Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Staunton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
B+History
History · Staunton

Staunton’s post office opened in 1837, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 71% of U.S. towns · #254 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

Below: maps from 1886 on and old-book passages.

1837first post office
0on the National Register
31%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Staunton began

When was Staunton founded?

1837

The Staunton post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1870.

2020 census: 5,054189 years

How historic is Staunton?

B+

More historic than 71% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Staunton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1870.
History grade

What drives Staunton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Staunton is more historic than 71% of U.S. towns, #254 of 768 in Illinois. 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 Staunton’s overall grade.
Founding era1837, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194031.0% of homes (±6.5) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%ANational RegisterNo listings counted · typical IL town 0.5 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 71%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 67%

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 Staunton’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 B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1870.

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 Staunton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Staunton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1886 to 1921, drew every building in Staunton.Deep rootsA post office since 1837: 189 years of Staunton.Old housesHalf of Staunton’s homes were built before 1955.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Staunton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Staunton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Every building

Staunton, building by building, 1886–1921

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Staunton fire insurance map, 1886, sheet 11886Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story so far

Staunton, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Staunton yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Staunton Township (S1⁄2 T7N R6W) is located in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 5,795 and it contained 2,611 housing units.

Its first post office opened in 1837. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 5,139 in 2010, 5,054 in 2020.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Staunton in 1911

Passages that mention Staunton, cut from the printed page as they were published.

This church has been organized about forty years. Previous to its establishment services had been held in Staunton at various places, the minister coming from Mt. Olive. Soon after the organization of this congregation a small church was built, which was converted into a schoolhouse. The second chu…
History of Macoupin County, Illinois1911 · page 230Read the page →
Read the text

This church has been organized about forty years. Previous to its establishment services had been held in Staunton at various places, the minister coming from Mt. Olive. Soon after the organization of this congregation a small church was built, which was converted into a schoolhouse. The second church, a frame building, was dedicated December 16, 1900. It is an imposing structure and a pipe organ has been installed. The church property, including church, parsonage, school and two teachers' residences, is valued at $25,000.

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.

By decade

Staunton, decade by decade

Today10 recent
Row of cars for sale at the Country Classic Cars location near Staunton, Illinois2019Row of cars for sale at the Country Classic Cars loca…An abrupt change in colors between two fields near Staunton, Illinois2019An abrupt change in colors between two fields near St…Red barn and metal silos near Staunton, Illinois2019Red barn and metal silos near Staunton, IllinoisFarm scene at harvest time near Staunton, Illinois2019Farm scene at harvest time near Staunton, IllinoisWeathered barns near Staunton, Illinois2019Weathered barns near Staunton, IllinoisCars buried in the ground, Route 66 at Henry's Rabbit Ranch2009Cars buried in the ground, Route 66 at Henry's Rabbit…Detail of classic Cadillac car, Country Classic Cars, Route 662009Detail of classic Cadillac car, Country Classic Cars,…Detail of a historic car, Country Classic Cars2009Detail of a historic car, Country Classic CarsDetail of antique car, Country Classic Cars2009Detail of antique car, Country Classic CarsBarn, Route 66, near Staunton, Illinois2004Barn, Route 66, near Staunton, Illinois
On the map

Staunton on the map, 1912 to 1974

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Staunton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Staunton on the 1912 USGS mapStaunton on the 1974 USGS map1912Gillespie 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 Staunton.

Famous people

Famous people close to Staunton

Nobody well known was born in Staunton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Howard KeelAmerican actor and singer · b. 1919
FerrasAmerican musician · b. 1984
J
James SpudichAmerican biochemist · b. 1942
A
Andy ManarAmerican politician · b. 1976
C
Clarence J. GoodnightAmerican arachnologist and annelidologist · b. 1914
H
Harry PattonAmerican baseball player · b. 1884
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Staunton’s post office has been open since 1837.

Gone or out of use
Mine Number 14mine
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Staunton
Old Saint MichaelsSaint Michaels

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Staunton’s history

What year was Staunton founded?

The Staunton post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1870.

How does Staunton rank for history?

Staunton is more historic than 71% of U.S. towns, #254 of 768 in Illinois. 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 Staunton?

31% of Staunton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.5 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1955.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 the Library of Congress (10), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.