Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Dieterich was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Below: maps from 1953 on and the census since 1900.
Dieterich dates its founding to 1880 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.
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 Dieterich’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Dieterich.
Dieterich was laid out in 1880 when the railroad was extended to that point. The village was named for its founder, Michael Dieterich. A post office has been in operation at Dieterich since 1881.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people 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 Dieterich. 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 Dieterich.
Grew from 382 people in 1900 to 890 in 2020.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dieterich’s Wikipedia page.
In 1880, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Dieterich’s post office opened in 1881, and the census of 1900 counted 382 people here.
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, 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.
