Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1851.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Maywood’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Maywood is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #134 of 768 in Illinois. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Maywood’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 Maywood’s 9.1 sits above most of its state (82% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 21 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% 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 (±4.3 points). Two sources give 1869.
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 Maywood’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
There was limited European-American settlement in the Maywood area before a railroad was built after the American Civil War, which stimulated the rise of Chicago. At least one house in what became Maywood is known to have been used as a station on the Underground Railroad, to aid refugee African-American slaves in escaping to freedom in the North. Some settled in the free state of Illinois; others went on to Canada, which had abolished slavery, seeking further distance from slavecatchers. The site of the former house has been nationally commemorated. The plaque is located at today's Lake Street and the Des Plaines River bridge.
Passages that mention Maywood, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Cook County, Illinois. From the earliest period to the present time1884 · page 803Read the page →
Read the text
Scwell supplied the pulpit, under a commission from the Home Missionary Committee. From the time of his retirement to April, 1877, there were no services, when the Maywood Church Cnion was formed, under the pastorate of Rev. Henry C Granger, This Union was originally composed of all the Churches in Maywood, and lasted until March 9, 1 8X4, when Rev. Mr.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Cook County, Illinois. From the earliest period to the present time1884 · page 808Read the page →
Read the text
to cost not less than $500. About fifty houses were erected in the town by 1874, before the Melrose depot was erected. Since this time the growth of the town has been slow, like that of Maywood. 'Die Chicago Tyre & Spring W orks, are located here, a sketch of which is appended. The incorporation of Melrose as a village under the general law of the State, occurred in 1882. The petition for its incorporation
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
Maywood, 1851 to 1985
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
In 1869, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Maywood’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1880 counted 716 people here.
How does Maywood rank for history?
Maywood is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #134 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 Maywood?
17 listings: 17 buildings, among them the Richard Cluever House (listed 1977, the first). 21 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Maywood?
62% of Maywood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (12), Wikidata (12), the National Register of Historic Places (17), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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 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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