The St. Elmo post office opened in 1869, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1871. Another post office, Howard's Point (1840), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 273 in 18702020 census: 1,254157 years
How historic is St. Elmo?
B−
More historic than 49% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first St. Elmo post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1871.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives St. Elmo’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. Elmo is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of St. Elmo’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 St. Elmo’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.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1871 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 St. Elmo’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A bill to fund the National Road was signed in 1806 by President Thomas Jefferson. The highway ran from Cumberland, Maryland west to the Mississippi River. The road was designed as a route for pioneers to settle the region. U.S. Route 40 follows the course of the National Road through the state of Illinois. A hamlet known as Howard's Point was established on the National Road at the current location. Later, the name was changed to St. Elmo when a north–south railroad was planned in 1882 to terminate at the settlement. By 1895, the planned railroad bypassed the town, but an east–west railroad was constructed that connected with Vandalia. The town constructed a rail link to the Chicago, Paducah and Memphis Railroad.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of St. Elmo. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1941St Elmo 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 St. Elmo.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Another post office, Howard's Point, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Howard's Point
1840–1869
Saint Elmo
1869–today
18401930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Howards PointSaint Elmo
1cemetery inside St. Elmo
Maplewood
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about St. Elmo’s history
What year was St. Elmo founded?
The St. Elmo post office opened in 1869, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1871.
How does St. Elmo rank for history?
St. Elmo is more historic than 49% 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.
How old are the homes in St. Elmo?
30% of St. Elmo’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.0 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1954.
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 (6), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via 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.
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