Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 31% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: maps from 1907 on and the census since 1880.
The St. Jacob post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 31% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. Jacob is more historic than 31% 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 St. Jacob’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 St. Jacob’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of St. Jacob. 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 St. Jacob.
From Wikipedia’s history of St. Jacob.
St. Jacob derives its name from Jacob Schutz, who operated a store, saloon and tavern called the St. Jacob House. Earl E. Herrin (1892–1964), Illinois state representative and businessman, was born in St. Jacob.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention St. Jacob, cut from the printed page as they were published.
session of his son, Supervisor Ed. Willi) start¬ ed a blacksmith shop in 1850. Louis Schiele, who built the third house, laid out the town of St. Jacob in 1866, at which time there were about twenty houses in the village, mostly near the Schroth place on the St. Louis wagon road.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
session of his son, Supervisor Ed. Willi) start¬ ed a blacksmith shop in 1850. Louis Schiele, who built the third house, laid out the town of St. Jacob in 1866, at which time there were about twenty houses in the village, mostly near the Schroth place on the St. Louis wagon road.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ing of a number of log cabins enclosed by a row of strong posts. One of these forts (Chilton’s) was on Silver creek, about two miles west of the present town of St. Jacob, and another (Cox’s) near old Aviston. In this township Mrs. Jesse Bailes was shot and killed by Indians on Sugar creek in 1814.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ing of a number of log cabins enclosed by a row of strong posts. One of these forts (Chilton’s) was on Silver creek, about two miles west of the present town of St. Jacob, and another (Cox’s) near old Aviston. In this township Mrs. Jesse Bailes was shot and killed by Indians on Sugar creek in 1814.
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.
Grew from 461 people in 1880 to 1,358 in 2020.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on St. Jacob’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in St. Jacob itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The St. Jacob post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
St. Jacob is more historic than 31% 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.
12% of St. Jacob’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1995.
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 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.
