Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1911 on and the census since 1860.
Elkhart dates its founding to 1855 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.
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 Elkhart’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Elkhart.
Elkhart takes its name from Elkhart (or "Elk Heart") Grove, which along with Buffalo Hart was an area of woodland along the Edwards Trace. The grove's name has been attributed to its shape, resembling the heart of an elk. Prior to the forced expulsion of indigenous peoples from Illinois, a Kickapoo village was located at the grove.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Elkhart, cut from the printed page as they were published.
cating in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he remained till 1871. He then went to Lexington, Kentucky, thence to Tensas Parish, Louisiana, from there to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois. In 1872 he came to Logan County, and located in Elkhart Township, where he engaged in farming and working on the railroad till 1878. In the latter year he moved to Lincoln and worked in the shaft of the Lincoln Coal Company a year, and in 1879 embarked in his present business. He has been successful and by
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Passed through Washington, Xenia, Dayton, Cambridge City, Richmond, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Paris, Mattoon, Decatur, Mechanicsburg to Elkhart, Logan County, reaching there March 2, an eighteen-days ride over a boundless prairie from the Wabash River to his destination; clerked a little while at Elkhart, and became an early victim to the Illinois mange. In the spring assisted to dig a well; when fifty feet down asked to be let down to see stars, an old story thought in boyishness to be true. When down, the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
cating in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he remained till 1871. He then went to Lexington, Kentucky, thence to Tensas Parish, Louisiana, from there to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illi¬ nois. In 1872 he came to Logan County, and located in Elkhart Township, where he engaged in farming and working on the rail¬ road till 1878. In the latter year he moved to Lincoln and worked in the shaft of the Lincoln Coal Company a year, and in 1879 em¬ barked in his present business. He has been successful and by
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Ttl now includes the plat of the village of Elkhart. In 1855 he pur* chased what was known as the “ Rigney farm,” settling on it and making it a homestead the following year. Here he lived till his death, which occurred November 25, 1859, his wife dying one year previous, November 13, 1858. The farm is now owned and occupied by J. D. Gillett. John Shockey, Sr., was one of the prominent men of his county in Pennsylvania, being one of the
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 hereJake Stahl is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Elkhart. 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 Elkhart.
Between 118 and 553 people in every census since 1860.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Elkhart’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1855, according to Wikidata. Elkhart’s post office opened in 1883, and the census of 1860 counted 118 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 Wikimedia Commons (3), the Library of Congress (1), 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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