Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1954 on and old-book passages.
Cornland dates its founding to 1871 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1872.
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 Cornland’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Cornland.
Cornland was laid out and platted in 1871 when the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Railroad was extended to that point. A post office called Cornland has been in operation since 1872.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Cornland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The town of Cornland was laid out in 1871 by Joshua Day, soon after the completion of the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield, now the Springfield branch of the Illinois Central railroad. It was surveyed in August of that year by James M. Bourne, surveyor, and contained 16 blocks.
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.
Born hereEmma Gillett Oglesby is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cornland. 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 Cornland.
In 1871, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Cornland’s post office opened in 1872.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
