Gilberts’ post office opened in 1870, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 42% of U.S. towns · #454 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Gilberts was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2005. Its Register listing is the St. Mary's Church of Gilberts. Below: maps from 1925 on and the census since 1900.
Founding year: the first Gilberts post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1890.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Gilberts’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Gilberts is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns, #454 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Gilberts’ 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 Gilberts’ 1.2 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1890 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Gilberts’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The beginnings of recorded human settlement in the area of Gilberts was recorded in the War of 1812, when General Scott began waging war against the native American tribes that inhabited the area, including the Blackhawks, Algonquin, and Potawatomi. Beginning in the 1820s, European settlement in the region began. In 1840, the Potawatomi sold their land and moved westwards, making the entire area now inhabited by European settlers. In 1852, Gilberts Station opened on the Galena & Chicago Union line to Freeport, named after the Gilberts, the largest landowners in the area. Specifically, Albro Gilbert, a pioneer who was a part of the Gilberts family. In 1855, the Gilberts sold their land to Elijah Wilcox.
The Gilberts post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1890.
How does Gilberts rank for history?
Gilberts is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns, #454 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 Gilberts?
One place: the St. Mary's Church of Gilberts (listed 1992).
How old are the homes in Gilberts?
8% of Gilberts’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.2 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 2005.
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), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
