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AHistory
History · Greenup

Greenup dates to 1834, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 92% of U.S. towns. What drives it

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 31 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers from 1995 on.

1834founded
1on the National Register
23%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Greenup’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Greenup began

When was Greenup founded?

1834

Greenup dates its founding to 1834 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1834.

2020 census: 1,365192 years

How historic is Greenup?

A

More historic than 92% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1834.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Greenup’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Greenup is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Greenup’s overall grade.
Founding era1834, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194023.1% of homes (±7.5) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register1 listing, 31 historic buildings, 170 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 92%
NewerOlder

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 Greenup’s 170 sits above most of its state (96% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 31 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1834.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.5 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (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 Greenup’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Greenup Commercial Historic District takes in 31 historic buildings.Deep rootsEstablished in 1834: 192 years of Greenup.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Greenup’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Greenup’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewHistoric National Road - Covered Bridge…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

1 listing protects 31 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
31
each building in a district counts
first listed
1991
Greenup Commercial Historic District
Greenup Commercial Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Commercial1
Italianate1
Greenup Commercial Historic DistrictCommercial

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Timeline

Greenup, 1834 to 1995

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1834
    FoundingGreenup is established
  3. 1834Post officeThe Greeenup post office opens
  4. 1855Born hereCy Warman is born here
  5. 1856Born hereCharles G. Jones is born here
  6. 1893Born hereAbe Bowman is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1906Born hereBobbi Trout is born here
  9. 1995In the archiveHistoric National Road - Covered Bridge West of
The story

How Greenup came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Greenup.

Read it all →

Greenup received its name from National Road surveyor, William C. Greenup who platted the town in 1834. He was one of the supervisors hired to oversee construction of the National Road in Illinois, surveying the original alignment from Marshall to Vandalia during the 1830s.

Greenup was platted in 1834, and served as Cumberland County's first county seat from 1843 to 1855.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Greenup, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s3 items
Historic National Road - Covered Bridge West of1995Historic National Road - Covered Bridge West ofHistoric National Road - Greenup Historic Business District1995Historic National Road - Greenup Historic Business Di…Historic National Road - Greenup's Overhanging Porches1995Historic National Road - Greenup's Overhanging Porches
Today3 recent
Johnson Building2013Johnson BuildingDepot in2013Depot inGreenup-Il-Sign2010Greenup-Il-Sign
Famous people

5 famous people were born in Greenup

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Bobbi TroutAmerican aviator · b. 1906
Abe BowmanAmerican baseball player · b. 1893
Cy WarmanAmerican writer · b. 1855
Charles G. JonesAmerican politician · b. 1856
R
Ralph WickiserAmerican artist · b. 1910

Questions about Greenup’s history

What year was Greenup founded?

In 1834, according to Wikidata. Greenup’s post office opened in 1834.

How does Greenup rank for history?

Greenup is more historic than 92% 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 Greenup?

One place: the Greenup Commercial Historic District (listed 1991).

How old are the homes in Greenup?

23% of Greenup’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.5 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1965.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.