Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 32% of U.S. towns · #543 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1917 on, and the census since 1880.
Pawnee dates its founding to 1854 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 32% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pawnee is more historic than 32% of U.S. towns, #543 of 768 in Illinois. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Pawnee’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Pawnee’s history is told.
Lost a third of its people between 1910 and 1930, then more than doubled.
14 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Pawnee’s Wikipedia page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Pawnee. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Pawnee.
From Wikipedia’s history of Pawnee.
On October 13, 1902, the Victor Mine exploded killing six workers. Press reports indicate an explosive charge ignited coal dust in the shaft.
On August 6, 2023, a large and long-tracked EF2 tornado hit north of Pawnee, Illinois destroying houses and businesses.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Pawnee, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The village of Pawnee originally comprised, according to the plat, the south part of the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section seven, township thirteen, range four west, and is pleasantly situated, and surrounded by a good country. Being several miles from any market, and the country being well settled, Samuel Fullinwider commenced here the sale of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Julius W. Lupton received his education in the public schools of Pawnee, TIl., and until 1883 resided on a farm adjoining the homestead. In that year he moved to the Seeley farm, which he operated until 1905, and then came to Pawnee to spend the remainder of his life in retire-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
been a resident of Sangamon county, save two years (1867 and 1868) spent as book-keeper in a bank at Carbondale, Illinois. In 1869, Mr. Smith located in Pawnee, Sangamon county, as a general merchant, and carried on business there until 1876, when failing health compelled him to sell out. During the first year at Pawnee his sales were $11,000, and in 1875 they aggregated
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archive601 Washington StreetOne decade in the archive so far: the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 sheet.
1917Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Pawnee’s page.
Retake this view · +15In 1854, according to Wikidata. Pawnee’s post office opened in 1858, and the census of 1880 counted 192 people here.
Pawnee is more historic than 32% of U.S. towns, #543 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.
12% of Pawnee’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1973.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (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.
2026