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History · Holcomb

Holcomb’s post office opened in 1875, and 71% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1917 on.

1875first post office
0on the National Register
71%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Holcomb began, and where its name came from

When was Holcomb founded?

1875

The Holcomb post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 149151 years

How did Holcomb get its name?

Holcomb was named for William H. Holcomb (c. 1839–1908), General Manager of the Chicago and Iowa Railroad at the time.

Founding year: the first Holcomb post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What stands out about Holcomb’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Holcomb are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Holcomb’s homes were built before 1938.On the map since 19173 editions of the USGS map, 1917 to 1993. Watch Holcomb change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Holcomb’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story so far

Holcomb, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Holcomb yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Holcomb is an unincorporated community in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Holcomb had a population of 149. Holcomb is 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Davis Junction. Holcomb has a post office with ZIP code 61043. Holcomb was founded in 1876. It was named for William H. Holcomb (c. 1839–1908), General Manager of the Chicago and Iowa Railroad at the time. He was also the Superintendent of Transportation for the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893.

Its first post office opened in 1875.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

On the map

Holcomb on the map, 1917 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Holcomb. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Holcomb on the 1917 USGS mapHolcomb on the 1971 USGS mapHolcomb on the 1993 USGS map1917Kings 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 Holcomb.

By decade

Holcomb, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Divsion St Church2012Divsion St ChurchCentennial Bell Plaque2012Centennial Bell PlaqueHueber Grain Elevator2011Hueber Grain ElevatorHolcomb Savings Bank2011Holcomb Savings BankHolcomb Railroad Sign2011Holcomb Railroad SignHolcomb Post Office2011Holcomb Post Office
Famous people

Famous people close to Holcomb

Nobody well known was born in Holcomb itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
J
Joan AllenAmerican actress · b. 1956
Carl BarksAmerican cartoonist · b. 1901
Albert SpaldingAmerican pitcher, manager, and business executi… · b. 1850
Lloyd IngrahamActor, film director · b. 1874
William CourtrightActor · b. 1848
P
Paul R. LawrenceAmerican business theorist · b. 1922

Questions about Holcomb’s history

What year was Holcomb founded?

The Holcomb post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6) and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.