On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Flora Township is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #524 of 768 in Illinois. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Flora Township’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 Flora Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±8.6 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Flora Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Flora Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1918Kirkland 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 Flora Township.
The story so far
Flora Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Flora Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Flora Township is one of nine townships in Boone County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,994 and it contained 1,217 housing units. Flora Township was originally named Fairfield on November 6, 1849, but was changed to Burton in April, 1851, and then changed again to Flora in October, 1851.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 2,981 in 2010, 2,994 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Flora Township, 1888 to 1953
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Another post office, Irene, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Irene
Gone or out of use
Avery SchoolschoolBailey SchoolschoolBloods Point SchoolschoolBuck SchoolschoolCohoon SchoolschoolFlora Center SchoolschoolGraves SchoolschoolIrene Post Officepost officeIrene Quarry Number 116mineLee QuarrymineShannon SchoolschoolWitbeck Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Flora Township
Bloods PointFlora
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Flora Township is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #524 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 Flora Township?
12% of Flora Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.6 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 2003.
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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
