On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Florence Township is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Florence 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 Florence Township’s 8.0 sits above most of its state (81% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±15.3 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 Florence Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Florence Township
Chapel Hill Memorial GardensEllisHartLane Evangelical United Baptist
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Florence Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Florence Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Florence Township is located in Stephenson County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,293 and it contained 541 housing units. The unincorporated community of Florence is located in the township.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,293 to 1,160 (-10%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Florence Township in 1910
Passages that mention Florence Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Stephenson County, Illinois1910 · page 412Read the page →
Read the text
By 1840 there was a demand for schools in Florence Township, and, in response, the first school was opened, in James Hart's log cabin, with Miss Flavilla Forbes as teacher. By 1850 the school census of the township showed such an increase that other schools were imperative necessities. In 1857 tne nrst railroad, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, then known as the Western Union Railroad, surveyed its line across the southeastern corner of Florence Township. In 1859 their line was built, and with the coming of the Iron Horse the pioneer history of Florence Township is past. Later the Great Western sur-
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.
Timeline
Florence Township, 1862 to 1948
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Florence Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1942Forreston 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 Florence Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Florence Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Florence Township is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. 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 Florence Township?
One place: the Bruce, James, Round Barn (listed 1984).
How old are the homes in Florence Township?
25% of Florence Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±15.3 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1969.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
