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A+History
History · Decatur Township

Decatur Township dates to 1823, and 32% of its homes were built before 1940

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #2 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

8 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 24 old photos and papers, maps from 1929 on, and the census since 1860.

1823founded
8on the National Register
32%homes built before 1940
24old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Decatur Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Decatur Township began

When was Decatur Township founded?

1823

Decatur Township dates its founding to 1823 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 3,839 in 18602020 census: 47,650203 years

How historic is Decatur Township?

A+

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1831.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Decatur Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Decatur Township is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #2 of 768 in Illinois. All 2 inputs put Decatur Township near the top nationally; its National Register listings ranks highest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Decatur Township’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 194031.5% of homes (±1.9) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register8 listings, 2,433 historic buildings, 522 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Among the top 1%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)#2 of 768

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 Decatur Township’s 522 sits above most of its state (99% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 2,433 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1823.

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 Decatur Township’s past

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

A town in old photos24 old photos, postcards and papers, 1865–1910.Landmarks on the Register8 places on the National Register.Old housesHalf of Decatur Township’s homes were built before 1954.Deep rootsEstablished in 1823: 203 years of Decatur Township.
★ What stands out · By decade

Decatur Township, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s–1900s22 items
Corner of room in Charles Emory's house. Decatur, Ill, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic viewsc. 1865Corner of room in Charles Emory's house. Decatur, Ill…Corner of room in Charles Emory's house. Decatur, Ill, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic viewsc. 1865Corner of room in Charles Emory's house. Decatur, Ill…Bird's eye view of the city of Decatur, Macon Co., Illinois 18691869Bird's eye view of the city of Decatur, Macon Co., Il…Edward O Smith (1817-1882)1883Edward O Smith (1817-1882)"We have great problems before us as a nation" President Roosevelt dedicating James Millikin University1903"We have great problems before us as a nation" Presid…James Milliken and President Taylor escort President Roosevelt between lines of school children Dedication James Millik…1903James Milliken and President Taylor escort President …"To whom much has been given much shall be expected" President Roosevelt to students at James Millikin University1903"To whom much has been given much shall be expected" …"--iron resolution to fight on and on until, instead of defeat and failure, dawns the golden sun of triumph" President …1903"--iron resolution to fight on and on until, instead …Man and beast toiling in perpetual night--hauling coal to the shaft, M. & C. bituminous mines1904Man and beast toiling in perpetual night--hauling coa…Robert M. La Follette, Sr as Senator2c. 1905Robert M. La Follette, Sr as Senator200104.BM--Cross section of ash pits--Wabash Railroad--Decatur, IL190800104.BM--Cross section of ash pits--Wabash Railroad-…Drunkenness1908DrunkennessDrunks1908DrunksDecatur, Ill. First Court House in Macon County where Lincoln practiced law1908Decatur, Ill. First Court House in Macon County where…Club house, G and T Tournament, 1909, Country Club of1909Club house, G and T Tournament, 1909, Country Club ofDecatur, Ill. before fire, Aug. 22, 091909Decatur, Ill. before fire, Aug. 22, 09The James Millikin University1909The James Millikin UniversityBurning of Decatur Cereal Co.'s plant from west1909Burning of Decatur Cereal Co.'s plant from westBurning of Decatur Cereal Co.'s plant from east1909Burning of Decatur Cereal Co.'s plant from eastDecatur, Ill. before fire, Aug. 22, 091909Decatur, Ill. before fire, Aug. 22, 09Fire engine at burning of Decatur Cereal Co.'s plant1909Fire engine at burning of Decatur Cereal Co.'s plantClub house, G & T Tournament, 1909, Country Club of Decatur1909Club house, G & T Tournament, 1909, Country Club of D…
1910s2 items
Beaumanoir Commandery #9 - K.T., Decatur, Ill., pilgrammage to Chicago, 31st triennial conclave, 19101910Beaumanoir Commandery #9 - K.T., Decatur, Ill., pilgr…Illinois Grain Dealers Convention, Decatur, Ill., June 7, 19101910Illinois Grain Dealers Convention, Decatur, Ill., Jun…
1920s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
On the National Register

8 listings protect 2,433 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
8
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2,433
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Decatur Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Decatur Township.

Read it all →

The city is named after War of 1812 naval hero Stephen Decatur. The Potawatomi Trail of Death passed through the city in 1838. Post No. 1 of the Grand Army of the Republic was founded as a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in Decatur on April 6, 1866.

Chapters19th century20th centuryCorporate exits and population loss

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Decatur Township, 1823 to 1929

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1823
    FoundingDecatur Township is established
  3. 1865In the archiveCorner of room in Charles Emory's house. Decatur, Ill, from Robert N. Dennis collection o…
  4. 1883In the archiveEdward O Smith (1817-1882)
  5. 20th century
  6. 1903In the archive"We have great problems before us as a nation" President Roosevelt dedicating James Milli…
  7. 1910In the archiveBeaumanoir Commandery #9 - K.T., Decatur, Ill., pilgrammage to Chicago, 31st triennial co…
  8. 1929On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
On the map

Decatur Township on the map, 1929 to 1998

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

Decatur Township on the 1929 USGS mapDecatur Township on the 1933 USGS mapDecatur Township on the 1967 USGS mapDecatur Township on the 1975 USGS mapDecatur Township on the 1998 USGS map1929Decatur 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 Decatur Township.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Corner of room in Charles Emory's house. Decatur, Ill, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views
Retake this viewCorner of room in Charles Emory's house. Decatur, Ill, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views, c. 1865

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Decatur Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Decatur Township, census by census

020,00040,00060,00080,000100,000190019502000Peak: 93,939

Between 3,839 and 93,939 people in every census since 1860.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

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

Help out

Finish Decatur Township’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewCorner of room in Charles Emory's house…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Long Creek TownshipIts storyC−Hickory Point TownshipIts storyC−South Wheatland Township1 historic placeB−Oakley TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townDecatur8 historic placesAWhitmore Township1 historic placeB−Harristown TownshipIts storyC

Questions about Decatur Township’s history

What year was Decatur Township founded?

In 1823, according to Wikidata. Decatur Township’s post office opened in 1831, and the census of 1860 counted 3,839 people here.

How does Decatur Township rank for history?

Decatur Township is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #2 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 Decatur Township?

32% of Decatur Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1954.

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 (12), the Library of Congress (12), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.