Founding year: the first Mackinaw post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Mackinaw’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mackinaw is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Mackinaw’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 Mackinaw’s 5.1 sits above most of its state (75% 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 B+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Mackinaw’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The village lies within, but is politically independent of, Mackinaw Township. Both take their name from the nearby Mackinaw River. Mackinaw (sometimes spelled Mackinac) is derived from the Ojibwe word mikinaak meaning "turtle".
Mackinaw was founded in 1827 by George Washington Minier, namesake of Minier, Illinois, and Charles E. Boyer. It was the first county seat of Tazewell County from 1827 to 1831, when it moved to Pekin. The courthouse was built for $125 by Amasa Stout.
Following the 1933 end to prohibition, Mackinaw remained a "dry" community through 2013, when residents voted to allow the sale of alcohol.
Passages that mention Mackinaw, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Tazewell county, Illinois1879 · page 302Read the page →
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Mackinaw township had its boundaries permanently fixed. First election was held at school-house in the town of Mackinaw. Little Mackinaw has never had its boundary lines changed. First election held at a school-house on Little Mackinaw creek.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Tazewell county, Illinois1879 · page 226Read the page →
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William H. Hodge, County Surveyor, was ordered "to survey and lay off the town of Mackinaw." This was to be completed by May 20th. The Clerk was ordered to have an advertisement inserted in the Sangamon Spectator for three weeks, to the effect that on the second Monday in June, 1827, a public sale of lots in Mackinaw would be had. He was also ordered to have 100 handbills of the same nature printed. Thus we see the pioneer fathers appreciated the good results of advertising.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Souvenir of early and notable events in the history of the North West territory, Illinois, and Tazewell County, including the names of those who have served the county in various official capacities1916 · page 24Read the page →
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Little Mackinaw township retains original boundary lines, and its first election took place at a school-house on Mackinaw creek. The first settlement was made on section 8. by John and Samuel Stout. Among the pioneers were H. Buchanan and a gentleman named Hevenhill. The first death was that of an orphan child, in the family of Samuel Stout, in 1827. The first birth was in the family of Joseph Stout. Thos. F. Railsback taught the first school on section 5. in 1830.
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.
By decade
Mackinaw, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Mackinaw. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1928Mackinaw 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 Mackinaw.
Every building
Mackinaw, building by building, 1902–1910
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The Mackinaw post office opened in 1827, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Mackinaw rank for history?
Mackinaw is more historic than 80% 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 Mackinaw?
One place: the Illinois Traction System Mackinaw Depot (listed 1978).
How old are the homes in Mackinaw?
18% of Mackinaw’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.0 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 (10), the Library of Congress (1), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
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