Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives East Dundee’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, East Dundee is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #247 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of East Dundee’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 East Dundee’s 197 sits above most of its state (96% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 62 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.6 points). Two sources give 1871.
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 East Dundee’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The village of East Dundee was incorporated in 1871, four years after West Dundee. A historic district along the Fox River and stores on Main Street constitute the commercial part of East Dundee. The historic feed and coal store became Dundee Lumber, which burned down in March 2007. A former railroad bed is now the Fox River Trail, which follows the east side of the Fox River through town. The train depot was rebuilt in 1984 as a tourist center. Santa's Village theme park operated from 1959 to 2006. It reopened in 2011 under new ownership as Santa's Village AZoosment Park.
DeLoris Doederlein, educator and politician, lived in East Dundee.
In 1871, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 849 people here.
How does East Dundee rank for history?
East Dundee is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #247 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.
What is on the National Register in East Dundee?
One place: the Dundee Township Historic District (listed 1975).
How old are the homes in East Dundee?
16% of East Dundee’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.6 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1993.
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 (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
2024
2024
2012
