Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1918 on and the census since 1900.
The Simpson post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name.
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 Simpson’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Simpson. 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 Simpson.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Simpson yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Simpson is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Simpson had a population of 44.
Its first post office opened in 1888. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 60 to 44 (-27%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Simpson, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Baptist 3, Christian 1, Methodists 4. The first churches were held in the homes and school houses. One of the oldest churches in this county is Gillead, situated near Double Bridges, about two miles above Simpson. It is Presbyterian in denomination and was organized by James Alexander November 7, 1842. William Simpson, William Barnwell and Willis Simpson were the first elders; there were thirteen other charter members, the families of these men, a
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the March term 1813, for debt, Bail was required for Kuykendall's appearance in court and Walker Daniels was the bail. April term, 1813, is a case of Elisha Hicks vs. William Simpson, in which the following note is exhibited, "For value received I promise to pay Elisha Hicks or order, two likely three year old steers, to be delivered in a yoke, on or before the first day of October, as witness my hand and seal, this the 30th day of May, 1808— William Simpson."
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.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Between 44 and 187 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Simpson’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Simpson itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Simpson post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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 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 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.
