanse’s post office opened in 1855.

How does Chebanse rank for history?

Chebanse is more historic than 51% 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.

How old are the homes in Chebanse?

34% of Chebanse’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.0 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1958.

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 (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.