More historic than 21% of U.S. towns · #621 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Coal Valley was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1981. Below: maps from 1937 on and the census since 1880.
Founding year: the first Coal Valley post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1876.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Coal Valley’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Coal Valley is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #621 of 768 in Illinois. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Coal Valley’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 Coal Valley’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 still be C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1876 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 Coal Valley’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first settlers in Coal Valley were trappers and farmers who came from Wales, England, Ireland, Germany and Sweden. The pioneer settlers of the community are thought to have been William and Charles Bailey who built the first house within the present village limits. It is also believed that they operated a small mine, which could have been the first discovery of coal in the vicinity.
of which he was county judge for a period of eight years, serving the county as sheriff" for like period. He was one of the original proprietors of the Town of Coal Valley, and was an incorporator of the Coal Valley Mining Company, also of the Rock Island and Peoria Railroad Company and of Chippiannock Cemetery.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first settlers of Rural, which formerly formed part of Coal Valley Township, were Thomas and Davis Goodlow, brothers, who built the first house on section 29. John Farlow being the second, who came from Pre-emption Township, at which place he was the first settler. He built the small house on section 30 of this township. The first
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Portrait and biographical album of Rock Island County, Illinois1885 · page 809Read the page →
Read the text
URAL Township, when the county was divided into civil townships in 1857, was included in Coal Valley, and so continued V vby until 1871, when it was duly organized by the Board of Supervisors. As now organized it comprises township 16, range r west, and is considered a valuable township of land. It is bounded on the east by Henry County, on the south
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Portrait and biographical album of Rock Island County, Illinois1885 · page 790Read the page →
Read the text
The Roman Catholic residents of Coal Valley previous to 1875 were connected with the Rock Island Mission. In 1870 they had completed a church at a cost of $2,000, which was formally opened for worship by Rev. Father Roles, under whose supervision the church was erected. The congregation is now served by the priest residing at Moline.
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.
Timeline
Coal Valley, 1854 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Coal Valley post office opened in 1857, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1876.
How does Coal Valley rank for history?
Coal Valley is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #621 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 Coal Valley?
5% of Coal Valley’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1981.
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 (8), Wikipedia, 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 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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