The Roodhouse post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Road House Station (1867), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
2020 census: 1,578150 years
How historic is Roodhouse?
B+
More historic than 74% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Roodhouse post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Roodhouse’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Roodhouse is more historic than 74% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Roodhouse’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 Roodhouse’s 6.5 sits above most of its state (78% 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 (±6.2 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 Roodhouse’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Roodhouse was founded in the 1850s by John Roodhouse. The community was originally known as "The Crossroads" for its position on two major highways, though it was later renamed for its founder. In 1860, John Rawlins convinced the Chicago and Alton Railway to open a station in the community by promising to secure local funds for the depot and warehouse. The railway built its Louisiana branch from Roodhouse in 1871, and the city became a major junction point, boosting its population and economy. Roodhouse was legally incorporated as a city in 1880. Passenger railroad service to Roodhouse ended in the 1950s, causing a local economic downturn which persisted over the following decades.
Passages that mention Roodhouse, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Greene county, Illinois1879 · page 573Read the page →
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fowing year he married Mrs. Lincoln, relict of Jarvis Lincoln, a relative of Abraham Lincoln. Mr. L. is an extensive farmer, a resident of Roodhouse Lovell Joseph, farmer, Roodhouse liOWRY WILLIAM T., the only manufacturer of brick in the town of Roodhouse. He became a permanent resident
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Greene county, Illinois1879 · page 572Read the page →
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Roodhouse Lawless Thomas, carpenter, Roodhouse r.awson William, laborer, Roodhouse Leighton Frederick, clerk, Roodhouse Lennon Patrick, saloon, Roodhouse Les-em L. clothier, Roodhouse LORTON WM. M., Roodhouse. Mr.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Greene County, Illinois1879 · page 407Read the page →
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The history of Roodhouse is brief but brilliant. In 1819 or 1820, J. Henderson, who was the pioneer in the northern part of the county, is supposed to have been one of the first to explore the vicinity of Roodhouse. The first settlements in the township were made some years previous to 1830. In 1832 White Hall was laid out, and this town was for many years the trading point for the dwellers in the region where Roodhouse is now situated. The vicinity was one of the most fertile in the county, the surface of the prairie was rolling and healthful, and the
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
Roodhouse, 1867 to 1885
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices
Roodhouse’s post office has been open since 1876. Another post office, Road House Station, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Road House Station
1867–1876
Roodhouse
1876–today
18601940today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Roodhouse’s history
What year was Roodhouse founded?
The Roodhouse post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Roodhouse rank for history?
Roodhouse is more historic than 74% 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 Roodhouse?
One place: the Hotel Roodhouse (listed 1995).
How old are the homes in Roodhouse?
35% of Roodhouse’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.2 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1955.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
Date?
2020