Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Fidelity Township was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2000. Below: maps from 1925 on and the census since 1880.
The Fidelity Township post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1854.
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 Fidelity Township’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Fidelity Township.
In 1829, people from Tennessee reportedly traveled across this site. According to local legend, a horse belonging to settler Joseph Russell went lame, stranding Russell, who was offered a replacement horse by another settler, Samuel Simmons.
The legend continues that Russell replied, "That's true fidelity."
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Fidelity Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
seven years. He worked in the same capacity for other coal companies, and also in a flour mill as engineer. After coming west, he built a sawmill in Missouri, and conducted it for a year, then bought eighty acres of land in Fidelity Township, Jersey County, Ill., which he improved, and added to its dimensions until he had 400 acres of land, 160 acres being in Fidelity Township, Jersey County, Illi¬ nois; 160 acres in Jersey Township, and the remainder in Christian County, Ill. Until January, 1889, he was extensively engaged in
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
James Cummings came to Fidelity Township in 1831. Jeremiah Bell of Hancock County, Ga., came from his native state to Madison County, Ill., in 1918, and to Fidelity Township in 1832, settling on section 34, where he remained until his death. Thomas Chapman resided on section 33 until his death, which was caused by his being confined in his smokehouse by accident while a fire was lighted, and he was burned to death, in April, 1870. He was a very highly respected citizen.
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.
Weddings 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 Fidelity Township. 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 Fidelity Township.
Between 66 and 236 people in every census since 1880.
14 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fidelity Township’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Fidelity Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Fidelity Township post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1854.
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 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.
