Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register. Below: maps from 1946 on and the census since 1880.
Ursa Township dates its founding to 1828 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ursa Township is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
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 Ursa Township’s 9.8 sits above most of its state (83% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Ursa Township’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 SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Ursa Township.
The first settlers came to Ursa in 1823. Ursa was established in 1828 and became an incorporated village in 1964.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Ursa Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
from the City of Pittslturg, March 10. 1840, a son o'f Michael and Elizabeth (Funk) Daugherty, both natives of Pennsylvania and the former of Scotch ancestry and the latter of German stock. Michael Daugherty brought his family to Illinois in 1851 and settled on a farm in Ursa Township of Adams County. Michael was a blacksmith by trade, but after coming to Adams County gave his time to agriculture and developed one of the finest farms of the county.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
James T. Ruddell is the present supervisor of Ursa Township and for a number of years has sold much of the merchandise distributed from the village of Ursa over the surrounding coimtry. In 1904 he acquired his present business as successor to the Lummis Brothers. The store was originally established about 1880, the building being erected by Mr. Steiubach. and is now owned by the J. M. Daugherty Estate. Mr. Ruddell has a stock of general merchandise valued at about -$7,000, representing an increase from an original investment of $3,300. The business has grown and prospered and shows very satisfactory
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ursa Township. 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 Ursa Township.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 123 and 626 people in every census since 1880.
7 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ursa Township’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Ursa Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Another post office, Marcelline, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1828, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Ursa Township’s post office opened in 1836, and the census of 1880 counted 123 people here.
Ursa Township is more historic than 83% 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.
20% of Ursa Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.0 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1959.
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 (2), Wikidata (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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