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A+History
History · Peoria City Township

Peoria City Township dates to 1680, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #14 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

26 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 20 old photos and papers, maps from 1927 on, and the census since 1840.

1680founded
26on the National Register
23%homes built before 1940
20old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Peoria City Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Peoria City Township began

When was Peoria City Township founded?

1680

Peoria City Township dates its founding to 1680 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1840.

First census: 1,467 in 18402020 census: 97,823346 years

How historic is Peoria City Township?

A+

More historic than 98% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1823.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Peoria City Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Peoria City Township is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #14 of 768 in Illinois. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Peoria City Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1680, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194022.8% of homes (±1.8) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register26 listings, 387 historic buildings, 40.0 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 98%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 98%

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 Peoria City Township’s 40.0 sits above most of its state (90% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 387 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1680.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size.

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 Peoria City Township’s past

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

Landmarks on the Register26 places on the National Register.Older than the countryEstablished in 1680, 96 years before the Declaration of Independence.A town in postcards20 old photos, postcards and papers, 1857–1930.Old housesHalf of Peoria City Township’s homes were built before 1962.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

26 listings protect 387 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
26
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
387
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Timeline

Peoria City Township, 1680 to 1927

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1680
    FoundingPeoria City Township is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1857In the archiveSpaldings Floating Palace ad 1857
  5. 1861In the archiveMilitary pass of F.W. Baier and wife, signed J. McKinstry, St. Louis, September 3, 1861
  6. 1874In the archiveRGI letter to Ebon
  7. 20th century
  8. 1905In the archiveGlide Model E - 1906
  9. 1910In the archiveFarmers' Grain Dealers of Illinois
  10. 1923In the archivePeoria IL 1st Presby PHS951
  11. 1927On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Peoria City Township, decade by decade

7 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1850s–1870s5 items
Spaldings Floating Palace ad 18571857Spaldings Floating Palace ad 1857Military pass of F.W. Baier and wife, signed J. McKinstry, St. Louis, September 3, 18611861Military pass of F.W. Baier and wife, signed J. McKin…Letter from D.P. Grier, Peoria, Ill., to Maj. Gen. J. A. McClernand, January 26, 18641864Letter from D.P. Grier, Peoria, Ill., to Maj. Gen. J.…DocumentSouth-eastern view of1865South-eastern view ofRGI letter to Ebon1874RGI letter to EbonDocument
1900s–1910s9 items
Glide Model E - 19061905Glide Model E - 1906Hartmann Center for Performing Arts (Bradley University Gymnasium, Hewitt Gymnasium), Bradley University1907Hartmann Center for Performing Arts (Bradley Universi…PostcardUnion Station in1907Union Station inPostcardWaterfront in1909Waterfront inPostcardFarmers' Grain Dealers of Illinois1910Farmers' Grain Dealers of IllinoisNational Hotel1911National HotelPostcardPeoria, June 19111911Peoria, June 1911Grace Presbyterian Churchc. 1913Grace Presbyterian ChurchPostcardExcerpt from Abraham Lincoln's October 16, 1854, Peoria, Illinois speech1916Excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's October 16, 1854, Peor…
1920s–1930s6 items
Peoria IL 1st Presby PHS9511923Peoria IL 1st Presby PHS951PostcardBeautiful Manias Manor, Knoxville at Pennsylvania, Peoria, Illinois (67287)c. 1930Beautiful Manias Manor, Knoxville at Pennsylvania, Pe…PostcardCourt house and vicinity, Peoria, Ill (64730)c. 1930Court house and vicinity, Peoria, Ill (64730)PostcardFern's Motel, corner Monroe and Fulton Peoria, Ill (88329)c. 1930Fern's Motel, corner Monroe and Fulton Peoria, Ill (8…PostcardGreetings from Peoria, Ill (64734)c. 1930Greetings from Peoria, Ill (64734)PostcardHorology Bldg. and Bradley Hall, Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Peoria, Ill (64732)c. 1930Horology Bldg. and Bradley Hall, Bradley Polytechnic …Postcard
1940s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
The story

How Peoria City Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Peoria City Township.

Read it all →

Peoria was the earliest permanent European settlement in what is now Illinois; French explorers first established a presence along the Illinois River in the late 17th century, with the community later evolving into the modern city. The lands that eventually would become Peoria were first settled by Europeans in 1680, when French explorers René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti constructed Fort Crevecoeur. This fort burned to the ground, and in 1813, Fort Clark, Illinois was built. When the County of Peoria was organized in 1825, Fort Clark was officially named Peoria.

ChaptersNotable events

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

On the map

Peoria City Township on the map, 1927 to 1996

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

Peoria City Township on the 1927 USGS mapPeoria City Township on the 1949 USGS mapPeoria City Township on the 1950 USGS mapPeoria City Township on the 1967 USGS mapPeoria City Township on the 1979 USGS mapPeoria City Township on the 1996 USGS map1927Peoria 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 Peoria City Township.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Spaldings Floating Palace ad 1857
Retake this viewSpaldings Floating Palace ad 1857, 1857

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Peoria City Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Peoria City Township, census by census

020,00040,00060,00080,000100,000120,000140,0001850190019502000Peak: 126,963

Between 1,467 and 126,963 people in every census since 1840.

19 censuses, 1840–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Peoria City Township’s Wikipedia page.

Help out

Finish Peoria City Township’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
4 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewSpaldings Floating Palace ad 1857: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Peoria26 historic placesA+Richwoods Township1 historic placeB+Kickapoo TownshipIts storyC+Peoria Heights1 historic placeC+Medina TownshipIts storyDWest PeoriaIts storyB+Fondulac TownshipIts storyC+Limestone Township3 historic placesA−Spring Bay TownshipIts storyB−Creve CoeurIts storyC

Questions about Peoria City Township’s history

What year was Peoria City Township founded?

In 1680, according to Wikidata. Peoria City Township’s post office opened in 1823, and the census of 1840 counted 1,467 people here.

How does Peoria City Township rank for history?

Peoria City Township is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #14 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.

How old are the homes in Peoria City Township?

23% of Peoria City Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1962.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), the Library of Congress (2), Wikidata (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.