Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Sidell dates its founding to 1861 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1884.
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 Sidell’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Sidell.
Both the town and the township of Sidell were named after John Sidell, who came to the area from Ohio in 1861 and purchased 3,000 acres (12 km2) on the banks of the Little Vermilion River. In 1888, the town had three main industries aside from farming: tiles, bricks and ice.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Sidell itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
In 1861, according to Wikidata. Sidell’s post office opened in 1884.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.