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History · Claremont

Claremont’s post office opened in 1850

Most of Claremont was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: maps from 1911 on and the census since 1860.

1850first post office
0on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Claremont began

When was Claremont founded?

1850

The Claremont post office opened in 1850, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1853.

First census: 121 in 18602020 census: 161176 years
Founding year: the first Claremont post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1853.The full story ↓

What stands out about Claremont’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 Claremont are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 269 in 1970; 161 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Claremont’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Claremont’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
People over time

Claremont, census by census

0100200300190019502000Peak: 269

Peaked at 269 in 1970; 161 people lived here in 2020.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

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

The story

How Claremont came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Claremont.

Read it all →

Though Claremont (the town) was founded in 1853, people first settled in Claremont Township in 1818, the year Illinois was admitted to the union. In December 1852 Claremont precinct was formed.

The first settlers in Claremont Township included Lot Basden, who helped plat Olney, James Elliott, who owned land here, Thomas L. Stewart, an early constable and sheriff of Richland County, and Martin Utterback, who reportedly hauled logs to build the first county courthouse. Others included William Laws, Willis Blanchard, Bryant Bullard, Richard Brinkley, Jacob and William Coanour, and the Calhouns.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Claremont, 1850 to 1970

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1850Post officeThe Claremont post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1911On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1970CensusPopulation peaks at 269
By decade

Claremont, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Claremont-water-tower-il2020Claremont-water-tower-ilClaremont-post-office-il2020Claremont-post-office-ilClaremont-Washington-Street-il2020Claremont-Washington-Street-il
On the map

Claremont on the map, 1911 to 1968

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

Claremont on the 1911 USGS mapClaremont on the 1968 USGS map1911Sumner 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 Claremont.

Famous people

Famous people close to Claremont

Nobody well known was born in Claremont itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Elaine ShepardBroadway and film actress in the 1930s and 1940s · b. 1913
Terry L. BruceAmerican politician · b. 1944
Edmund SebreeUnited States general · b. 1898
George E. ShipleyAmerican politician · b. 1927
Gilbert L. LawsAmerican politician and Union Army soldier · b. 1838
L
Lester MelroseAmerican record producer · b. 1891

Questions about Claremont’s history

What year was Claremont founded?

The Claremont post office opened in 1850, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1853.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (3), 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.