McHenry’s post office opened in 1837, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 59% of U.S. towns · #334 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of McHenry was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 4 buildings. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1880.
Founding year: the first McHenry post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1872.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives McHenry’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, McHenry is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #334 of 768 in Illinois. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of McHenry’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 McHenry’s 1.8 sits above most of its state (66% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1872.
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 McHenry’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
In the 1830s various settlers arrived in the area and created the foundation for McHenry. Some of the family names can still be seen today: McCullom, McLean, Boone, and Wheeler.
George Gage came to the area in 1835 and purchased a plot of land west of the Fox River. This area eventually came to be known as Gagetown. In 1854, George Gage played an instrumental role in bringing the railroad to the city. Gagetown was eventually renamed to West McHenry.
In 1851, a dam was built on Boone Creek which created Mill Pond. The pond encompassed an area between today's rail road tracks and Route 31 and north of Waukegan Road.
On August 4, 1875, the first issue of the city newspaper, the McHenry Plaindealer, was published by Jay Van Slyke.
Passages that mention McHenry, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of McHenry County, Illinois1922 · page 440Read the page →
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<>f McHenry Township, three miles southeast of Ringwood, a station on the railroad in this township; and it is also about two miles northeast from McHenry village. This hamlet was settled by the Germans in 1852, and was named in honor of their leader, for the settlement was really a colony. His Christian name being John the place was called Johnsburg. It has ever been known almost exclusively as a German settlement.
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History of McHenry County, Illinois1922 · page 435Read the page →
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THE VILLAGE OF MC HENRY The Village of McHenry is distinguished as having been the county seat for so many years, and also as being the first town that was organized in McHenry County. It was laid out by a Chicago surveyor, named Bradley, in 1837, through the efforts of Henry McLean, and the latter built the first house in the place, a log one, 12x16, near the site of what later was known as the Riverside House. For several months after this little building was erected it served as a gathering place for the
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History of McHenry County, Illinois1885 · page 781Read the page →
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Not till Aug. 10, 1872, was the village of McHenry incorporated, and while it has since been making rapid advancements, it had already grown to a place of considerable size. A t the first election held by the authorized voters of McHenry Tillage the following officers were chosen: R. Bishop, President; J. B. Perry, J.
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History of McHenry County, Illinois1885 · page 200Read the page →
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court, That the preemption right to the southeast quarter of section twenty-six (26) in township forty-five (45), range eight (8), east of the third principal meridian, and also the balance of the survey of the town of McHenry, comprising in all 160 acres, being the seat of justice of said county of McHenry, State of Illinois, be sold for the purpose of erecting public buildings for said county; and also all the right, title and interest of said county to the twenty acres around the stake stuck by the commissioners appointed to locate
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.
The McHenry post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1872.
How does McHenry rank for history?
McHenry is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #334 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 McHenry?
Two places: the Count's House (listed 1982) and the Colby-Petersen Farm (2020).
How old are the homes in McHenry?
3% of McHenry’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1988.
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 (2), 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, 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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