Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 68% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1948 on, and the census since 1880.
The Somonauk post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 68% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Somonauk is more historic than 68% of U.S. towns. 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 Somonauk’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: 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 →
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 Somonauk’s history is told.
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 archive19960720 05 BNSF nearFrom Wikipedia’s history of Somonauk.
The name "Somonauk" is of Pottawatomie origin. The name is most likely derived from the phonetic phrase As-sim-in-eh-kon, which translates to "pawpaw grove", in reference to the vast groves of pawpaw trees that filled the area at that time.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Somonauk, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The village of Somonauk was incorporated in 1866. William Brown and William Ileun have represented it upon the Board of Supervisors.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In a few months, every acre of land in the township was taken up by settlers or speculators, and the population rapidly increased. A railroad station was at once established at Somonauk village, and for a year or more it was the only station in the town. THE VILLAGE OF SANDWICH.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Until Somonauk postoffice was established, the settlers along Somonauk Creek obtained their mail at Holderman's Grove, about 12 miles southeast. A number of families clubbed together and arranged to take turns in going once each week for the mail. In order to make each realize the necessity of going to the office when his turn came, it was agreed that should one fail to go, that his mail would net be
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.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Somonauk. 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 Somonauk.
Between 468 and 1,893 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Somonauk’s Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Somonauk post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Somonauk is more historic than 68% 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.
26% of Somonauk’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 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 (4), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, 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.
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